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Hummingbird Cake

This homemade hummingbird cake is bursting with pineapple and banana flavor with crunchy nuts throughout. Cover the cake with a sweet cream cheese frosting for a fantastic dessert that's sure to impress!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine south american
Servings 15 people
Calories 9489.6 kcal

Equipment

  • 2 9-inch Cake Pans
  • 2 Large Mixing Bowls For wet and dry ingredients
  • 1 Sifter For dry ingredients to ensure a light cake texture
  • 1 Electric Mixer Handheld or stand mixer for frosting
  • 2 Wire Racks For cooling cakes completely

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups mashed bananas
  • 1 ½ cups canola oil
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 pound confectioners' sugar
  • 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ pound butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • To make the cake: Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Combine bananas, oil, walnuts, pineapple, and eggs in another large bowl; mix well. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Stir flour mixture into banana mixture until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each pan comes out clean, about 1 hour. Allow cakes to cool on wire racks. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a medium bowl until smooth.
  • Place one cooled cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread some of the cream cheese frosting on top of cake; place second cake on top and spread remaining frosting evenly over the surface and sides of the cake. Allrecipes/Kim Shupe

Notes

For optimal flavor and moisture, use very ripe, spotty bananas. Ensure the crushed pineapple is thoroughly drained to prevent a soggy cake. When making the cream cheese frosting, both the cream cheese and butter must be at room temperature and well-softened to achieve a smooth, lump-free consistency; beat them thoroughly before adding confectioners' sugar. Avoid overmixing the cake batter after combining wet and dry ingredients to keep the cake tender. Always cool cakes completely on wire racks before frosting, otherwise, the frosting will melt and slide off. For an enhanced flavor profile, consider lightly toasting the pecans or walnuts before adding them to the batter, and a pinch of cinnamon could add warmth. A touch of lemon zest in the frosting can cut through the sweetness.