Classic Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This Southern Hummingbird Cake is a showstopping layer cake packed with banana, pineapple, and pecans, crowned with a luscious cream cheese frosting that will have everyone asking for seconds.
The Most Beloved Cake You Have Never Made (But Should)
If you grew up in the American South, chances are you have eaten Hummingbird Cake at a church potluck, a family reunion, or a grandmother's kitchen table. If you did not, you have been missing one of the most quietly spectacular layer cakes in the entire baking canon. It is moist, warmly spiced, and deeply fruity, layered with ripe banana, juicy crushed pineapple, and crunchy toasted pecans, all held together by a tangy, cloud-like cream cheese frosting.
The recipe has been a Southern staple since it first appeared in Southern Living magazine back in 1978, and it quickly became one of the most requested recipes in the publication's history. There is a reason it has never gone out of style. This is not a trendy cake. It is a forever cake.
Getting the texture right on a cake like this comes down to two things: your ingredients and your tools. Overripe bananas that are practically black are non-negotiable, and a quality stand mixer will make your cream cheese frosting impossibly smooth with very little effort.
Tools & Ingredients We Recommend
What Makes Hummingbird Cake So Special
Unlike most fruit-forward cakes that rely on one starring ingredient, Hummingbird Cake is a trio act. The banana brings deep sweetness and that classic moisture that keeps every slice tender for days. The pineapple (added with all its juice) provides a bright, tropical lift that keeps the cake from feeling too heavy. The pecans give every bite a satisfying crunch and a toasty, nutty warmth that grounds the whole thing.
Then there is the cinnamon. Just one teaspoon woven through the batter transforms it from a simple fruit cake into something that tastes like it has been baking in a warm Southern kitchen all afternoon.
Chef's Tip: Do not drain your crushed pineapple. The juice is part of the moisture equation and contributes real flavor. Draining it will give you a drier, less flavorful cake.
Building the Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting
The frosting is not an afterthought here. It is half the personality of the cake. You want it thick enough to hold the layers in place, tangy enough to cut through the sweetness of the fruit, and smooth enough to spread in gorgeous swoops.
The keys to nailing it:
- Use full-fat block cream cheese, never the spreadable kind in a tub. Tub cream cheese has too much water and will give you a runny frosting.
- Make sure both the cream cheese and butter are fully softened before you start. Cold cream cheese leads to lumpy frosting every time.
- Sift your powdered sugar. It takes 30 extra seconds and eliminates every lump before it has a chance to form.
Tips for Beautiful Cake Layers
Hummingbird Cake batter is thick and chunky, which means it bakes up beautifully but can be a little tricky to divide evenly. Use a kitchen scale to weigh your batter into the three pans for perfectly even layers. A gentle crumb coat chilled for 20 minutes before the final frosting layer is the single best thing you can do for a clean, polished finish.
Do not rush the cooling step. Frosting a warm cake is the fastest way to end up with a melted, sliding mess. Give the layers a full hour on the wire rack.
Ready to bake the most iconic Southern layer cake of your life? Here is everything you need:
Classic Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This Southern Hummingbird Cake is a showstopping layer cake packed with banana, pineapple, and pecans, crowned with a luscious cream cheese frosting that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed, about 1.5 cups
- 8 oz crushed pineapple, undrained, one standard can
- 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted, divided
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened, two 8 oz blocks
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, for the frosting
Instruction
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper circles.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly, then whisk in the vegetable oil and vanilla extract until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
Fold in the mashed bananas, crushed pineapple with its juice, and three-quarters of the toasted pecans until evenly distributed.
Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks and cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, then add the vanilla extract. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth and creamy.
Place the first cake layer on your serving plate or cake board. Spread a generous layer of cream cheese frosting over the top.
Stack the second layer and frost it the same way. Add the third layer on top, then apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over the entire outside of the cake. Chill for 20 minutes.
Apply the final layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake, smoothing as desired. Press the remaining toasted pecans around the base or top to garnish. Slice and serve.
Equipment
- Three 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowls
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Wire cooling racks
- Offset spatula
- Cake turntable (optional but helpful)
Notes
Serving and Storing Your Hummingbird Cake
This cake is genuinely better on day two. The flavors meld, the frosting sets, and every slice becomes even more tender overnight. If you can bake it the day before you plan to serve it, do.
Serve it at a slight chill or fully at room temperature. Pair it with a strong cup of black coffee or a cold glass of sweet tea. Garnish with extra toasted pecans and, if you want to go full Southern, a few edible flowers pressed gently into the top tier.
Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, though it rarely lasts that long.
