American Cuisine
Hummingbird Cake
By Loretta Mae Sutton
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Few cakes carry as much Southern lore as the hummingbird. It first flew into American kitchens in the late 1970s when a reader named Mrs. L.H. Wiggins sent her recipe to a beloved Southern food magazine, and it has been a potluck and church-supper royalty ever since. The name is said to come from a cake so sweet it draws you in like a hummingbird to nectar. What makes it work is the trio of fruit: crushed pineapple folded in undrained for moisture and tang, ripe bananas for that quick-bread richness, and toasted pecans for buttery crunch. Notice there's no creaming of butter and no electric beating, you stir the batter together by hand just until moistened, which keeps the dense, fudgy crumb that defines this cake. It's spiced gently with cinnamon and bound with oil rather than butter, so it stays moist for days, only getting better as the flavors settle. Blanketed in tangy cream cheese frosting and showered with more pecans, it's the cake people request for birthdays, Easter, and any occasion that calls for a little Southern celebration. Bake it the day before; it's even better on day two.
Ingredients
Serves 12Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until uniform.
- 3
Add the eggs and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon just until moistened. Do not beat.
- 4
Stir in the vanilla extract, crushed pineapple (with juice), chopped pecans, and chopped bananas until combined.
- 5
Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- 6
Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
- 7
For the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.
- 8
Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of the cooled cake. Garnish with more pecans if desired.
Chef's Tips
- ✦ Stir the batter by hand just until the flour disappears, this cake is never beaten and overmixing turns the dense, tender crumb tough.
- ✦ Add the crushed pineapple undrained, the juice is essential moisture and flavor, draining it leaves the cake dry.
- ✦ Use heavily speckled, very ripe bananas, they bring the sweetness and soft texture that make this cake so moist.
- ✦ Toast the pecans before folding them in and reserve a handful for the top, toasting deepens their flavor and keeps them from going soft in the batter.
- ✦ Make sure the cream cheese and butter are fully softened before beating the frosting, cold cream cheese leaves lumps you can't whisk out.
- ✦ Bake and cool the layers a day ahead if you can, the hummingbird's flavor and moisture actually improve overnight.
Ingredient Substitutions
-
chopped pecans → chopped walnuts
Walnuts give a similar buttery crunch; toast them first to bring out their flavor.
-
vegetable oil → melted coconut oil
Swap by equal volume for the same moisture with a subtle tropical note that suits the pineapple.
-
cream cheese → mascarpone
Mascarpone makes a milder, less tangy frosting that's a touch softer to spread.
-
crushed pineapple → finely diced fresh pineapple with its juices
Use the same amount including juice; the fresh fruit keeps the batter moist.
-
all purpose flour → 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour
Choose a blend with xanthan gum so the dense crumb still holds together.
-
ground cinnamon → pumpkin pie spice
A 1:1 swap layers in nutmeg, ginger, and clove for a warmer spiced profile.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called hummingbird cake? ▼
The cake is so sweet it's said to attract you like a hummingbird drawn to nectar; the recipe became famous through a Southern food magazine in the late 1970s.
Should I drain the crushed pineapple? ▼
No, add it undrained with all its juice; that liquid is a key source of moisture and tang, and draining it will leave the cake dry.
Can I make hummingbird cake ahead of time? ▼
Yes, bake the layers a day in advance and store them wrapped, then frost on serving day; the flavor actually deepens overnight.
How should I store the frosted cake? ▼
Because of the cream cheese frosting, refrigerate it covered for up to 5 days and let slices sit at room temperature briefly before serving.
Can I bake this as a sheet cake or cupcakes? ▼
Yes, pour the batter into a 9x13 pan or lined muffin tins; sheet cake bakes about 35 to 40 minutes and cupcakes about 18 to 22 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
Why did my cake turn out dense and gummy? ▼
Overmixing or too much liquid is usually the cause; stir only until the flour is moistened and measure the pineapple and bananas accurately.
Can I freeze hummingbird cake? ▼
Yes, freeze the unfrosted, cooled layers wrapped tightly for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature before frosting.
