This hummingbird cake is delicious tropical banana-pineapple cake filled with crushed pineapple, overripe bananas, walnuts, and cinnamon topped with a buttercream frosting.
This hummingbird cake is a classic southern cake that originated in Jamaica. With its tropical spiced banana-pineapple flavors, this cake is a delicious springtime cake perfect to serve as an Easter dessert. The best part is you can make this recipe into a layer cake or sheet cake.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Flavorful spring cake
- Layer cake or sheet cake
- Great for Easter
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butter - We recommend using butter softened at room temperature for both the cake batter and frosting.
- Sugar - This recipe calls for both brown sugar and cane sugar.
- Eggs - Eggs add structure to the cake batter and add moisture to the cake.
- Pineapple - You can use fresh or canned crushed pineapple.
- Banana - Use overripe bananas for the best flavor.
- Vanilla Extract - Real vanilla extract enhances the flavors of the cake.
- Flour - We recommend using unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe. Use a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend to make a gluten-free hummingbird cake.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda - Both help leaven the cake.
- Spices - This recipe calls for cinnamon, allspice and salt.
- Walnuts - Walnuts add texture and flavor.
- Frosting - A classic hummingbird cake is frosted with cream cheese frosting but we like to frost our hummingbird cake recipe with a homemade buttercream frosting.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Stand Mixer - A stand mixer helps to easily mix the cake batter together. We also use a stand mixer to make the frosting.
- Cake Pans - To make a 2-layer round cake, we recommend using two 8-inch round pans. You can use a 9"x13" rectangle pan to make a sheet cake.
- Cake Frosting Kit - We love this cake frosting kit to easily frost a layer cake. It comes with a turntable, icing spatulas, and more tools to make a beautiful layer cake.
How to Make Hummingbird Cake
Step 1. Mix the cake batter together.
Step 2. Pour the cake batter into the cake pans.
Step 3. Bake the cake then frost before serving.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
This hummingbird cake recipe makes one 2-layer 8-inch round cake or one 9x13 sheet cake. We love to frost the cake with buttercream or cream cheese frosting to serve.
If you like this recipe, you will love our classic dessert recipes.
- The Best French Silk Chocolate Pie
- Classic Scotcharoos without Corn Syrup
- Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting Filling
- Classic No Bake Cookies
- The Best Key Lime Pie Bars
- Peanut Butter Cake with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
Expert Tips & Variations
- Line your cake pans with parchment paper. Lining the cake pans with parchment paper makes it much easier to remove the cakes from the pans after baking.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding frosting. If you frost the cake when it is still warm, the frosting will melt. Allow the cakes to cool at room temperature or place in the freezer to speed up the cooling process.
- Freeze cake leftovers for later. If you happen to have leftovers, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to then place in the freezer for later. I store all of my leftover cakes this way and they make for a delicious treat.
How to Store Cake
- Countertop - store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Freezer - wrap the cake in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQ
Make this recipe gluten-free by replacing the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1:! flour blend.
You can make this recipe into a sheet cake by using a 9x13 baking pan to bake all of the cake batter in.
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Cut the outside off the pineapple, slice the pineapple into thin slices then dry each slice with paper towel. Place each slice on a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Place in the oven for 2-3 hours or until fully dried out. Transfer each dried pineapple piece to a muffin tin and press the center of each slice down into the muffin tin cups to shape into flowers. Place in the oven for an additional 30 minutes to an hour to dry completely in the flower shape.
More Dessert Recipes
Hummingbird Cake
This hummingbird cake is delicious tropical banana-pineapple cake filled with crushed pineapple, overripe bananas, walnuts, and cinnamon topped with a buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 8 oz crushed pineapple
- 1.5 cups mashed bananas
- 3 cups unbleached flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and line 2 8-inch round pans with parchment paper.
- Add the softened butter, brown sugar and cane sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Turn the stand mixer to medium speed to cream the butter and sugars together.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract, pineapple and bananas to the bowl and mix to combine.
- Pour the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice into the bowl and mix to combine the wet and dry ingredients together.
- Add 1 cup chopped walnuts and use a spoon to fold the walnuts into the cake batter.
- Divide the cake batter into the two round pans.
- Place the pans in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of each cake.
- Remove the baked cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the cakes from the pans and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- When the cakes are completely cooled, make the frosting.
- Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to cream.
- Add the vanilla extract to the bowl with 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix to combine.
- Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time with the milk 1 Tablespoons at a time to mix into a creamy frosting.
- When the cake layers are cooled, frost with the buttercream frosting before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 545Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 389mgCarbohydrates: 114gFiber: 3gSugar: 84gProtein: 7g
