Hummingbird Cake
Layers of incredibly moist, perfectly spiced hummingbird cake flavored with ripe banana, crushed pineapple, and toasted pecans, then filled and frosted with tangy cream cheese buttercream. I recommend roasting the bananas for NEXT LEVEL flavor but this cake is amazing nonetheless! A Southern classic.
Servings 24 slices
Equipment
Ingredients
Hummingbird Cake
- 1 Cup (120g) chopped pecans, toasted plus more for garnish
- 1 1/2 Cup (345g) mashed banana (ripe and/or roasted) about 3 large bananas
- 3 Cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 Cup (240ml) vegetable oil
- 1 Cup (200g) brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Cup (8oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 16 Oz (452g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese*, room temperature NOT the spread
- 8 Cups (960g) powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Garnish
- 1/2 Cup (60g) toasted chopped pecans
Instructions
Make the Hummingbird Cake
- Toast the Pecans: Preheat the oven to 300ºF (149ºC) and place the chopped pecans on a lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 6-8 minutes, shaking the pan once at the halfway point, until toasted and fragrant. Let the toasted pecans cool to room temperature (about 10 minutes) before adding them to the cake batter.
- Roast the Bananas (Optional): This optional step caramelizes the bananas and adds more depth of flavor! Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Rinse the unpeeled bananas and pat them dry. Place them onto a baking sheet and use the tines of a fork to poke a few holes in each banana. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the peels are dark brown/black and shiny. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to the point where the bananas are easy to handle. Peel them into a medium bowl, collecting all the juices and banana, then mash with a fork. Set aside to cool completely to room temperature before continuing on with the recipe. You can speed this part up by placing the mashed banana in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and lining the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk together, then whisk in the mashed banana and crushed pineapple. Switch to a silicone spatula and add half of the flour mixture, folding until just combined before folding in the rest of the flour mixture. Then, gently fold in the toasted pecans.
- Pour the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 25-29 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool for 5 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans. Transfer the cake layers to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
Make the Cream Cheese Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese on medium-high until light, fluffy, and uniform (no lumps), about 5 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vanilla and salt and mix on low for another minute, until fully combined and smooth.
Assembly
- When the hummingbird cake layers have cooled completely, place the first one onto a cardboard cake circle (glue it down with a swipe of cream cheese buttercream first), then fill and stack the cake layers with cream cheese buttercream. Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of cream cheese buttercream and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the frosting firm up.
- Frost the cake with the rest of the cream cheese buttercream. To create the look pictured, frost a rustic finish on top of the cake before using an icing smoother to smooth the sides, keeping the top edge raw/uneven. Press toasted pecans onto the bottom third of the cake while the frosting is still tacky, then add the rest of the toasted pecans on the top of the cake halfway around the edge.
Notes
*Cream cheese: It’s very important to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese in this recipe (I use Philadelphia brand), not the spread or low-fat variations. The spreadable kind and reduced fat versions contain much more water content and will add too much liquid to the frosting, making it impossible to work with. If you don’t have access to brick-style cream cheese, I recommend making a double batch of my vanilla buttercream recipe or brown butter frosting instead.
Make Ahead Tips:
- The hummingbird cake layers can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
- The cream cheese buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix it with your stand mixer on low speed until it’s smooth and uniform.
- The decorated cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before serving.