Hummingbird cake was invented in 1978 by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins in Jamaica, then stolen by Southern Living magazine.
Hummingbird Cake
Dive into the delightful world of Hummingbird Cake, a Southern treasure that harmoniously blends ripe bananas, juicy pineapple, and crunchy pecans. This moist, flavorful cake is crowned with a luscious cream cheese frosting that takes each bite to a whole new level of decadence. Perfect for gatherings or a sweet treat at home, this cake will have everyone buzzing with joy!
Prep
15
min
Cook
35
min
Serves
15
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 15🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2-3 bananas) (240 ml)
- 10 oz crushed pineapple, well drained (284 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- ¾ cup butter, softened (170 g)
- ½ cup buttermilk (114 g)
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened (454 g)
- 4 large eggs, room temp
🫙Pantry Staples(8)
- 1½ tsp baking powder (7.5 ml)
- 1 tsp baking soda (5 ml)
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (312 g)
- 1 cup vegetable oil (240 ml)
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar (800-1 g)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar (300 g)
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed (134 g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (10 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- ⅛ tsp allspice (0.62 ml)
- 1½ tsp cinnamon (7.5 ml)
- ½ tsp salt (2.5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1 cup chopped toasted pecans, optional (240 ml)optional
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F, grease three 8-inch cake pans.
- 2
Beat eggs, sugars, oil, buttermilk and vanilla together.
- 3
Mix in mashed banana and drained pineapple.
- 4
Whisk dry ingredients separately then fold into wet until just combined.
- 5
Fold in pecans.
- 6
Divide between pans, bake 28-35 min until toothpick comes out clean.
- 7
Cool completely — don’t rush this.
- 8
Beat cream cheese and butter smooth, add vanilla and powdered sugar until fluffy.
- 9
Frost between each layer and all over the cake, garnish with pecans, chill 30 min and try not to eat the whole thing.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Drain your crushed pineapple for exactly 15 minutes in a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently to remove excess juice while retaining 25-30% moisture content to prevent a soggy cake bottom.ingredient25-30% moisture retention
- ✓Use overripe bananas with 25% brown spots because their higher sugar content (18-25% vs 12% in yellow bananas) creates better moisture and flavor development through Maillard reactions.ingredient18-25% sugar content
- ✓Fold dry ingredients using exactly 12-15 strokes in a J-motion to prevent gluten overdevelopment, which creates tunneling and reduces cake volume by up to 30%.technique12-15 strokes
- ✓Cool cake layers for minimum 2 hours before frosting because residual heat above 80°F will melt cream cheese frosting and cause it to slide off the cake.timing2 hours minimum, 80°F threshold
- ✓Toast pecans at 325°F for 8-10 minutes before folding in to develop oils and intensify flavor compounds while preventing them from sinking during baking.technique325°F for 8-10 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
35
min
Serves
15
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Hummingbird cake was invented in 1978 by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins in Jamaica, then stolen by Southern Living magazine.
Hummingbird Cake
Dive into the delightful world of Hummingbird Cake, a Southern treasure that harmoniously blends ripe bananas, juicy pineapple, and crunchy pecans. This moist, flavorful cake is crowned with a luscious cream cheese frosting that takes each bite to a whole new level of decadence. Perfect for gatherings or a sweet treat at home, this cake will have everyone buzzing with joy!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 15🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2-3 bananas) (240 ml)
- 10 oz crushed pineapple, well drained (284 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- ¾ cup butter, softened (170 g)
- ½ cup buttermilk (114 g)
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened (454 g)
- 4 large eggs, room temp
🫙Pantry Staples(8)
- 1½ tsp baking powder (7.5 ml)
- 1 tsp baking soda (5 ml)
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (312 g)
- 1 cup vegetable oil (240 ml)
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar (800-1 g)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar (300 g)
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed (134 g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (10 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- ⅛ tsp allspice (0.62 ml)
- 1½ tsp cinnamon (7.5 ml)
- ½ tsp salt (2.5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1 cup chopped toasted pecans, optional (240 ml)optional
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F, grease three 8-inch cake pans.
- 2
Beat eggs, sugars, oil, buttermilk and vanilla together.
- 3
Mix in mashed banana and drained pineapple.
- 4
Whisk dry ingredients separately then fold into wet until just combined.
- 5
Fold in pecans.
- 6
Divide between pans, bake 28-35 min until toothpick comes out clean.
- 7
Cool completely — don’t rush this.
- 8
Beat cream cheese and butter smooth, add vanilla and powdered sugar until fluffy.
- 9
Frost between each layer and all over the cake, garnish with pecans, chill 30 min and try not to eat the whole thing.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Drain your crushed pineapple for exactly 15 minutes in a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently to remove excess juice while retaining 25-30% moisture content to prevent a soggy cake bottom.ingredient25-30% moisture retention
- ✓Use overripe bananas with 25% brown spots because their higher sugar content (18-25% vs 12% in yellow bananas) creates better moisture and flavor development through Maillard reactions.ingredient18-25% sugar content
- ✓Fold dry ingredients using exactly 12-15 strokes in a J-motion to prevent gluten overdevelopment, which creates tunneling and reduces cake volume by up to 30%.technique12-15 strokes
- ✓Cool cake layers for minimum 2 hours before frosting because residual heat above 80°F will melt cream cheese frosting and cause it to slide off the cake.timing2 hours minimum, 80°F threshold
- ✓Toast pecans at 325°F for 8-10 minutes before folding in to develop oils and intensify flavor compounds while preventing them from sinking during baking.technique325°F for 8-10 minutes