Description
Soft, moist and tender, this Hummingbird Cake features a spiced cake filled with banana, pineapple and toasted pecans all topped with a silky cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the cake:
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
- 2 cups finely chopped ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
For the frosting:
- 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chopped and/or halved pecans, for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- First, bake the cakes: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray (or spray with cooking spray and lightly coat in flour). Set aside.
- Spread 1 cup chopped pecans on a baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice until combined. Add eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract; whisk until combined. Stir in pineapple, bananas and toasted pecans until just incorporated.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the edges of the cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pans and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cakes are fully cooled, prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting as directed. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; top with 1 scant cup frosting. Use an offset spatula to spread to the edges of the cake. Top with second cake layer; top with another 1 scant cup frosting, then spread to the edges of the cake. Top with third cake layer, bottom side up; use the remaining frosting to decorate the top and sides of the cake.
- If desired, press chopped pecans to the sides of the cake, and top the cake with halved pecans. For best results, chill cake for 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Southern Living.
- Store leftover cake covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- If you can’t find an 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple, use a kitchen scale and measure out 8 ounces of crushed pineapple + some juice in a bowl. I do not recommend using fresh pineapple, as it may not have enough moisture for the cake.
- If you like a lot of frosting, double the Cream Cheese Frosting recipe for this cake.