This hummingbird cake is a Southern classic: three tender cake layers loaded with ripe banana, crushed pineapple, and toasted pecans, all frosted with tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s the kind of cake that disappears fast at any gathering!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Cooling Time
2 hours
Total Time
3 hours 20 minutes
Servings
12 Slices
Difficulty
Intermediate
Calories *
509 kcal per serving
Technique
Make cake, cool, make frosting and assemble.
Flavor Profile
Sweet, fruity, warmly spiced, nutty.
* Based on nutrition panel
“I made this for my mom’s birthday and it was the most complimented cake I’ve ever brought to a party. Toasting the pecans first made such a noticeable difference in flavor. The layers were incredibly moist and held together beautifully when sliced.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Renata
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Moist three layered cake. Hummingbird cake stays deeply moist even after slicing and storing. The combination of crushed pineapple and ripe banana keeps every layer tender from edge to center.
- Toasted pecans! Toasting the pecans before they go into the batter brings out a deeper, nuttier flavor that raw pecans can’t match. Seven to ten minutes in the oven is all it takes.
- Perfect cream cheese frosting! Cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness of the banana and pineapple instead of piling on more sugar. It’s the pairing that makes the whole cake feel cohesive.
- It’s a true layer cake that holds together. The batter divides evenly across three pans, and the layers stack cleanly, making it easier to frost and slice than many other tall cakes. Cooling the layers upside down on a rack helps keep them level, which is a small step that pays off.
- Great for a crowd. This cake yields 12 generous slices, so it’s well-suited for a party, a potluck, or a birthday. If you love banana baked goods, my banana bars with cream cheese frosting use the same frosting and come together much faster.
Hummingbird cake is one of those recipes I come back to every year, usually for a birthday or a spring gathering when I want something that feels a little special without being fussy. It’s the kind of cake people ask about by name after they’ve had a slice.
It pairs naturally with a casual celebration or a Sunday dinner, and the warm spices make it just as fitting in the fall as in the warmer months. If you love a spiced layer cake, my brown butter carrot cake brings the same kind of crowd-pleasing energy to the table.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pecans: These get toasted before going into the batter, which deepens their flavor and gives them a satisfying crunch against the soft cake crumb. Walnuts can be used in place of pecans if that’s what you have on hand.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Soda: It reacts with the natural acidity in the pineapple and banana to give the cake its lift. Make sure yours is fresh. Old baking soda is one of the most common reasons a fruit-heavy cake like this one comes out flat or dense.
- Salt
- Ground Cinnamon & Allspice
- Large Eggs: They bind the batter and get whisked before the oil is added, which helps everything emulsify into a smooth, cohesive mixture.
- Vegetable Oil: Oil keeps the crumb moist for days, which is part of why this cake holds up so well, much like this olive oil cake. Melted coconut oil can be used as a substitute with a very subtle flavor difference.
- Vanilla Extract
- Crushed Pineapple: The pineapple goes in undrained, so the juice becomes part of the batter, keeping the cake incredibly moist. Do not drain it.
- Ripe Bananas: Bananas give the cake its dense, fruit-forward texture and natural sweetness. You don’t want your banana to be overripe for this cake. If you have extra ripe bananas on the counter, I would save them for my chocolate chip banana bread.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: A full recipe of easy cream cheese frosting goes between the layers and over the outside of the cake. It’s tangy, rich, and the classic pairing with hummingbird cake for good reason.
Variations for Hummingbird Cake
- Cupcakes: Divide the batter evenly into a lined cupcake tin and bake at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs. You get all the same flavor in a single-serving format that’s easy to frost and share.
- Coconut Hummingbird Cake: Fold a cup of sweetened shredded coconut into the batter along with the pecans and press toasted coconut onto the frosted sides in place of chopped nuts. It adds a chewy, tropical texture that feels right at home alongside the pineapple and banana. If you love that flavor direction, my coconut cake recipe is worth a look too.
- Flavor the buttercream: Use this bourbon cream cheese frosting from the best red velvet cake recipe or just go ahead and add 2 tablespoons of your favorite booze to the buttercream recipe below! Add an extract or use orange juice in place of the lemon juice.
Professional Tips for Perfect Hummingbird Cake
- Toast the pecans properly. Under-toasted pecans taste pale and waxy inside the cake, and over-toasted ones turn bitter. Seven to ten minutes at 350°F is the window, but your nose is the real cue here.
- Don’t drain the pineapple. The juice is part of the batter’s moisture balance. Draining it is the single most common reason a hummingbird cake comes out drier than it should, and there’s no recovering from it once it’s mixed in.
- Cool the layers completely before frosting. Cream cheese frosting softens quickly with any warmth, and a barely cool cake will cause it to slide right off the sides. If you’re in a hurry, a short stint in the refrigerator speeds things along without affecting the crumb.
- Do the crumb coat before the final layer of frosting. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the sides and refrigerate the cake for an hour or two until it’s set and firm. This keeps the crumbs locked in and makes the final coat smooth and clean instead of streaky.
How to Make Hummingbird Cake
Use these step-by-step instructions to make a tall, tender, fruit-packed Southern layer cake with tangy cream cheese frosting. Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Prep the pans and preheat
Step 1: Spray three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and spray the sides as well. Preheat the oven to 350°F conventional. (photos 1 & 2)
Toast the pecans
Step 2: Spread the chopped pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and slide them into the preheated oven. After 7 to 10 minutes you should smell a warm, nutty aroma coming from the oven. Pull them out and let them cool completely on the pan before they go into the batter.
Make the Cake
Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice until everything is evenly combined. Set the bowl aside. The dry ingredients come together in about 30 seconds, but take a moment to ensure the baking soda is fully distributed so the cake lifts evenly through all three layers.
Step 4: Beat the eggs. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs until they’re fully beaten and slightly pale. This only takes a minute or so. Starting with well-beaten eggs gives the batter a better base for the oil to emulsify into.
You can also do this step in a large bowl. I did that in my hummingbird cake video tutorial!
Step 5: Add the oil and vanilla. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Add the oil gradually rather than all at once so it has time to emulsify with the eggs. The mixture should look smooth, glossy, and uniform when it’s ready. (photo 3)
Step 6: Add the sugars, pineapple, and banana. Whisk in the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar, then add the crushed pineapple with all its juices and the finely chopped bananas. The batter will look very wet and loose at this stage, which is completely normal. The fruit adds most of the moisture that keeps these layers tender, so don’t be tempted to hold any of it back.
Depending on the texture you’re looking for, I use a hand blender or a regular blender to mix my pineapples and bananas together before adding them to the batter. This homogenizes the pieces and helps with a consistent texture. (photo 4)
Step 7: Fold in the flour mixture and pecans. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and fold until just combined, then fold in the cooled, toasted pecans. Stop as soon as you don’t see any dry streaks. (photo 5)
Divide and Bake
Step 8: Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans and slide them into the 350°F oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out with only a few clinging crumbs and no wet streaks of batter. The layers will pull slightly away from the sides of the pans when they’re done, and the tops will feel set and springy when you press them gently.
Check all three pans at the 25-minute mark, since oven hot spots can cause one layer to finish a few minutes before the others. Pull each one when it’s ready rather than waiting on the slowest layer.
Step 9: Cool the layers. Let the layers rest in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire cooling rack upside down to cool completely. (photo 6)
Cooling them upside down helps flatten any dome that formed during baking, which makes stacking and frosting much easier later. Frosting a warm layer will cause the cream cheese frosting to slide and melt, and there’s no recovering a collapsed cake.
Make the cream cheese frosting
Step 10: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until completely smooth, with no lumps. Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, then beat well until everything is fully incorporated and the frosting is light and fluffy.
For the best frosting, make sure your cream cheese and butter are at room temperature. Otherwise, you could have lumps of butter that will never soften.
Assemble
Step 1: Frost the first layer. Set the first cake layer on your cake stand or platter and spread about 1 cup of frosting over the top in an even layer using an offset spatula. You want enough frosting to fill the space between layers generously. (photo 7 )
Step 2: Stack and frost the remaining layers. Place the second layer on top and spread about half of the remaining frosting over it, letting some fold over the edges naturally. Repeat with the third layer. At this point the cake will look beautifully messy and a little wobbly, which is completely normal for a tall, soft cake like this one.
If the cake feels unstable when you’re stacking, pop it into the refrigerator for 20- 30 minutes between layers to let the frosting firm up slightly before you continue.
Step 3: Apply a crumb coat and chill. Use an offset spatula to spread a thin layer of frosting over the sides of the cake to catch any loose crumbs. The cake is soft, and the layers are tall, so this coat will look rough and uneven, which is fine! Refrigerate the whole cake for 1 to 2 hours, until the frosting is fully set and the layers have stabilized. (photo 8)
Step 4: Finish the frosting. Once the crumb coat is set, spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Use the tip of a large offset spatula and rotate the cake stand like a turntable to swirl the top, then run a bench scraper around the sides to smooth the edges. The chilled crumb coat underneath will keep things tidy and give you a clean surface to work on. (photo 9)
Decorate and serve
Step 15: Press chopped pecans around the sides of the cake if you like, then arrange halved pecans across the top for a finished look. Slice and serve at room temperature so the frosting is creamy and the layers are at their most tender.
Place whole pecans, banana chips, pineapple chips, and dried pineapple in a pattern that you find pleasing, as I did on this peach cake. I’m also a fan of just putting the garnishes around the edges!
Recipe FAQs
Once frosted, this cake can be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to 5 days. Because of the cream cheese frosting, it really does need to be refrigerated after the first day.
Yes, absolutely. The cake layers bake up beautifully a day or two ahead. Let them cool completely, wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to frost and assemble. The frosting can also be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator; just let it soften slightly before spreading.
The most likely culprit is overmixing the batter after the flour goes in. Once you fold in the flour mixture, stop as soon as you no longer see any dry streaks — overdeveloping the gluten at that point weighs the crumb down. It’s also worth checking that your baking soda is fresh, since old leaveners won’t give the batter the lift it needs to set through the center.
You can, and it comes together pretty easily by hand. Whisk the eggs well in a large bowl, then whisk in the oil, vanilla, and sugars, then stir in the pineapple and bananas. Fold the flour mixture in gently with a spatula and you’re set, the batter is naturally loose and doesn’t require any heavy mixing muscle.
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Hummingbird Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple, undrained
- 2 cups bananas, finely chopped, about 4 medium bananas
- 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chopped pecans, optional, for decorating
Instructions
- Spray and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, including the sides. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spread 1 cup of chopped pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool completely.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice until combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs until beaten. With the mixer running, slowly whisk in the oil and vanilla until emulsified.
- Whisk in both sugars, followed by the crushed pineapple with its juices and the chopped bananas.
- Fold in the flour mixture until just combined, then fold in the toasted pecans. Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs and no wet batter. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting by creaming the softened butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until smooth, then beating in the lemon zest, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
- Place the first cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly over the top. Add the second layer and spread half the remaining frosting on top, letting it fall over the edges slightly. Add the third layer and repeat.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting over the sides of the cake. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to set the crumb coat, then spread the remaining frosting over the sides and top. Decorate with chopped or halved pecans if desired.
Notes
Technique: Fold the flour mixture in gently and stop as soon as no dry streaks remain. Overmixing after the flour goes in overdevelops the gluten and will weigh down the crumb.
Storage: Once frosted, store the cake covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let slices sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens back up.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Before You Go
I hope this hummingbird cake earns a spot in your regular rotation the way it has in mine. Browse our cake & cupcake recipes or make this classic moist vanilla cake recipe next!
I made this for my mom’s birthday and it was the most complimented cake I’ve ever brought to a party. Toasting the pecans first made such a noticeable difference in flavor. The layers were incredibly moist and held together beautifully when sliced.
What a perfect birthday cake choice, and the most complimented cake at the party?! That is the highest honor! ?? So happy the layers held up beautifully for slicing too! Your mom is lucky to have such a talented baker in her life. Happy belated birthday to her!~ GVD team
Would I have to change the recipe to make a 9×13 or 9×14 sheet cake?
Hi James! You shouldn’t need to change the recipe! Just spread the batter evenly and bake at 350°F, checking around 30–40 minutes until a tester comes out with a few crumbs. Happy baking! ~gvd team
I love how moist the pineapple and banana make this cake. The mixing method is very easy and I love that I have just another way to use ripe bananas that don’t make it into my smoothies. Also your cream cheese frosting is my favorite.
Hi, Im trying to change the ingredients to metric and I cant change them for the UK. Can you help? Thank you
Molly, If you click on the “M” next to Units in the Recipe, it will show you the metric measurements for the recipe!
Never heard of this cake! Will definitely try and make these! Might add some cranberries too! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
This looks great! Can it be made in a bundt pan instead as a layer cake?
Cindy, Great question! You certainly can, but note that the bake time will increase significantly — probably up to an hour. Just keep an eye on it and test for doneness with a toothpick that should come out clean once fully baked. Hope that helps!