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–+ servings
A homemade slice of Hummingbird Cake with three moist layers filled with banana, pineapple, and pecans, frosted with creamy cream cheese icing, served on a vintage floral plate with a gold fork.

Hummingbird Cake

5 from 1 vote
This Southern Hummingbird Cake blends ripe bananas, crushed pineapple, warm spices, and toasted pecans into an ultra-moist, beautifully balanced dessert. Finished with tangy cream cheese frosting, it's a showstopping yet approachable treat for any celebration.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling + Frosting Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cake:
  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon - Or 2 teaspoon for spiced version
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar
  • 2 Eggs - Room temperature
  • ¾ cup Vegetable oil - Or light olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Mashed bananas - Very ripe (about 2 large bananas)
  • 1 cup Crushed pineapple - With juice (do not drain)
  • ½ cup Chopped pecans - Toasted preferred
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 8 oz Cream cheese - Full-fat, softened
  • ½ cup Unsalted butter - Softened
  • 3 cups Powdered sugar - Sifted for smooth texture
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch Salt - Balances sweetness
  • ¼ cup Chopped pecans - Optional, for topping

Equipment

  • 9-inch cake pans (Greased and lined with parchment)
  • Mixing bowls (One for wet, one for dry ingredients)
  • Rubber spatula (For folding nuts and batter)
  • Wire cooling rack (For cooling cake layers)
  • Offset spatula (For frosting and decorating)
  • Stand or Hand Mixer (For preparing frosting)
  • Measuring cup set (Dry and liquid measuring)
  • Measuring spoons set (For precision)

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment.
  2. Lightly toast chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Cool.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. In a separate bowl, mash bananas. Add sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, and pineapple with juice. Mix until combined.
  5. Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Stir gently until just combined.
  6. Fold in toasted pecans using a rubber spatula.
  7. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake 25–30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.
  9. Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually, then mix in vanilla and salt.
  10. Layer cake with frosting between layers and on top/sides. Decorate with pecans.

Nutrition

Serving: 130gCalories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 4gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 240mgPotassium: 210mgFiber: 2gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 400IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 1.5mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be considered an approximation. Actual values may vary based on specific ingredients used and portion sizes.

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