Hummingbird Cake Recipe

Hummingbird Cake is a classic southern dessert that’s perfect for spring holidays and special occasions. It’s super moist and packed with sweet banana and pineapple flavors, and loaded with buttery, crunchy pecans. It’s topped with my favorite rich and fluffy cream cheese frosting, and sprinkled with more chopped pecans for the finishing touch.

For more Delicious Cake Recipes, be sure to check out my One Bowl Chocolate Cake, No Bake Banana Split Cake, and Easy Coconut Cake.

If you’ve never tried a slice of Hummingbird Cake before, you are in for a treat!

This cake is incredibly moist and super flavorful thanks to its fruity filling. It also has a nice crunch from the pecans and a warm hint of cinnamon spice. It’s similar in texture and flavor to my favorite Carrot Cake recipe, and also has the same incredible cream cheese frosting!

It’s the perfect treat for Easter, but is simple enough to make anytime. It uses quite a few ripe bananas, so it makes a nice alternative to the typical banana bread when you have bananas to use up!

Ingredients for Southern Hummingbird Cake

• Dry ingredients – you will need all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon for baking your hummingbird cake.
• Sugar –  you will need granulated white sugar for the cake batter and powdered sugar for the frosting.  
• Vanilla extract –  gives depth of flavor to your hummingbird cake and is also necessary for the frosting. You can use vanilla bean paste instead if you have it on hand.
• Bananas – you will need 2 cups of mashed bananas. About 4 medium sized overripe bananas will work for this.
• Pineapple – I like to use one 8 ounce can of crushed pineapple WITH the juice. Don’t drain it! The juice adds flavor and moisture to the cake.
• Eggs – you will need 3 large eggs for your cake. Allow your eggs to come to room temperature first, as they will blend into your wet ingredients much more smoothly.
• Vegetable oil – you will need 1 cup of vegetable oil for your cake. You could also use canola oil. 
• Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter. You will need one stick softened to room temperature for preparing the cream cheese icing.
• Pecans – give a nice nutty flavor and texture to the cake. I like to reserve some for decorating the outside of the cake for a pretty presentation. Feel free to omit the pecans or replace them with a different nut like walnuts instead.
• Cream cheese – make sure to use full-fat, brick style cream cheese. Allow it to soften to room temperature before using.

A full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions are located in the recipe card below.

How to Make this Hummingbird Cake Recipe – Step by Step

Step 1: Combine ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper that has been cut in a circle to fit. Spray the pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, pineapple, oil, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.. Fold the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix.

Step 2: Bake

Gently fold in the pecans and pour the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs when inserted into the center of the cakes. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely on wire racks before frosting. Once cool, use a serrated knife to even out the tops of each cake layer (the scraps are a delicious snack!)

Step 3: Make frosting and decorate cake

Beat the frosting ingredients together in a large bowl with an electric mixer over medium speed. Spread a generous amount of frosting over the top of the first layer of cooled cake. Place the second layer on top and decorate the top of the cake and the sides with the remaining frosting and the chopped pecans.

Tips and Notes

• Use room temperature ingredients. Using room temperature eggs in your cake will help your ingredients to incorporate smoothly. If you haven’t had time to let your eggs come to room temperature, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for five minutes before adding to the Hummingbird Cake batter.
• If your frosting is too runny, you can add another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. You can also place the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes to help it set. To help prevent your frosting from being too runny, try to allow your cream cheese and butter to come to room temperature on the counter and without the use of the microwave. I know, we all need to use it sometimes! And if you do have to go that route, just allow the cream cheese and butter to cool off completely. The heat from the microwave can make your frosting runny.
• Feel free to substitute walnuts for the pecans. You can also omit the nuts completely for a nut-free Hummingbird Cake, or swap the nuts for raisins.
• Be sure to store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge. Due to the cream cheese frosting and fruit filling, this is a cake that requires refrigeration.
• This Hummingbird Cake can be frozen for up to three months. It can also be made in advance and frozen. Wrap it tightly in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil and place it in a freezer-safe container. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!