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Hummingbird Cake is a delicious classic, Southern cake recipe. Made with bananas, pineapple, and pecans and topped with a cream cheese frosting!
Hummingbird Cake is definitely a favorite cake recipe of my family. My grandmother would make it for special occasions, especially around Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day or spring birthdays. It was always front and center at any family gatherings or church socials. Full of delicious banana, pineapple, and roasted pecans, and topped with my Cream Cheese Frosting, Hummingbird Cake is one of those cake recipes that is just a Southern classic.
As with so many Southern recipes, I’m not certain where the name of this cake originated. Although it is certainly filled with such sweetness that you can only enjoy just a little bit of it at a time, which again makes it perfect for serving at large gatherings like church socials and potluck dinners. Thankfully though, no birds are harmed in its making or consuming.
Hummingbird Cake Recipe
Like I mentioned, this iconic cake is one that my grandmother made throughout the years and passed her version of the recipe down to my mother and me. But I remember my sister-in-law making a hummingbird cake several years ago for my mother-in-law’s birthday. Even though my my youngest nephew, who I believe was about four at the time, helped her make the cake he stood close by to my mother-in-law as she blew out her birthday candles. Then, he ever so gingerly leaned over and advised her to be careful of the birds. I always think of him when I make this cake now and I can’t help but smile.
How to Make Hummingbird Cake
Ingredients
To make this favorite cake, you’ll need these ingredients:
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- baking soda
- baking powder
- salt
- ground cinnamon
- eggs
- vegetable oil
- vanilla extract
- bananas
- crushed pineapple
- roasted pecans
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
Whisk Dry Ingredients. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon in a large bowl and set aside.
Mix Wet Ingredients. Cream together the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, pineapple, mashed bananas, and finely chopped roasted pecans in another large bowl.
Stir. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.
Bake. Then, divide the batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven once done and allow to cool in the cake pans for about 10 minutes. Then, turn cakes onto a wire rack to allow the cakes to cool completely.
Frost. Once cakes are completely cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. I usually make my frosting while my cake is in the oven.
Then serve and enjoy!
Origins of Hummingbird Cake
As far as the original maker of hummingbird cake, it was submitted to Southern Living magazine for the February 1978 issue by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina. Even though she provided her lovely recipe, she did not include the story behind it or its name. Some would say that is a loss, but I think Mrs. Wiggins did us all a great favor by allowing our imaginations to conjure up all sorts of stories as sweet as her delicious cake.
Be sure to add this cake recipe to your must-make list for your next get together. It is sure to delight as well as quickly disappear. Remember to cut the slices thinly as it is rich and as sweet as southern sweet tea.
How Long Does Hummingbird Cake Last?
I prefer to store this cake in the refrigerator since it contains fruit and is topped with a cream cheese frosting. In the refrigerator, it will last up to a week.
Here’s the Hummingbird Cake recipe my family has used for years. It’s a bit different from Mrs. Wiggins original, but I sure love the changes.
Hummingbird Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup roasted pecans finely chopped
- Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Cream Wet Ingredients. Cream together the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, pineapple, mashed bananas, and finely chopped pecans in another large bowl. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.
- Bake and cool. Evenly divide the batter between the three prepared pans and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Turn cakes onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- Frost. Frost with cream cheese frosting.
- Store. Store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or a cake dome for up to a week.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published in 2011.
I’m wondering how these will do as cupcakes. It’s one of my favorite cake recipes
Amanda, you can make these as cupcakes. I would decrease the temperature to 325º F for the cupcakes.
About how many cupcakes would this recipe make?
Sam, this recipe will make about 36 cupcakes.
This cake was a huge hit with my family.
I’d like to make this cake but in a 13×9 cake pan. What temperature and how long do you think this cake would need to bake for
Jennie, I would bake this in a 13×9 pan at 350º F. for about 40 minutes.
My Grandpa turned 85 this week. I was searching for a cake recipe that ‘suited him’ and debated between black forest, peanut butter chocolate…but when I came across this recipe on pinterest I knew immediately it was the one!
My 4 and 2 year old helped me with everything and we surprised Papa with his cake.
It was delicious! Easy to follow recipe and came out great. We will definitely make this again!
Thanks, Moxie. I’m so happy this cake worked so well for you. Happy late birthday to your Grandpa.
I made this cake for dessert after lunch with a friend. This cake is easy to make, moist, flavorful and just plain delicious! Will definitely bake for another occasion.
Thanks, Karen. I’m so glad you liked the cake.
Quick question about this recipe. Is there anything else I can use instead of bananas? They trigger my migraines so I cannot eat them, but I still really want to make this cake!
I have not substituted the bananas with anything in this recipe, Faith, but someone commented that she replaced them with mangoes. Other substitutions you may try are applesauce but you can add only one cup of applesauce or the batter will be too thin, pureed pumpkin, avocado, and pureed sweet potato. Maybe someone else on here has tried one of these or another substitution and can tell you what they didl