Moist, sweet, and completely irresistible, this Hummingbird Cake is a classic old-fashioned, southern dessert loaded with bananas, pineapple, and spices and topped with cream cheese frosting. It’s perfect for any occasion.
Do you like making a special dessert for Easter or even Mother’s Day? When springtime comes around I sure get in the mood for baking and I almost always gravitate towards making a cake.
Growing up my mom was a cake decorator. So it is fair to say that we ate our share of cake. One that I always looked forward to was this hummingbird cake. It is like having a delicious banana cake but with added pineapple and the spice of cinnamon. So good!
Over the years I have been slowly combing through mom’s big binder of recipes that she always kept on hand. I still have stacks and stacks of her decorating books she collected – one day I will crack those open and really test my skills.
But for now – simple to make cakes that I remember from my childhood are just perfect for our lifestyle. Just enough cake for dessert for a couple of days – then we are good until the next cake inspiration comes.
I know you’ll love this super simple dessert that is an absolute classic.
classic southern cake
Here are some commonly asked questions
What is Hummingbird Cake?
Hummingbird cake is a delicious dessert that is perfect for springtime. The cake features pineapple, which gives it a sweet and tangy flavor, as well as bananas and spices. This cake is a super popular recipe, especially in the South, and it’s easy to see why – it’s absolutely delicious!
Why is it called Hummingbird cake?
There are several theories about why hummingbird cake is named after hummingbirds. One theory is that the cake is so sweet and flavorful that it’s like eating a hummingbird’s favorite food.
Another theory is that the cake is light and fluffy, just like a hummingbird’s wings.
hummingbird birthday cake
How do I properly measure the flour?
The official way is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup & level off. This makes sure the flour isn’t packed tightly into your measuring cup, adding more than you need, as that will make your baked goods too dry.
Can this frosting be made ahead of time?
You bet! Often when I am working on a cake, it happens in batches. I will bake the layers one day and make the frosting while they are baking.
Then the layers go in the freezer and the frosting gets refrigerated for up to 1-3 days before I even get around to decorating the cake.
spring cake recipes
hummingbird cake ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- ripe bananas – mashed
- eggs – beaten
- crushed pineapple – drained
- vegetable oil
- chopped pecans – optional
- vanilla extract
- baking soda
- table salt
- ground cinnamon
cream cheese frosting ingredients
- confectioner’s sugar
- cream cheese – room temperature
- butter – room temperature
- vanilla extract
- crushed pecans to coat the cake
easy hummingbird cake
how to make a hummingbird cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease 2 – 9″ round cake pans or 1 standard bundt pan. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, mashed bananas, beaten eggs, crushed pineapple, oil, pecans, vanilla, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in the mixer bowl. Stir on low using the whisk attachment or whisk by hand until the ingredients are completely combined – but don’t over-mix.
- Transfer to the prepared pan or pans.
- Bake 30-35 minutes for the 9″ pans or approx 50 minutes for the bundt pan. Use either the toothpick test or the spring-back test to determine doneness as varying ovens, climate and elevation will affect the time.
- Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature before removing and decorating.
how to make cream cheese frosting
- Blend cream cheese and butter on high speed until it begins to thicken.
- Reduce the speed and add in the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla, blend well until no lumps remain.
best hummingbird cake recipe
assembling the cake
- Once cakes have completely cooled, add frosting between the top and bottom layers and then frost the entire cake with remaining frosting.
- Sprinkle the crushed pecans over entire cake, pressing some of the pecans gently alongside of the cake to until completely covered.
What is the best way to store leftover cream cheese frosting?
Just keep it refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 7 days. As long as you don’t let it sit out at room temperature for too long, this should keep well when chilled.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Just make sure to thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours prior to using it again.
old fashioned hummingbird cake recipe
Can hummingbird cake be frozen?
Yes, I do it often. Once baked – this cake can be frozen at all stages of the creation process. I like to remove the freshly baked and cooled cakes from the pan, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze them for later use. (this is also handy when you want to work with cold cakes to keep the frosting from getting too soft.)
I also like to freeze the cake once I have assembled the layers and added the crumb coat. This helps the final frosting decorating go much smoother. This way you don’t have your frosting melting off the side of the cake because the cake or the frosting is too warm. Often times I will get a cake to this stage days before the event I’m making for. Then just finish up the decorating the night before.
You can also gently wrap the completely decorated cake and freeze it until you need it. Remember that the frosting won’t be completely firm and can still be dented if something gets pushed up against it while in the freezer.
Just make sure to thaw it in the fridge the night before as it does taste best when not frozen. I also like to leave it at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving so the frosting is more creamy than stiff.
What is bakers release?
Bakers release is a combination of oil, flour, and shortening that makes releasing cakes and other baked goods almost effortless.
To make Bakers Release – it is as simple as 1,1 & 1.
- equal parts of all-purpose flour, shortening, and cooking oil – I like to do 1 cup of each.
Mix the ingredients together – whisking well. Store in an airtight container in the pantry or refrigerator. When ready to use, dip a pastry brush into the mixture and spread it over the cake pan.
hummingbird cake recipe
Products I love when making this hummingbird cake…
This spring cake recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand OR maybe you have never made a homemade cake before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love it. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this dessert recipe. (you can also SHOP MY FAVORITES in my store)
If you love this Easy Hummingbird Cake recipe, you’re going to love these other cake recipes too.. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Don’t miss this great Spring Cake Roll too!
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Hummingbird Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 ripe bananas – mashed
- 3 eggs – beaten
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple – drained
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup chopped pecans – optional
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp table salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese – room temperature
- ½ cup butter – room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups crushed pecans to coat the cake
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease 2 – 9" round cake pans or 1 standard bundt pan. Set aside. (I like to use homemade baker's release)
- Combine the flour, sugar, mashed bananas, beaten eggs, crushed pineapple, oil, pecans, vanilla, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in the mixer bowl. Stir on low using the whisk attachment or whisk by hand until the ingredients are completely combined – but don’t over-mix.
- Transfer to the prepared pan or pans.
- Bake 30-35 minutes for the 9″ pans or approx 50 minutes for the bundt pan. Use either the toothpick test or the spring-back test to determine doneness as varying ovens, climate and elevation will affect the time.
- Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature before removing and decorating.
Frosting
- Blend cream cheese and butter on high speed until it begins to thicken.
- Reduce the speed and add in the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla, blend well until no lumps remain.
Assemble the Cake
- Once cakes have completely cooled, add frosting between the top and bottom layers and then frost the entire cake with remaining frosting.
- Sprinkle the crushed pecans over entire cake, pressing some of the pecans gently alongside of the cake to until completely covered.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Taste of the Frontier cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
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