Southern Hummingbird Cake

This delicious Southern Hummingbird Cake is made with mashed bananas, crushed pineapple, toasted pecans and frosted with a buttery cream cheese icing! This flavorful Hummingbird Cake recipe is dense, rich and moist! It’s down right delectable!

Southern Desserts

I like to call Hummingbird Cake the outspoken sister of Carrot Cake. They’re both nutty, sweet and covered in cream cheese frosting but, Hummingbird Cake is little bolder in her own right. She’ll entice you to come back for more!! Wink, wink.

In my opinion, this cake has a cousin called Italian Cream Cake! It too has toasted pecans and coconut (flavoring) and is equally delicious!

If you have allergy concerns, you can omit the pecans and coconut extract. Although, toasted pecans are a main flavor and texture ingredient in this cake, you can omit them for food allergies without botching the cake recipe.

Attention: No birds were harmed in the making of this cake! LOL

Southern Hummingbird Cake

If you like Banana Cake or Banana bread, you’re sure to LOVE Hummingbird Cake! The cake originated in Jamaica and made it’s way to a southern state where it was publicized in 1978 as rumor has it. It’s become a southern favorite ever since!

I read on Wikipedia that the cake is named after Jamaica’s national bird in case you’re wondering but, I’ve also read that no one knows why it was named this way too. I suppose it could be a mystery.

One thing I will stress when making this cake is to use very ripe bananas and do toast the pecan pieces! This cake will turn out perfectly and you’ll enjoy every last bite before cutting yourself a second sliver!

This cake tastes better the second day and cold right out of the refrigerator.

Your taste buds will be dancing with every forkful!

Plus, it’s a great way to use up very ripe bananas instead of tossing them.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means, if you make a purchase, I’ll receive a very small commission but, the price you pay is the same.

How to Make Southern Hummingbird Cake

*The FREE printable recipe is at the bottom of this post but, there are a few extra notes here so read this first!

Cake Batter Ingredients:

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 dashes ground cloves
• 2 cups of very ripe mashed bananas (they should be coated in black dots)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 8 oz canned crushed pineapple with juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup canola, corn or vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup pecan pieces, divided (optional for those with nut allergies) or buy Trader Joe’s Toasted Pecan Pieces on Amazon!
• 1 tsp coconut extract (optional)

Cake Batter Instructions:

1. First, preheat oven to 300F if you are roasting pecans in oven. If you’re doing it on the stove top, then preheat oven to 350F.
2. Then, toast chopped pecans: toast on a baking sheet for 8 min at 300F. Or, In a small pan on stove top on medium heat, add chopped pecans. Stand there for 2-3 minutes to ensure they don’t burn. Burning happens quickly so, don’t walk away. As soon as they start to brown, remove them and set aside. Don’t skip this step as it adds great flavor and texture.
3. Next, in a medium bowl, add flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. Set aside.
4. Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine white sugar, brown sugar, mashed bananas, pineapple with juice, oil, vanilla and coconut extracts, and eggs.
5. Next, slowly add the flour mixture to the oil mixture. Stir in one cup of the toasted pecans. The remaining 1/4 cup will be used for topping the cake.
6. Then, liberally oil spray and lightly flour or use (oil spray with flour in it) three 9 inch round baking pans or line with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper.
7. Next, add one third of the cake batter to each greased baking pan and bake at 350F for 27-31 min. Insert a toothpick in the middle to test. If it comes out clean, they’re done. Let cool before frosting.

Buttery Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp half and half creamer or whole milk

1/2 cup or one stick of salted butter, softened

5 cups of powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

Buttery Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions:

I’ve asked myself, do I really need to add butter to cream cheese frosting? Isn’t there enough fat in the cream cheese? Well the short answer is yes, if you want a cream cheese frosting that’s over the top GREAT with a buttery flavor. If you’re gonna make this cake, GO FOR IT! Add the butter.

1. First, in a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese and mix until it’s smooth- about 1 minute.
2. Next, Add butter, vanilla and salt. Mix until well incorporated and smooth.
3. Then, add one cup of powdered sugar at a time. Mix until smooth.

Cake Assembly:

1. First, on a cake plate, put the biggest layer (if you have uneven layers) down first. Spread about 1/4 of the frosting on the first layer but stop at about 1 inch from the edges of the cake layer. What’s great about making this cake is that no crumbs got on my spreader! Do you see one crumb in the icing? Nope, not a one!
2. Next, repeat for second layer and third layer. It’s really starting to look lovely! Isn’t it? Hold yourself back. Only a couple more things to do before you can sink your teeth into it!
3. Then, add frosting to the sides of the cake.
4. Last, top with remaining 1/4 cup roasted pecan pieces.

Viola! This masterpiece cake deserves a moment of silence with smile and feeling of pride. Just look at it in its sizable splendor!

I’m telling you that heads will turn when you take this glorious layer cake out of the refrigerator!

This cake tastes great right out of the refrigerator and even better after it sits a couple hours and settles. It’s dense and rich! The Buttery Cream Cheese Frosting makes it over-the-top! I can’t wait for you to take your first bite!

I made a hummingbird with the pecan pieces on mine first! Ask me via email or in the comments for the hummingbird cut out and I’ll send it to you.

Cake Storage:

Store in the refrigerator up to five days or freeze cake up to 6 months.

Helpful Hints

• Use very ripe bananas. They’re sweeter.
• Many Hummingbird Cake recipes tell you to use parchment paper but, I baked mine in non-stick pans and used oil spray with flour in it. The cake layers came out easily.

Substitutions and Variations:

• Substitute all white sugar instead of half white and half brown.
• Substitute chopped walnuts for the pecans.
• Add 1 cup of sweetened, shredded coconut.
• Add 1/2 cup of raisins. Why not?
• Instead, bake this cake in a 13 x 9x 3 inch baking pan at 350F for 50 minutes and check it to see if a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. It may need 5 more minutes.

When Should I Serve Hummingbird Cake?

• Easter
• Baby showers and wedding showers
• Spring flings
• birthdays
• anniversary parties
• any time you want a delicious cake!

Southern Hummingbird Cake is a southern favorite for good reason. It’s rich and dense yet, moist. It’s a flavorful cake you’ll love to sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy eating every forkful. The toasted pecans and the buttery cream cheese frosting put this cake over-the-top! Make this delicious cake for any party.

See more delicious DESSERTS!

You may also like:

Italian Cream Cake

Almond Sour Cream Pound Cake

Pumpkin Gingerbread Bundt Cake

I took this recipe to Weekend Potluck.

This Hummingbird Cake recipe was adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction which was adapted from Southern Living. Sally knows her stuff and is an expert resource. I made a few changes to her recipe but, it’s very similar.