Hummingbird Cake

This cake recipe is delicious and I urge you to try it.

It's like a cross between a pineapple cream cheese pie and banana pound cake with the moistness of carrot cake and some crunchy nuts thrown in. So good!

It's made with canned pineapple, so it's a year-round recipe.

Why is it called Hummingbird Cake?

Popular in Southern baking, this cake originates in Jamaica, where the national bird is, you guessed it right, the hummingbird! It's also known as doctor bird cake.

For me, the pineapple screams vacation, Summer and palm trees, so it's fitting it comes from the Caribbean.

Ingredient list

• Bananas: very ripe ones as they have the sweetest flavor.
• Pineapple: the recipe uses canned pineapple. And, though you can use fresh, the first option keeps it moister in my opinion, and is available year-round.
• Pecans or walnuts.
• Cinnamon: ground.
• Vanilla extract.
• Vegetable oil: we always use sunflower oil, but canola or another neutral one works.
• White, granulated sugar.
• Brown sugar.
• Eggs: fresh, large.
• All-purpose flour.
• Salt.
• Baking soda: make sure it's not expired.
• Cream cheese: full-fat, regular type.
• Powdered sugar.

See the recipe card towards the end of this post for quantities. You can check the Ingredients page for more details and the brands we use.

How to make a hummingbird cake

Baking layer cakes

The way to ensure the best results is to bake each layer separately. That way, they bake faster and more even than you do when you cut a cake in half (or thirds, which is not easy).

But having 2 or 3 similar baking pans may not be your case, or the oven might not hold that amount of pans.

You can bake it in just one pan. I recommend a 9 or 10-inch cake pan with a removable bottom for this recipe. You might have to make it a two-layer instead of three.

Pan sizes

• Rectangular pan: like you would a sheet cake, cut it in half and layer both halves. It will be a square cake. And I suggest an 8x13 inch pan or similar. Or simply make it as a sheet cake, one layer of cake with another of frosting. It's great for barbecues or parties.
• Loaf pan: this is another option and this recipe makes enough for 2 medium loaves, similar to the zucchini pineapple bread.
• Tube pan: it has a hole in the center but it has a flat bottom and smooth sides. I don't recommend bundt cake pans because the cake tends to stick to the nooks and crannies the patterns make. I use a 10-inch tube pan as you can see in the pecan coffee cake.

I bake this recipe in three 8-inch pans or two 9-inch pans (image above). Either size, whether you make it in two or three layers, the result is excellent.

Cream cheese frosting

The traditional filling is this much-loved frosting. It is extremely easy to make and keeps well for a few weeks in the refrigerator.

I like to keep an eye on the cake/filling ratio.

As much as I love this component, I want the cake to shine on its own and the flavors to be present. So I use enough to enhance the cake but don't overdo it.

Vintage Kitchen tip: refrigerate the cake layers for several hours before filling and frosting; ideally the day before. It's easier to assemble when cold.

Storage

• Freezing: the layers can be frozen, well wrapped, for a month. Defrost at room temperature, but don't let it lose their coldness before filling and frosting. The frosting can also be frozen, but it's not the exact same texture afterward.
• Refrigeration: I recommend storing it in the refrigerator after the first day. The pineapple can ferment if left out in a warm environment and completely ruin the cake. It happened to me.