Banana pineapple layered cake topped with a cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans. This Hummingbird Cake is so delicious and perfect for all occasions.
I’m obsessed with hummingbird cake after first bite.
A couple years ago, the day before Thanksgiving, my sister and I went to the farmer’s market at the Ferry Building to see if there were last minute items to buy for Thanksgiving. We came across a pop up bakery that sold so many baked goods. But the one I was most interested in was the hummingbird cake.
I’ve heard that hummingbird cake was a popular southern dessert, and I’ve always been curious. So this was the perfect time to try it.
That first bite? Sooo good. There wasn’t another cake like it.
The banana pineapple cake was moist and super flavorful with toasted pecans in every bite. Each layer of the cake is topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting filling. And of course, it’s topped with cream cheese frosting on top too with toasted pecans. And that’s exactly what I wanted to replicate with this two layered hummingbird cake.
There’s not many places that sell hummingbird cake. Since the bakery was a popup, it meant I didn’t have easy access to the cake. And so finally, I decided to make my own.
Today seemed like the perfect day to share it since it’s my boyfriend’s birthday. And well, cake is always the perfect way to celebrate, right?
The cake I actually made him was this banana cake with nutella buttercream frosting. But! We actually taste tested this hummingbird cake together just a couple weeks ago, and it is definitely one of my favorite cakes.
This two layered cake is filled with banana, crushed pineapple, and toasted pecan in every bite. Sweet cream cheese frosting between the two layers with more on top. Toasted pecans are lightly coat the top of the cake. Each bite is so flavorful and so moist and remains that way for days. Sooo good.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9 inch springform cake pan with a round parchment paper and set aside for now.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.
In a large sized bowl, beat together vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Then beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Then add mashed bananas, crushed pineapples with some of the pineapple juice, and Greek yogurt, and beat until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. And mix until just combined. Fold in the toasted pecans.
Pour the banana pineapple cake batter into the prepared baking pan. You’ll want to divide the batter in half as evenly as possible. Bake the cake for 25 minutes until the edges and top turn lightly browned. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Allow the cake to cool for several minutes before transferring over to a wired rack to cool.
Repeat with the second half of the cake batter.
To make the cream cheese frosting, beat together cream cheese, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside for now.
Once both of the cakes have completely cooled, you can use a sharp serrated knife to trim the top of the cake so that it is even. Or you can leave it as is. I left it as is.
Use a knife to spread the frosting over the top of the bottom layer of the cake. Then placed the second layer on the top. Spread the rest of the frosting over the top of the cake and on the sides. I used minimal frosting on the sides to make it appear more like a naked cake.
Top the cake with toasted pecan.
Serve the hummingbird cake at room temperature or cold.
Enjoy!
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large bananas
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup crushed pineapple with juice
- ½ cup chopped toasted pecan
- 1 8oz package cream cheese
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chopped toasted pecan for topping
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9 inch springform cake pan with a round parchment paper and set aside for now.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.
- In a large sized bowl, beat together vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Then beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Then add mashed bananas, crushed pineapples with some of the pineapple juice, and Greek yogurt, and beat until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. And mix until just combined. Fold in the toasted pecans.
- Pour the banana pineapple cake batter into the prepared baking pan. You’ll want to divide the batter in half as evenly as possible. Bake the cake for 25 minutes until the edges and top turn lightly browned. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Allow the cake to cool for several minutes before transferring over to a wired rack to cool.
- Repeat with the second half of the cake batter.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, beat together cream cheese, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside for now.
- Once both of the cakes have completely cooled, you can use a sharp serrated knife to trim the top of the cake so that it is even. Or you can leave it as is. I left it as is.
- Use a knife to spread the frosting over the top of the bottom layer of the cake. Then placed the second layer on the top. Spread the rest of the frosting over the top of the cake and on the sides. I used minimal frosting on the sides to make it appear more like a naked cake.
- Top the cake with toasted pecan.
- Serve the hummingbird cake at room temperature or cold.
Thank you for this recipe. I had Hummingbird Cake once and it was to die for. I’ll definitely make my own now.
It’s sooo good
Sooo… delicious!