Hummingbird Cake
User Reviews
4.9
Hummingbird Cake
Description
Hummingbird Cake blends all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon with mashed bananas and crushed pineapple, along with toasted pecans for texture. The wet ingredients include vegetable oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract, mixed separately before combining gently with the dry ingredients to avoid toughness in the cake. The batter is divided evenly among three greased 9-inch pans lined with parchment and baked until a toothpick comes out clean.
The cake’s moist and tender crumb arises from precise flour measurement and minimal mixing to avoid gluten development. The frosting combines softened butter and cream cheese beaten together with vanilla and a variable amount of powdered sugar, allowing adjustment from thinner to firmer textures depending on preference. Using room temperature ingredients ensures smooth integration.
Served cooled and frosted, this cake offers layered spice and fruit flavors with a lightly nutty crunch from pecans. It’s suited for special occasions where a rich, moist cake with complex flavors is desired. Techniques such as baking strips and ingredient temperature control contribute to even, flat layers.
Bananas can be ripened quickly by warming in the oven or air fryer if needed. The frosting may be substituted with vanilla buttercream for variation. Smaller pans can be used for taller layers, adjusting baking time accordingly.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ cups vegetable oil (360ml)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar 165g, packed
- 3 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups banana about 4 large bananas/450g, mashed, very ripe
- 1 (8-ounce/227g) can pineapple undrained, crushed
- 1 cup pecans toasted (120g, chopped
For the Frosting:
- 1½ cups butter softened (340g, unsalted
- 2 (8-ounce/227g) blocks cream cheese room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 to 8 cups powdered sugar (720-960g)
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease three 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray or butter, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the bananas and pineapple.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir together just until combined and only a few streaks of flour remain. Add the pecans and fold them into the batter. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake layers to cool completely in the pans set on a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, invert the layers and remove the parchment paper.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until very soft and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the cream cheese and beat until fluffy, about 30 seconds.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the powdered sugar. (Use more sugar for a firmer, sweeter frosting.) Once combined, scrap down the bowl and add the vanilla. Beat on medium-low speed until fluffy and easily spreadable, about 1 minute.
For the Assembly:
- Place one cooled cake layer top-side up on a cake stand or serving platter and spread ¾ cup of frosting over the top, all the way to the edge of the cake. Place another cake layer top-side up on top. Spread another ¾ cup of frosting on top. Place the remaining cake layer bottom-side up on top. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and side of the cake.
- If you desired, you can save some of the frosting to pipe decorations onto the cake or decorate with toasted pecans. Chill the cake for 30 minutes to set the frosting before slicing. Keep leftovers covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Weigh flour for accuracy to avoid dry cake; spoon and level if a scale is unavailable.
- Use room temperature ingredients to improve mixing and frosting texture.
- Ripen bananas by baking or air frying at 300°F until very soft.
- Mix cake batter just until combined to keep layers tender and prevent toughness.
- Adjust cream cheese frosting sweetness and firmness by varying powdered sugar quantity.
- Use fabric baking strips soaked in water wrapped around pans for flat, tender cake layers.
- For smaller 8-inch layers, bake 30-35 minutes and frost as usual.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1026 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 1026kcal | 51% |
| Carbohydrates | 124g | 41% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 59g | 91% |
| Saturated Fat | 20g | 100% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 19g | 112% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 108mg | 36% |
| Sodium | 330mg | 14% |
| Potassium | 251mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 94g | 188% |
| Vitamin A | 808IU | 16% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 51mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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