A beautifully fruity and moist cake with layers decorated with a cream cheese frosting with a pop of extra flavor, this old fashioned hummingbird cake recipe is one you'll definitely want to keep for any special events.
Made famous when included in a Southern Living edition, originated in Jamaica and became well known in the south in the seventies.
Jump to:
- What is Hummingbird Cake and why is my recipe the best?
- Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
- Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
- Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Necessary gear: equipment
- More cake recipes I think you'll love
- How to store leftovers
- Mel's kitchen notes
- Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe
- 💬 Comments
What is Hummingbird Cake and why is my recipe the best?
Delicious cake layers that include mashed banana and pineapples, ground cinnamon and nuts. It reminds me of banana bread, with the addition of pineapple and spices.
I take my recipe to the next level by including mayonnaise (I use this instead of vegetable oil) as well as mixing a little pineapple juice to the cream cheese frosting. It's too good, cher!
Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.
Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe steps. For more detailed instructions visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Add the dry cake ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix together with a whisk.
- Step 2: Add the wet cake ingredients and mix together in the bowl of your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment.
- Step 3: Add the dry to the wet ingredients, in batches.
- Step 4: Pour into 3 well greased and floured 8-Inch cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven.
- Step 5: Remove the finished cake tins to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the wire racks to cool completely.
- Step 6: While the cake layers are cooling, toast the pecans in the oven. Then chop them finely.
- Step 7: Add the cream cheese frosting ingredients to the cleaned bowl of your stand mixer and mix together until creamy and firm.
- Step 8: Spread between the three cake layers, then frost all over evenly. Decorate with the chopped pecans and chopped dried pineapples.
Hint: Do not over-mix the cake batter, or you'll wind up with a tough textured cake.
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
Following is a list of variations and alternate ideas for substitutes that you could play with in this recipe:
- Hummingbird Bundt Cake - instead of a three tiered cake, you could make a bundt cake instead. Grease and flour a bundt pan then pour the cake batter until it's ¾ full. Bake in the oven at 350°F for 60-70 minutes.
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Necessary gear: equipment
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I used 3x 8" round cake tins, a stand mixer, mixing bowls, whisk and spatula to create this delicious dessert. You'll need an offset spatula as well to make a nice finish on the frosting.
See the recipe card below for some affiliate links for more info.
More cake recipes I think you'll love
How to store leftovers
I like to store my hummingbird cake in the refrigerator, it helps the frosting to stay firm. Actually, a nice piece of cool hummingbird cake with a cup of coffee is wonderful!
Mel's kitchen notes
Don't skip on toasting those pecans, it adds a totally different level of flavor!
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Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 3 8" Round Baking Tins
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon All Spice
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar packed
- 1-½ Cups Mayonnaise
- 2 Each Large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups Bananas mashed
- 1 Cup Crushed Pineapple use 20 Ounce can, reserve some of the juice
- 1 Cup Chopped Pecans toasted
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 (8 Ounce) Blocks Cream Cheese softened
- ¾ Cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Cup Pineapple Juice reserved from can used in cake
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Pinch Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Dried PIneapple chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add the dry ingredients from the cake recipe to a large mixing bowl, and mix together with a whisk.3 Cups All Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon All Spice, 1 Cup Granulated Sugar, 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
- Add the wet ingredients from the cake recipe to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix just until combined.1-½ Cups Mayonnaise, 2 Each Large Eggs, 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract, 2 Cups Bananas, 1 Cup Crushed Pineapple
- Add the dry ingredients mix to the wet, in 3 batches, just mixing until combined (Don't overmix!)
- Grease 3 8" round cake tins with butter, then liberally sprinkle with flour, making sure the entire pan is coated.
- Pour cake batter evenly into the three pans then bake in the oven for about 28 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean).
- Remove from the oven and place onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, before turning the cooked cake out onto the rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes are cooling toast the pecans in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Remove then chop finer.1 Cup Chopped Pecans
- Add the ingredients for the cream cheese frosting to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix until the frosting is well combined and firm.2 (8 Ounce) Blocks Cream Cheese, ¾ Cup Unsalted Butter, 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract, ¼ Cup Pineapple Juice, 4 Cups Powdered Sugar, 1 Pinch Salt
- Take one layer of cake and place on a cake stand or cake plate. Liberally spread some of the cream cheese frosting all over, then place another layer on top. Repeat with the third, then frost all around the cake and on top.
- Sprinkle with the toasted pecans and some finely chopped dried pineapple for decoration.2 Tablespoons Dried PIneapple
Notes
Nutrition
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