Hummingbird cake is a staple southern classic. Its origins can be traced to Jamaica, but it quickly traveled to America, specifically the southern region, and made a home in southern bakeries.
Its name is said to be in relation to the fast and sweet nature of the cake, but we will never truly know!
One thing we know is that the buttery pecans, tenderbread, oil, and moist cake will deliver flavor and a layer of spiced crunch.
I kept the basic recipe the same but simplified it a little while keeping all the flavour. It makes it a little easier to follow, even for the people who don’t bake too often.
It is a basic cake that you bake in two 9-inch round pans, and the batter for it just comes together in a single bowl with no fuss.
Ingredients
- For the Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can 8 ounces crushed pineapple
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups mashed ripe bananas, about 4 medium bananas
1 cup chopped pecans toasted
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
16 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup unsalted 1 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 3 tablespoons of heavy cream are needed for consistency - For Garnishing
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans - Dried pineapple, Flowers optional
Instructions
Set A Timer
Set a timer for 25 minutes from the time of pre-heating the oven. 25 minutes is the approximate time it will take to make the batter, fill the cake pans, and clean up the areas of the workspace.
Prepare your cake pans
Grease and line the base of the cake pans with baking paper.
Use 3 9-inch baking pans. Dust pans with flour to remove excess flour.
Pecans should be lightly toasted before using them in a batter.
To do this, lay pecans on a baking dish.
Place them in an oven that has already been set to a temperature of 350 degrees to bake for a few minutes.
Halfway through this time, take the pecans out, stir them, and return them to the oven for the remaining time.
When the pecans begin to darken in color and smell, take them out and allow them to be set aside.
This baking method enhances the flavor and crunch of the pecans.
Add the following list of ingredients to a large bowl or baking dish for mixing the next ingredients.
This should include flour, sugar (of choice), baking soda, salt, and the spices that include cinnamon and nutmeg.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl so that the baking soda becomes evenly spread throughout the dry mix and ensures even leavening of the flour.
Then, prepare the oil, eggs beaten together, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl.
It should be a uniform color and texture without separation to be in the proper condition.
For this recipe, using oil rather than butter is better, and it also moistens and makes the cake even softer.
Add the Fruits
The next step of the procedure is to add the pineapples, juices, and mashed bananas.
Mix them in the bowl of the egg mixture.
The mixture may be a bit lumpy. This is natural and is due to the banana.
The fruit should be there to add a bit of moisture and natural sweetness to the cake.
The juice from the pineapples goes perfectly to activate baking soda to make a cake with a tender crumb.
Combine wet and dry
Grab a separate bowl to pour the wet ingredients there.
Take the bowl and add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
Grab a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon and fold the mixture to get everything incorporated.
This mixture is to be done until no white flecks of dry are there.
The batter should be dry.
The goal shouldn’t be to add a whole bunch of small lumps.
Try to avoid overmixing in general. Overmixing causes the cake to be tough and dense.”
Add the Pecans
The last step is to add Tahini to the cake mixture.
In a bowl, fold the cooled toasted pecans into the batter.
This is a good step to add a bit of a buttery, nutty flavor.
In the mixture, the nuts of pecans may add a nutty flavor, which is good for claustrophobic people.
Filling the Pans
Evenly distribute the batter to the three prepped pans, filling them about 2/3 of the way.
If you want to be super precise, you can use a kitchen scale, but you can also just eyeball it by adding batter to each pan in turns.
After the pans are filled, use a spatula to evenly spread the batter, then tap the pans on the counter to get rid of large air bubbles.
Baking the Cakes
Make sure there are enough gaps in between the pans for air circulation, and then place them in the preheated oven.
You are looking to bake them for 25-30 minutes.
If you stick a toothpick into the middle of the cake, it should come out clean or only have a couple of moist crumbs.
Once they are done baking, the tops should spring back slightly when you push on them, and the sides should have just started to pull away from the pan.
Don’t be surprised if you see some moist crumbs on the toothpick; a completely clean toothpick means you overbaked it.
Chill the Cakes
Once the cakes are baked, rest them in their pans for 15 minutes so they don’t fall apart.
Then use a butter knife or a small spatula to run around the edges to loosen the cakes for easy removal.
Then flip the pans over onto a cooling rack to let the cakes come to room temperature. This will take about an hour.
Before icing, make sure the cakes are cool, or else the icing will run off.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
To make the cream cheese frosting, put softened cream cheese and butter in a bowl, and beat them together for a couple of minutes until fully incorporated.
Make sure the cream cheese and butter are not cold, or else lumps will form.
Scrape the edges of the bowl to make sure no frosting gets left behind.
Incorporate the Sugar
Lower the speed of the mixer to the minimum setting and slowly add the sifted powdered sugar (1 cup at a time will help keep the mess to a minimum).
Once the sugar is fully added, mix in the vanilla and salt.
Adjust the Consistency
Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 2-3 minutes.
Check the frosting to see if it is light, fluffy, and easy to spread. If it is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream until you get a good consistency.
If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar until you get a good consistency.
Adjust the frosting until it is thick enough to hold its shape, but soft enough to spread easily without tearing the cake.
Assemble the Cake
Place your first cake layer on a cake stand or your serving plate.
If the layer is humped at the top, use a serrated knife to cut it so it is flat.
Frost the top of the layer with about 1 cup of the frosting, and spread it all the way to the edges.
Place the second layer on top, and gently press down.
Spread another cup of frosting over the second layer, and add the top layer of cake.
Frosting the Cake
Frost the top, sides, and edges of the cake with a thin layer of frosting.
This is called a crumb coat, and it will heal and seal all the loose crumbs in the cake so that when you finish frosting the cake with the top layer, it looks good, and the frosting layer will look professional.
Once you finish doing the crumb coat, and it looks good, you will want to put it in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes, so that the frosting can harden just a little.
Once that is complete, you can spread the main frosting layer on top, but it will be a little thicker than the previous layer.
Once you complete that step, you will want to use the offset spatula to spread the frosting and to frost the entire cake so that it is nice and level with the sides, and a nice top layer.
Then you can level the frosting on the top of the cake to finish it off with a nice, leveled top.
Once that is complete, you can do any garnishes or frost it with nice decorative frosting.
Decorating and Serving the Cake
Once you finish all the frosting and birthday garnishes,
You can put the cake into the fridge for about 30 minutes so that a crust can form when cooling, and so that you can cut it nicely.
To cut it nicely, though, you will want a long, sharp knife that has been dipped in some hot water and wiped clean.
Once you use the knife to cut a piece of the cake, put the knife back in the hot water ot clean it for the next slices.
This will ensure that you can get nice, clean slices without having the cake get all messed up and without having the frosting get messed up.
Once the cake is finally cut, it will be nice and take a long knife to make the cake clean.
Recipe Notes
Room Temp Ingredients
Make sure your eggs, cream cheese, and butter are at room temperature.
Cold cream cheese will create lumps in the frosting, and room-temperature eggs will mix into the batter more easily for better structure.
- Banana Ripeness: Very ripe, dark bananas will mash easily. Not-ripe bananas will provide moisture and flavor, while ones that are spotted and brown will not.
- Do Not Skip The Pineapple Juice: Make sure to use the entire can of crushed pineapple and not drain the juice. The liquid helps create the cake’s moisture as well as adds to the tenderness of the cake, which is what we want.
- Toasted Pecans: Toasting pecans is worth the extra step. Toasted nuts have a deeper flavor and better crunch than raw nuts.
- Measuring Flour: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level with a knife for the best accuracy. Scooping flour can compact it and lead to a dry cake.
- Testing For Doneness: Because this cake is so moist, we don’t want to see a clean toothpick. A few moist crumbs are perfect, but we want to avoid overbaking.
- Frosting in Advance: Instructions on this cream cheese frosting can be obtained three days in advance. Ensure it is covered before placing it in the refrigerator. Prior to usage, allow it to sit at room temperature. To restore the fluffy texture, briefly beat it.
- Preparing in Advance: As baking the cake layers can be time-consuming, you can finish this the day before the assembly. Make sure to store the cake layers at room temperature — after you have tightly wrapped them in plastic. You can also keep unfrosted layers in the freezer for about two months.
- Less Frightening Assembly: If you find the idea of frosting a layer cake scary, freeze the layers for about 30 minutes before assembling them. A little chill makes them sturdier.
Weight Change and Change of Ingredients
- Oil Facts: Altered, melted coconut or tropical oil can be used to substitute vegetable oil. A slightly less tender cake is the result of using melted butter.
- Sugaring: Some light brown sugar can be used to replace granulated sugar to improve moisture and deepen the caramel notes.
- Changes to Spices: If you would like to have a more complex, warm spice flavor, a 1/4 teaspoon portion of ground ginger or ground allspice is suggested.
- Nuts: You can replace walnuts and pecans for pecans. For a nut-free version, simply omit the pecans.
- Fresh Pineapple: It is perfectly okay to use one cup of finely chopped raw pineapple, but to keep the moisture, add a quarter cup of pineapple juice to the batter.
- Frosting Variations: A lighter version of the frosting can be achieved by adding 12 ounces of frosting cream cheese and one and a quarter cup of butter. If a more tangy one is preferred, then full-fat sour cream should be used instead of the heavy cream.
- Gluten-Free Option: Use a one-to-one gluten-free baking flour mix instead of the all-purpose flour. It will be a little more fragile, but the cake will still be amazing.
- Reduced Sugar Frosting Option: If a less sweet frosting is what you want, you can go as low as 6 cups of powdered sugar, but note that the frosting will be a little softer.
How To Store Hummingbird Cake Recipe
Room Temperature
If your kitchen is cool (below 70 degrees Fahrenheit), you can keep the frosted cake covered at room temperature for up to 8 hours before serving.
The cream cheese frosting will need refrigeration if kept for a longer period.
Refrigerator
Cover the cake frosting with a cake dome or loosen the wrap if you will be keeping the cake for 5 days, and then keep it in the fridge.
The cake actually gets better after the first 24 hours as the flavors meld.
The best texture and flavor are achieved if the slices are at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
Freezing
For up to three months, you can freeze layers of unfrosted cake by wrapping them first in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil.
When you are ready to frost, take them out to thaw for 12 hours in the fridge.
Frosted cake slices can also be frozen for up to one month.
When ready to eat, thaw them in the fridge overnight.
Make-Ahead Strategy
Frosting can be made three days in advance.
The cake layers can be baked and wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature, or frozen for even longer storage.
Cakes should be assembled the day before serving, and can be refrigerated overnight.
Serving Suggestions
This cake is great for celebrations like birthdays, Mother’s Day brunch, and Easter dinners, and is brilliant for serving in the spring and summer.
It is especially great for warmer weather celebrations, as the hummingbird cake dessert serves as a lovely finish to a tropical-themed meal.
It’s also very nice to serve with a cup of sweet iced tea or a cold glass of milk.
For a more decadent finish to the dessert, complement cake slices with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a sweetened whipped cream.
It’s also helpful to cut smaller pieces of this cake than you would for other desserts, as it is very satisfying.
A three-layer 9-inch round cake should serve around 12 to 16 people.
To complement the layers of the cake on the cake stand, decorate the edge of the serving platter with sliced bananas, pineapple pieces, and extra pecans.
Quick Homemade Hummingbird Cake Recipe
Hummingbird cake is a staple southern classic. Its origins can be traced to Jamaica, but it quickly traveled to America, specifically the southern region, and made a home in southern bakeries.
Its name is said to be related to the cake's fast and sweet nature, but we will never truly know!
One thing we know is that the buttery pecans, tenderbread, oil, and moist cake will deliver flavor and a layer of spiced crunch.
I kept the basic recipe the same but simplified it a little while keeping all the flavour. It makes it a little easier to follow, even for the people who don't bake too often.
It is a basic cake that you bake in two 9-inch round pans, and the batter for it just comes together in a single bowl with no fuss.
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- For the Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 can 8 ounces crushed pineapple
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups mashed ripe bananas, about 4 medium bananas
- 1 cup chopped pecans toasted
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 16 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1 cup unsalted 1 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 3 tablespoons of heavy cream are needed for consistency
- For Garnishing
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
- Dried pineapple, Flowers optional
Instructions
Instructions
Set A Timer
Set a timer for 25 minutes from the time of pre-heating the oven. 25 minutes is the approximate time it will take to make the batter, fill the cake pans, and clean up the areas of the workspace.
Prepare your cake pans
Grease and line the base of the cake pans with baking paper.
Use 3 9-inch baking pans. Dust pans with flour to remove excess flour.
Pecans should be lightly toasted before using them in a batter.
To do this, lay pecans on a baking dish.
Place them in an oven that has already been set to a temperature of 350 degrees to bake for a few minutes.
Halfway through this time, take the pecans out, stir them, and return them to the oven for the remaining time.
When the pecans begin to darken in color and smell, take them out and allow them to be set aside.
This baking method enhances the flavor and crunch of the pecans.
Add the following list of ingredients to a large bowl or baking dish for mixing the next ingredients.
This should include flour, sugar (of choice), baking soda, salt, and the spices that include cinnamon and nutmeg.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl so that the baking soda becomes evenly spread throughout the dry mix and ensures even leavening of the flour.
Then, prepare the oil, eggs beaten together, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl.
It should be a uniform color and texture without separation to be in the proper condition.
For this recipe, using oil rather than butter is better, and it also moistens and makes the cake even softer.
Add the Fruits
The next step of the procedure is to add the pineapples, juices, and mashed bananas.
Mix them in the bowl of the egg mixture.
The mixture may be a bit lumpy. This is natural and is due to the banana.
The fruit should be there to add a bit of moisture and natural sweetness to the cake.
The juice from the pineapples goes perfectly to activate baking soda to make a cake with a tender crumb.
Combine wet and dry
Grab a separate bowl to pour the wet ingredients there.
Take the bowl and add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
Grab a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon and fold the mixture to get everything incorporated.
This mixture is to be done until no white flecks of dry are there.
The batter should be dry.
The goal shouldn't be to add a whole bunch of small lumps.
Try to avoid overmixing in general. Overmixing causes the cake to be tough and dense."
Add the Pecans
The last step is to add Tahini to the cake mixture.
In a bowl, fold the cooled toasted pecans into the batter.
This is a good step to add a bit of a buttery, nutty flavor.
In the mixture, the nuts of pecans may add a nutty flavor, which is good for claustrophobic people.
Filling the Pans
Evenly distribute the batter to the three prepped pans, filling them about 2/3 of the way.
If you want to be super precise, you can use a kitchen scale, but you can also just eyeball it by adding batter to each pan in turns.
After the pans are filled, use a spatula to evenly spread the batter, then tap the pans on the counter to get rid of large air bubbles.
Baking the Cakes
Make sure there are enough gaps in between the pans for air circulation, and then place them in the preheated oven.
You are looking to bake them for 25-30 minutes.
If you stick a toothpick into the middle of the cake, it should come out clean or only have a couple of moist crumbs.
Once they are done baking, the tops should spring back slightly when you push on them, and the sides should have just started to pull away from the pan.
Don't be surprised if you see some moist crumbs on the toothpick; a completely clean toothpick means you overbaked it.
Chill the Cakes
Once the cakes are baked, rest them in their pans for 15 minutes so they don’t fall apart.
Then use a butter knife or a small spatula to run around the edges to loosen the cakes for easy removal.
Then flip the pans over onto a cooling rack to let the cakes come to room temperature. This will take about an hour.
Before icing, make sure the cakes are cool, or else the icing will run off.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
To make the cream cheese frosting, put softened cream cheese and butter in a bowl, and beat them together for a couple of minutes until fully incorporated.
Make sure the cream cheese and butter are not cold, or else lumps will form.
Scrape the edges of the bowl to make sure no frosting gets left behind.
Incorporate the Sugar
Lower the speed of the mixer to the minimum setting and slowly add the sifted powdered sugar (1 cup at a time will help keep the mess to a minimum).
Once the sugar is fully added, mix in the vanilla and salt.
Adjust the Consistency
Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 2-3 minutes.
Check the frosting to see if it is light, fluffy, and easy to spread. If it is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream until you get a good consistency.
If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar until you get a good consistency.
Adjust the frosting until it is thick enough to hold its shape, but soft enough to spread easily without tearing the cake.
Assemble the Cake
Place your first cake layer on a cake stand or your serving plate.
If the layer is humped at the top, use a serrated knife to cut it so it is flat.
Frost the top of the layer with about 1 cup of the frosting, and spread it all the way to the edges.
Place the second layer on top, and gently press down.
Spread another cup of frosting over the second layer, and add the top layer of cake.
Frosting the Cake
Frost the top, sides, and edges of the cake with a thin layer of frosting.
This is called a crumb coat, and it will heal and seal all the loose crumbs in the cake so that when you finish frosting the cake with the top layer, it looks good, and the frosting layer will look professional.
Once you finish doing the crumb coat, and it looks good, you will want to put it in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes, so that the frosting can harden just a little.
Once that is complete, you can spread the main frosting layer on top, but it will be a little thicker than the previous layer.
Once you complete that step, you will want to use the offset spatula to spread the frosting and to frost the entire cake so that it is nice and level with the sides, and a nice top layer.
Then you can level the frosting on the top of the cake to finish it off with a nice, leveled top.
Once that is complete, you can do any garnishes or frost it with nice decorative frosting.
Decorating and Serving the Cake
Once you finish all the frosting and birthday garnishes,
You can put the cake into the fridge for about 30 minutes so that a crust can form when cooling, and so that you can cut it nicely.
To cut it nicely, though, you will want a long, sharp knife that has been dipped in some hot water and wiped clean.
Once you use the knife to cut a piece of the cake, put the knife back in the hot water ot clean it for the next slices.
This will ensure that you can get nice, clean slices without having the cake get all messed up and without having the frosting get messed up.
Once the cake is finally cut, it will be nice and take a long knife to make the cake clean.
Notes
Recipe Notes
Room Temp Ingredients
Make sure your eggs, cream cheese, and butter are at room temperature.
Cold cream cheese will create lumps in the frosting, and room-temperature eggs will mix into the batter more easily for better structure.
- Banana Ripeness: Very ripe, dark bananas will mash easily. Not-ripe bananas will provide moisture and flavor, while ones that are spotted and brown will not.
- Do Not Skip The Pineapple Juice: Make sure to use the entire can of crushed pineapple and not drain the juice. The liquid helps create the cake's moisture as well as adds to the tenderness of the cake, which is what we want.
- Toasted Pecans: Toasting pecans is worth the extra step. Toasted nuts have a deeper flavor and better crunch than raw nuts.
- Measuring Flour: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level with a knife for the best accuracy. Scooping flour can compact it and lead to a dry cake.
- Testing For Doneness: Because this cake is so moist, we don't want to see a clean toothpick. A few moist crumbs are perfect, but we want to avoid overbaking.
- Frosting in Advance: Instructions on this cream cheese frosting can be obtained three days in advance. Ensure it is covered before placing it in the refrigerator. Prior to usage, allow it to sit at room temperature. To restore the fluffy texture, briefly beat it.
- Preparing in Advance: As baking the cake layers can be time-consuming, you can finish this the day before the assembly. Make sure to store the cake layers at room temperature -- after you have tightly wrapped them in plastic. You can also keep unfrosted layers in the freezer for about two months.
- Less Frightening Assembly: If you find the idea of frosting a layer cake scary, freeze the layers for about 30 minutes before assembling them. A little chill makes them sturdier.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12-16 slicesServing Size:
1 slice (1/12 of cake)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 785 kcalTotal Fat: 42ggCholesterol: 110mgmgCarbohydrates: 98ggProtein: 7gg