Hummingbird Cake is a sweet and delicious dessert for any occasion. This beautiful banana pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting is a popular Southern cake recipe that everyone should try. Make this Hummingbird Cake recipe (with pineapple flowers) for Easter, bridal showers, and more!
Hummingbird Cake
This Hummingbird Cake recipe is a special recipe that has become a classic in Southern baking. Make this cake even more beautiful with the dried pineapple flowers on top!
Anytime I manage to bake an entire cake, I feel pretty proud of myself. They require precision and patience, so it doesn’t always feel as easy as my usual recipes. But this Hummingbird Cake recipe turned out beautifully, and I think it’s perfect for special occasions!
This banana pineapple cake is a Southern classic. Made with ripe bananas, crushed pineapple, pecans, and cream cheese frosting, it’s VERY sweet, but in the best way possible. The cinnamon adds some spice to balance it out, but it’s so decadent and so delicious!
I made this Hummingbird Cake with cream cheese frosting and decided to top it with some dried pineapple flowers. They’re easy to make, and they add an extra level of pretty! This cake is perfect for Easter, but it would be just as beautiful at a bridal shower or any springtime occasion.
This Hummingbird Cake recipe with Dried Pineapple Flowers is the perfect cake for special occasions and holidays!
Banana Pineapple Cake
Banana and pineapple are two super sweet fruits that create an amazing tropical flavor. So they pair perfectly in this classic Hummingbird Cake! And while this banana pineapple cake is very sweet, the added spice from the ground cinnamon balances it out nicely.
Hummingbird Cake Ingredients:
- Crushed Pineapple (cans with pineapple juice)
- Toasted Pecans
- Very Ripe Bananas
- Ground Cinnamon
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Vegetable Oil
- Eggs
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Our hummingbird cake wouldn’t be complete without the cream cheese frosting. It’s the perfect complement to the pineapple banana cake! Use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment for this recipe to make it smooth and fluffy.
How to make cream cheese frosting:
- Place cream cheese and butter to the mixing bowl and whisk on medium-high for about 3 minutes.
- Add in sour cream (or plain greek yogurt) and vanilla extract, and beat on medium-high for 2 more minutes.
- Change speed to low as you add in the powdered sugar. Then switch back to medium-high and whisk for 3 minutes.
How to Make Hummingbird Cake
This recipe is in three parts: make the cakes, make the cream cheese frosting, and then assemble everything to create the most beautiful Hummingbird Cake!
- The pineapple slices for the flowers need up to 3 hours to fully dry out, so if you’re going to use them, you’ll need to make those ahead of time. These are fine to make a day or two before, and then store them carefully until you’re ready to use them.
- Start by preparing the cake batter. This is the most intricate part of the whole recipe, but as long as you follow the directions, it’s simple enough!
- Let the cakes bake for about 25-40 minutes at 350°F, then let them cool completely before assembling.
- While the cake layers are cooling, you can whip up the cream cheese frosting so that it’s ready to use.
- Then it’s time to assemble all the parts to make your cake! Layer the cakes, add the cream cheese frosting, top with toasted pecans, and finish with the pineapple flowers.
You can find the full detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
Dried Pineapple Flowers
A traditional Hummingbird Cake does not have these dried pineapple flowers on top, but I thought they made the perfect addition! Not only are they beautiful, but the sweet pineapple slices add even more flavor to this banana pineapple cake.
Find out how to make these easy Pineapple Flowers right here.
Tips for making this Hummingbird Cake recipe
To make this hummingbird cake recipe the best it can be, there are a few important tips to keep in mind.
- You need super ripe bananas for this recipe, so look for a bunch at the store that is covered in brown spots, or buy a bunch and let it sit for a few days before making this cake.
- If you’re short on time and you can’t find bananas that are ripe enough, add a tablespoon of agave syrup or honey when mashing up the ripest bananas you have (no green bananas!). This will help to make it sweeter.
- Toasted pecans are also a must! To make it easier to use them both in the batter and as decoration, I toasted them whole, and then chopped up 1 1/2 cups worth. The rest were left to top off the cake.
- You can use 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans to make the layers. 8-inch will make three layers, and 9-inch will make two layers.
- A can of crushed pineapple is a better option than crushing up fresh pineapple because you want to make sure you get allll the juices mixed into the batter.
Why is it called a hummingbird cake?
There is definitely some debate about the name of this cake, but usually it’s attributed to the fact that this banana pineapple cake is so sweet. “Sweet enough to attract hummingbirds.”
Does hummingbird cake need to be refrigerated?
As a general rule, any cake with cream cheese frosting does need to be refrigerated. Any leftover cake can be covered and stored as is, or cut into slices and placed in containers before being refrigerated. Take the cake out of the refrigerator and let it sit for an hour or so before serving again so it can come to room temperature before eating.
I love how this Hummingbird Cake recipe turned out, especially with the pineapple on top. It’s going to make the most beautiful Easter dessert!
See the recipe card below for details on how to make this Hummingbird Cake recipe. Enjoy!
Try these other desserts for Easter or other holidays & special occasions:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12
Calories: 800kcal
Hummingbird Cake is a sweet and delicious dessert for any occasion. This beautiful banana pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting is a popular Southern cake recipe that everyone should try. Make this Hummingbird Cake recipe (with pineapple flowers) for Easter, bridal showers, and more!
For the Cake:
- 2 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple in juice
- 3-4 cups whole pecans toasted, divided. 1½ cups pecans will be chopped to use in the batter (*see note) .
- 3 cups 15 ounces all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar (14 ounces)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 very ripe bananas peeled & mashed (2 cups) (*see note)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar confectioner’s sugar
- Dried Pineapple Flowers for garnish, optional
For the Cake:
Set the oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray cake pans with nonstick baking spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with nonstick baking spray.
Drain the pineapple in a fine-mesh strainer set over to bowl to catch the drippings. Press the pineapple with a rubber spatula to extract as much juice as possible. Set a small saucepan over medium heat and add the pineapple juice. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, 6-8 minutes; set aside to cool.
While the juice reduces, place the pecans on a large baking sheet and place in the preheated oven, on the middle rack. Toast the pecans until darker in color and fragrant, about 6-8 minutes. Watch closely after the 5 minutes mark – pecans burn easily. Remove the pecans from the oven and pour them onto a large plate to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until incorporated. Continue whisking while adding the oil. Stir in bananas, toasted pecans, vanilla, drained pineapple and the cooled reduced pineapple juice.
Add the flour mixture and mix just until no flour is visible.
Pour the batter, evenly, between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
Bake at 350°F until dark golden brown for 25-40 minutes (depending on the pan size), or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Rotate the pans halfway through baking.
Transfer the cakes to a cooling rack to cool (in the pan) for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the cakes from the pans, discard the parchment, and let cool completely on the cooling rack.
For the Frosting:
Use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment for best result.
Add the cream cheese and butter to the mixing bowl and whisk on medium-high speed until fully incorporated and smooth; 3 minutes.
Add sour cream and vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed another 2 minutes.
Set the speed to low and add the powdered sugar. Once all the powdered sugar has been added, set the speed to medium-high and whisk an additional 3 minutes.
The frosting will be fluffy, smooth and gorgeous.
Calories: 800kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 428mg | Potassium: 465mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 65g | Vitamin A: 18.3% | Vitamin C: 8.8% | Calcium: 11.3% | Iron: 15%
