Hummingbird Cake

By Vallery Lomas

Published May 6, 2021

Hummingbird Cake
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(1,798)
Comments
Read comments

This super-simple tropical cake contains a hefty amount of mashed bananas and crushed pineapple. Often associated with the American South, where it is believed to have adopted a cream cheese frosting, it most likely originated in Jamaica, where it was called a Doctor Bird Cake. (“Doctor bird” is the nickname of Jamaica’s national bird, the red-billed streamertail hummingbird.) Some say this cake is sweet enough to attract even hummingbirds, while others say the name derives from how bananas, a key ingredient in the cake, resemble the bird’s beak. The end result tastes similar to banana bread, but with the moistness and flavor of a spice-filled carrot cake.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

    For the Cake

    • Nonstick baking spray
    • 3¾cups/480 grams all-purpose flour
    • 2teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1teaspoon baking soda
    • 1teaspoon kosher salt
    • 3large eggs, at room temperature
    • 1½cups/340 grams overripe mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
    • 1packed cup/220 grams dark brown sugar
    • 1cup/200 grams granulated sugar
    • 1cup/240 milliliters vegetable oil
    • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 2(8-ounce/227-gram) cans crushed pineapple in juice (about 1¾ cups)
    • ¾cup/85 grams chopped toasted pecan halves

    For the Frosting

    • 2(8-ounce/226-gram) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
    • 1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
    • 7⅓cups/905 grams confectioners’ sugar
    • 4teaspoons vanilla extract
    • Heaping ¾ cup/85 grams toasted pecan halves, for garnish
    • Dried pineapple rings and edible flowers, for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

1185 calories; 59 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 28 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 159 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 120 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 409 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three (9-inch) cake pans with nonstick baking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a second large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, sugars, oil and vanilla.

  2. Step 2

    Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients to the center of the well. Gently fold using a rubber spatula to combine. Add the pineapple and pecans, and fold again until just incorporated.

  3. Step 3

    Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans. Bake until golden, cooked through and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Move the cakes to a wire baking rack to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then, remove from the pans and allow to cool completely on the wire racks

  4. Step 4

    As cakes cool, make the cream cheese frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Mix on low speed until all the ingredients just come together. Then, increase the speed to medium and mix until creamy and smooth, about 5 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Assemble the cake: Place the first layer of the cake top-side down onto a cake stand or plate. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting. Repeat with the second two layers, always placing the top side down to create a very flat surface. Frost the top and sides of the cake.

  6. Step 6

    Place whole toasted pecan halves around the rim of the cake. Garnish with the dried pineapple and edible flowers, as desired. Slice and serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,798 user ratings
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Comments

Sheila

Recipe calls for "2 (8-ounce/227-gram) cans crushed pineapple in juice." To me, it is not clear whether the pineapple is drained or if the juice should be included when making the cake. I am guessing the cans of pineapple go into the cake UNdrained, as other hummingbird cake recipes state undrained. Also, do you think this might work in a Bundt pan? (I don't have 3 round cake pans!).

John Gordon

Being a small household, I made 2/3 the cake recipe and half the icing recipe; quite easy to calculate each. I did it in a Bundt pan, which worked quite well. The only change was adding golden raisins. Very tasty and definitely one to repeat.

Carol

Hummingbirds are hard to come by much of the year. Any substitution recommendations?

Maggie B.

This is the first recipe that ever prompted me to measure the capacity of my mixing bowls. Turns out my largest one holds a little over 1 gallon. And I needed every ounce of that capacity! This makes a huge amount of batter. When I added the oil and started mixing, it actually slopped over the rim of the bowl. Next time, I may go to another online recipe for the same cake -- there are many of them, and they are very similar, though none makes three 9-inch layers.

Cathy

My family does not like nuts in cakes or cookies, can I just leave them out?

TorontoCook

Followed the recipe exactly but used half the amount of frosting. It was plenty for the cake. It was easy to make and looked great but we found the frosting too sweet and the cake a bit bland; it basically just tasted like banana bread to me. I don't think I will make this again.

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