Hummingbird cake is a two-layer Southern classic built on mashed banana, crushed pineapple, toasted pecans, and cream cheese frosting. The fruit does the heavy lifting — it keeps the crumb genuinely moist without any fuss. If you need a cake that holds up well overnight and actually tastes better the next day, this is a reliable choice.
The short version of why this works
Two things make this cake work. First, vegetable oil instead of butter keeps the crumb soft even after refrigeration — butter-based cakes firm up when cold, this one stays tender. Second, the bananas and drained pineapple together add enough natural sugar and moisture that the batter comes together easily by hand; you don’t need to cream anything or work in stages. Stir the wet into the dry until just combined and stop — overmixing is the only real way to make this cake tough, and it takes genuine effort to do that.
What can go wrong
- Soggy layers from undrained pineapple. The recipe calls for drained crushed pineapple — take that seriously. Press the pineapple in a fine-mesh strainer or squeeze it in a clean towel. Skipping this step adds excess liquid and the center of each layer can come out gummy.
- Frosting that slides off warm cake. Cream cheese frosting has almost no tolerance for heat. If the layers are even slightly warm, the frosting will thin out and run. Cool the layers completely — at least 1 hour at room temperature — before you touch the frosting.
- Uneven layers that are hard to stack. If one layer domes significantly, let it cool fully and then level it with a serrated knife before stacking. A lopsided stack makes the frosting job much harder and the finished cake less stable.
- Pecans that taste flat. Raw pecans added straight to the batter won’t develop much flavor. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Let them cool before folding in — adding hot nuts can slightly cook the eggs in the batter.
- Frosting that’s too stiff to spread cleanly. If your cream cheese or butter was cold when you started, the frosting can turn lumpy or stiff. Both need to be genuinely room-temperature soft — press a finger in and it should indent easily. If the frosting is already made and too stiff, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and stir again before spreading.
Ingredient notes
Bananas: Use very ripe ones — heavily speckled or even mostly black. Under-ripe bananas don’t mash smoothly and their flavor is noticeably weaker in the finished cake. Two cups mashed is roughly 4 medium bananas. Pecans vs. walnuts: Walnuts work as a straight swap if that’s what you have, though they’re slightly more bitter. Powdered sugar: Sifting it matters here — unsifted powdered sugar leaves small lumps in cream cheese frosting that are difficult to smooth out once the frosting is made. Skip the edible flower garnish — not worth the extra effort or cost for a cake this straightforward.
Hummingbird Cake
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Electric Mixer
- 1 9-inch round cake pans
- 1 Cooling Rack
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs preferably free-range
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract pure
- 8 oz crushed pineapple drained
- 2 cups ripe bananas mashed
- 1 cup pecans chopped, toasted
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper for easy release.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly, then add oil and vanilla extract, stirring until combined.
- Fold in crushed pineapple, mashed bananas, and toasted pecans. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
- For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until well incorporated and fluffy. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Frost the completely cooled cake layers, stacking them gently atop one another. Use remaining frosting to decorate the top and sides of the cake.
- Optionally, garnish with additional toasted pecans or edible flowers for a delightful presentation.
Notes
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I make this cake a day ahead?
Yes — and it’s actually better the next day. The banana and pineapple continue to hydrate the crumb overnight, so the texture improves. Frost the assembled cake, cover it loosely, and refrigerate; bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
My bananas aren’t ripe yet. Can I speed up the process?
Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F for 15–20 minutes until the skins turn black. Let them cool completely before mashing. The texture will be soft and the sugars will have concentrated enough to work well in this batter.
Can I bake this as a single layer or in a different pan?
A 9×13-inch pan works well — bake at 350°F and start checking at 35 minutes. A bundt pan also works but adds about 10–15 minutes to the bake time; use a toothpick to check doneness rather than relying on timing alone.
How do I store leftovers, and how long will the cake keep?
Refrigerate the cake covered and it will keep for up to 5 days. Because of the cream cheese frosting, leaving it at room temperature for more than 2 hours isn’t safe, especially in a warm kitchen.
What to bake next
- Southern Classic Pecan Pie
- Tropical Coconut Tres Leches Cake
- Caramelized Banana Tart
- Nutty Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Cupcakes