Hummingbird Cake Southern Classic (Printable Version)

A moist Southern classic layered cake made with bananas, pineapple, pecans, and cream cheese frosting.

# What You Need:

→ For the Cake

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 cup vegetable oil
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
09 - 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
10 - 2 cups ripe bananas, mashed
11 - 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained

→ For the Cream Cheese Frosting

12 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
13 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
14 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
15 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
16 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans, or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until well blended.
03 - In another bowl, beat eggs, oil, and vanilla until well combined.
04 - Stir in mashed bananas, crushed pineapple with juice, and chopped pecans into the wet mixture.
05 - Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans.
07 - Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on wire racks.
09 - Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.
10 - Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, beating until fluffy and spreadable.
11 - Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of the cake.
12 - Garnish with extra toasted pecans.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly moist from all that fruit, staying fresh for days unlike typical layer cakes that dry out
  • It's one of those rare desserts that actually gets better after sitting overnight, letting all those Southern flavors meld together beautifully
02 -
  • Never skip the step of toasting your pecans first since raw nuts can taste oddly bland in the finished cake
  • The batter will look unusually thick and almost gloppy, but this is completely normal and necessary for the proper texture
03 -
  • If you only have two 8-inch pans, bake the third layer in a 6-inch pan for a charming tiered effect
  • Line your pans with parchment paper rounds for absolutely foolproof removal every single time
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