Hummingbird Cake Recipe

If you're any sort of fan of carrot cake, you're going to fall in love with this hummingbird cake! Hummingbird cake is a traditional Southern spice cake that uses bananas and pineapple in place of carrots. But just like carrot cake, it's finished off with a decadent, smooth cream cheese frosting.

Thought to be first created in Jamaica in the 1960s, the first printed edition of a hummingbird cake recipe was in Southern Living magazine in 1978. Rumored to be named after hummingbirds because the cake itself was sweet enough to attract them (as they only eat nectar), this cake has been called various other names over the years including the "cake that doesn't last." In our humble opinion, this name is spot on! We think you'll be hard-pressed to find a soul that doesn't fall head over heels for this sweet, nutty, moist, and downright delicious cake.

Below Chef Tara Rylie of Ryliecakes walks you through how to make a hummingbird cake from scratch.

When baking anything, including this hummingbird cake recipe, from scratch, the first two things you should always do is preheat the oven and prepare your pans. For this cake, you'll want to cut three six-inch circles out of parchment, and the easiest way to do this is simply to trace the cake pan onto parchment. Yes, skills you learned in elementary school will help make you a master baker! Once you've cut your cake liners out, coat all three pans with cooking spray, place the liners on the bottom of each, and then set them aside while you make your batter.

This hummingbird cake recipe is actually a little easier than most as there is no butter and sugar to cream just right. Hummingbird cake is a mashed banana and oil-based cake, which makes it quite simple to throw together. You do, however, want to make sure you've gathered all your ingredients and measured them out ahead of time. This will help create a seamless process and get your cake in the oven in about ten minutes.

There aren't too many substitutions on this cake, as you need these specific ingredients to call it a hummingbird cake. However, vanilla extract can be used in place of vanilla bean paste, vegetable oil can be used in place of canola oil, and if you're allergic to pecans, you can use other nuts such as walnuts or almonds.

First things first with this hummingbird cake recipe: Toast your pecans so that they have a little time to cool before adding to your batter. To do so, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and place the pecans on top of parchment in a single layer. Then, bake pecans in the preheated oven for approximately seven minutes until golden brown — they will smell nutty when done. (Yes, this will make your kitchen smell great.) When ready, remove pecans from oven and let cool before roughly chopping. If desired, you can set a handful of whole pecans aside for decorating your cake later on.

Next, you'll whisk together your AP flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and half a teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Set this aside while you mash up your bananas for this hummingbird cake recipe.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the bananas on medium-low speed until they are thoroughly mashed. The mixture should look like banana soup when it's done, and it should be pale yellow in color. A few little chunks here and there are definitely okay and will add a nice texture to the final cake.

Next, you'll add both sugars until they're fully incorporated, and then you'll slowly stream in your canola oil. Then, add your eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. This process helps to emulsify the eggs with the oil, helping to create a seamless batter. After you've added your eggs, decreased mixer speed to low and added your the crushed pineapple and vanilla bean paste, you'll continue to beat batter until everything is combined. Lastly, you'll add your dry ingredients and a third of a cup of chopped pecans.

Like we said earlier, there's no creaming butter in this recipe, so it's pretty impossible to screw up! Just have your ingredients prepared and add them in the order the recipe states.

Portion your batter for this hummingbird cake recipe evenly into your prepared cake pans and bake for 24 minutes. We recommend rotating your pans halfway though so that they bake more evenly throughout. This is especially helpful if your oven has hot spots. Use the toothpick test to determine if your cakes are done. When done, let your cakes cool completely on a wire rack while you whip up some cream cheese frosting.

Cream cheese frosting is also a relatively easy part of this hummingbird cake recipe. You beat your shortening and butter together, slowly add in your cream cheese, and finally add in your powdered sugar. It's surely not rocket science, but to create the most perfect cream cheese frosting, one without any lumps, you must sift your powdered sugar first! We know powdered sugar can be a pain to sift. However, in the case of this recipe, it's totally worth it. Powdered sugar has a tendency to clump up, and sifting it before adding to your frosting will ensure a smooth frosting as opposed to a lumpy or gritty one.

When your hummingbird cake recipe has cooled and your frosting is ready, it's time to assemble your cake. Again, this cake is relatively easy to assemble because there are no fillings or out-of-this-world toppings. It's basic in all the best ways. 

To assemble, place one six-inch cake round on top of your serving platter or cake cardboard, and then spread a layer of cream cheese frosting over the cake. Next, place a second 6-inch cake round on top of the first and repeat frosting process. Finally, place your last 6-inch cake round on top of the second and top with cream cheese frosting. Use your remaining frosting to cover the sides of cake and then decorate it with your remaining chopped or whole pecans as desired.

Let this cake set in your refrigerator for one hour before cutting and serving. Lastly, enjoy every last bite!