Hummingbird Cake Recipe: Southern Classic Done Right
Hummingbird cake is made by combining mashed bananas, crushed pineapple, pecans, and warm spices into a layered cake batter, baked at 350°F for 25-30 minutes per layer. It's finished with a classic cream cheese frosting and typically garnished with chopped pecans.
A woman named Diane at my old office used to bring hummingbird cake to every potluck and every birthday and every occasion that could be loosely described as a gathering. She made no other baked goods. She had apparently decided, at some point in her life, that hummingbird cake was her thing and committed fully. The rest of us were not complaining.
The cake is Southern in the way that Southern food often is — generous to the point of excess, with a flavor profile that sounds like too much on paper and tastes exactly right in the pan. Bananas, crushed pineapple, pecans, cinnamon, and vanilla in a moist oil-based cake with cream cheese frosting. It should not work as well as it does. It does.
When Diane retired, I asked her for the recipe. She wrote it out on an index card in handwriting that required some decoding. The key things: do not substitute butter for the oil — the oil is what keeps the cake moist for days. Drain the pineapple well or the batter gets too wet. Toast the pecans. The cream cheese frosting needs to be cold going on the cake, not warm, or it slides.
I have made it three times since she left. It has not replaced her version, which was better in ways I can't fully account for. But it's close enough that people ask about it, which is the standard I was aiming for.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1 cup (240ml) neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 (8 oz / 227g) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
- 1 1/2 cups (170g) chopped pecans, divided
- FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 2 (8 oz / 227g) packages full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup (57g) pecan halves or pieces, toasted, for garnish
Instructions
- 1Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper and grease the parchment. Flour the pans lightly and tap out any excess.
- 2In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
- 3Add the beaten eggs, oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined —? do not use an electric mixer for the batter. This is a stir-by-hand cake and that is not a suggestion.
- 4Fold in the mashed bananas, the crushed pineapple with all its juice, and 1 cup of the chopped pecans. Stir until everything is evenly distributed. The batter will be thick.
- 5Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans, about 2 cups per pan. Smooth the tops gently.
- 6Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges have just begun to pull away from the sides of the pan. Rotate the pans halfway through baking.
- 7Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Then run a thin knife around the edges and turn them out onto the racks. Remove the parchment and let them cool completely —? at least 1 hour —? before frosting. Frosting a warm cake is a grief you do not need.
- 8Make the frosting: Beat the room-temperature cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until smooth, fluffy, and completely lump-free.
- 9Reduce the mixer to low and add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt. Increase speed to medium and beat for 1 more minute until the frosting is light and spreadable.
- 10Assemble the cake: Place the first layer on your serving plate or cake board. Spread about 3/4 cup of frosting evenly across the top. Add the second layer, repeat. Add the third layer.
- 11Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Scatter the toasted pecan halves and remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans across the top.
- 12Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing to help it set. Serve at room temperature for best texture and flavor.
Pro Tips
- Use bananas with a lot of brown spots —? the browner, the better. Under-ripe bananas will produce a muted flavor that the cake will notice even if you don't.
- Do not drain the pineapple. I repeat: do not drain the pineapple. That juice is doing structural and emotional work in this cake.
- Toast your pecans at 350°F for 7-8 minutes before adding them to the batter and to the top of the cake. The difference between toasted and untoasted pecans is the difference between a supporting character and a lead.
- Room temperature cream cheese and butter are non-negotiable for the frosting. Cold cream cheese produces lumps that no amount of beating will fully fix —? they just hide and then reappear in your frosting like relatives you thought had left.
- For cleaner layers, wrap the completely cooled cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 20 minutes before assembling. Cold layers are much easier to frost without crumbling.
Substitutions
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate the frosted cake, loosely covered with a cake dome or plastic wrap, for up to 5 days. The flavor actually deepens by day two. Bring individual slices to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving. Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 1 day, refrigerated for 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
Make Ahead
Bake and completely cool the cake layers up to 2 days ahead; wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. The cream cheese frosting can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator —? beat it briefly with a hand mixer before using to restore its texture. The fully assembled and frosted cake can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated; it slices beautifully cold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called hummingbird cake?
The origin isn't definitively settled, but the most widely accepted story is that the cake was introduced to American audiences via Southern Living magazine in 1978, where it arrived from Jamaica. One popular explanation is that it's sweet enough to attract hummingbirds —? another is that the name refers to the hummingbird being Jamaica's national bird. Either way, the name has stuck for good reason.
Can I make hummingbird cake in a 9x13 pan instead of layers?
Yes, and it's significantly easier. Pour all the batter into a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan before frosting. You'll use about half the frosting recipe —? or make the full batch and spread it generously, which is also a valid life choice.
Why did my hummingbird cake turn out dry?
Three likely culprits: you drained the pineapple (don't —? the juice is moisture), your bananas weren't ripe enough (use very brown-spotted ones), or you overbaked the layers. Start checking at the 25-minute mark. A dry hummingbird cake is a correctable tragedy —? brush the layers with a little simple syrup before frosting to restore moisture.
Can I make hummingbird cake ahead of time for a party?
This is actually one of the better cakes to make ahead. The flavor improves as it sits and the frosting helps seal in moisture. Bake the layers up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate them wrapped tightly. Frost the assembled cake the day before your event, cover it with a cake dome, and refrigerate. Pull it out 30-45 minutes before serving.
How do I store leftover hummingbird cake?
Because of the cream cheese frosting, this cake must be refrigerated. Store it covered with a cake dome or loosely wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days. Bring individual slices to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before eating —? cold cream cheese frosting is stiff and the banana flavor is much more pronounced when the cake isn't fridge-cold.
Can I make hummingbird cake without nuts?
Yes. Simply omit the pecans from the batter and the topping entirely —? the cake will still be moist and delicious, just without the textural contrast. If you want to keep some crunch without nuts, toasted sweetened coconut flakes make a lovely garnish on top, though it does shift the flavor profile slightly toward tropical.
My cream cheese frosting turned out runny —? what went wrong?
The cream cheese or butter (or both) were too warm. Room temperature means about 68°F —? cool to the touch, not soft or greasy. If your frosting is already runny, refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes and then beat it again. If it's still too loose, add powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time until it holds its shape. Do not add more liquid.
Can I freeze hummingbird cake?
Yes. Unfrosted individual layers freeze well wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil for up to 2 months —? thaw overnight in the refrigerator before assembling. You can also freeze the fully frosted cake: freeze uncovered until the frosting is solid (about 2 hours), then wrap carefully in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.