Have you ever had a slice of hummingbird cake before?
I think it’s been pretty well documented here on the blog that I have a bit of a sweet tooth. {Okay, so maybe I live for sugar}.
And well, it had been nearly a week since I had made anything sweet and since we had a bunch of ripe bananas sitting on the counter, I decided to whip up a hummingbird cake.
Well if you haven’t, you’ve been missing out on something wonderful.
Filled with ripe bananas, crushed pineapple, pecans and coconut flakes, this cake is insanely moist and according to my husband… OUTSTANDING!
Perfect for summertime gatherings or sharing with friends and neighbors, this recipe for hummingbird cake will soon become a favorite {if it’s not already}.
And, as an added bonus, if you have a few extra slices leftover, they freeze well too! 😉
Make this! You’ll be so glad that you did.
~Mavis
Cute little dessert boxes with lids
Parchment squares
Hummingbird Cake
Ingredients
Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups mashed, ripe bananas {about 4 large}
8 ounces crushed pineapple
⅔ cup canola oil
2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut flakes
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
¾ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter and flour 2 round 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice and salt together in a medium sized mixing bowl and set aside.
In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, bananas, pineapple and canola oil together. Then add the chopped peacans, coconut, sugars and vanilla extract.
Slowly add the flour mixture and stir to combine.
Divide the batter between the 2 prepared pans and bake the cakes for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool cake pans on wire racks.
To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, milk, vanilla and salt in a medium-size bowl with a wire whisk and beat until nice and smooth {about a minute}. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth {about 2 minutes}.
Place a dab of frosting in the center of your cake plate. Add the first layer {you will need to cut both of your 2 cake layers in half to make a total of 4 layers}. Frost the center of each layer, then the top and sides.
Chill cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Nadia says
Thank you for the recipe Mavis. Would you mind sharing where you got the containers that you put the cake slices in, I’m assuming to wrap up and freeze? We too have sweet tooths here and I would like to cut up the remaining cakes immediately and put them up in the freezer or we would consume the entire cake in short order.
Mavis Butterfield says
Hi Nadia,
There is a link in the post for the containers. I freeze my cake slices on a cookie sheet for a few hours until firm and then pop them into zip baggies. 🙂
Tracey says
Baked this afternoon! Thanks – well worth the effort and Fantastic Flavors! Really appreciate the link for those boxes. They are lovely for sharing.
Pat davis says
I make the hummingbird cake and have for years it is my very favorite cake of all times
Laura Z says
Looks so delicious! Hummingbird cake is a Southern Classic. I recommend Lane cake too, if you haven’t had it!
Lana says
My Mom made this cake for decades and it was always ‘her’ cake. She is in a nursing home and will never make it again. Somehow I just feel like leaving it as hers and not ever making it myself.
Janice says
I’ve been looking for new recipe ideas since purchasing a 45 pound box of bananas at our local discount store for $5. This delicious cake will use up a few of them!
Mel says
I highly recommend Mavis’s peanut butter banana granola!
I’ve also been meaning to try this https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/yeasted-banana-sandwich-bread-recipe
Janice says
Thanks!
Stacy says
I have this recipe from my Aunt Mary–but she called it Dr. Bird cake. I have always loved it!
KCB says
I am terrible at cutting the layers in half. Any tips? Hummingbird cake is very popular in the South. I think the recipe came from Jamaica.
Mavis Butterfield says
If you chill your layers first (an hour or two in the freezer) they are much easier to slice.
Loretta says
Yum!
If like that, you should try Lumberjack Cake! Made with apples, it is an Australian classic!!
Dee says
When I want to make one layer of cake into two layers, I let it cool first. Remove from pan onto cutting board. Then I use a long, thick pie e of thread to gently ‘saw’ through the layer. Watch carefully to ensure the two layers are even. This works nicely.
Christina says
This looks insanely delicious!! And as if it came from a high-end bakery. Yum…I need to eat gluten free, but you could totally make this with a good gluten free 1-for-1 baking flour. I think King Arthur’s there in the US has one of the highest rated ones.
Christina says
Interesting Loretta, I’m going to have to look that recipe up! Does it have a similar frosting?