Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake

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Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake recipe is a Southern staple, like sweet tea and porch swings. This cake is super moist, jam packed with flavor and sensational.

Slice of hummingbird cake with the remainder of the cake next to it on a round red tablecloth.

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This old fashioned Hummingbird cake recipe is one of those special cakes that everyone wants for their birthdays, bridal showers or other special occasion because it is that good. In fact this recipe is usually a well guarded secret in each families recipe box and is often their signature dish.

If you need some other fabulous cake recipes, check here.


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This cake is unique, special and so enticing. How did it get the name Hummingbird? The story is here.

  • Special Occasion: This is a show stopper for any get together.
  • Easy Ingredients: All found in pantry and comes together quick.
  • Family Friendly: It is so popular it wont last long.
Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake with a jar of walnuts and a banana in the background.

What You Need to Make Old fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe

Ingredients

  • pineapple
  • bananas 
  • pecans 
  • cream cheese 
Bowl of flour, eggs pineapple, seasonings and bananas.

Equipment

How to Make Hummingbird Cake- Step by Step

Making the cake batter for the Hummingbird cake.
  • Prep: First, preheat oven to 350 F. Spray (3) 9-inch cake pans with baking spray.
  • Dry: Second, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powdered, salt, and cinnamon.
  • Wet: Third, in another bowl cream together eggs, oil, vanilla, crushed pineapple, and mashed bananas.Then pour the flour mixture into the wet and mix just until incorporated.
Finished batter for cale, the cake in baking dish, cake in oven and cake finished baking.
  • Bake: Evenly pour batter into 3 cake pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  • Frosting: Meanwhile, combine all the frosting ingredients and mix until fluffy. 
  • Next Step Here: Next, let cakes cool for about 25 minutes then remove from the pans and put on a cooling rack. Finally, Frost and serve.
Making the icing, finished icing and then icing the cake.

Common Questions About Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake

CAN I USE FRESH PINEAPPLE?

Of course, fresh is great, however make sure that it is ripe for best flavor, canned actually works great in this recipe.

HOW DO I RIPEN BANANAS FOR THIS RECIPE?

Bananas that are rips should be soft, the skin should have black spots on it, the more the better. Although if you bananas are not ripe enough for baking, these are some great ideas to help them ripen up quick.

MAKE CUPCAKES?

Indeed, you can make cute cupcakes with this recipe, bake for about 19 minutes at 350 degrees.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE FROZEN?

Truly, this is a great cake to make fresh, despite this, you can freeze the un-frosted cakes for up to three months if they are wrapped airtight.

Close up on slice of cake om a round dish.

Expert Tips for Making Hummingbird Cake

  • Add Coconut: Coconut or toasted coconut after frosting is a wonderful addition.
  • Decorate: Make a beautiful pattern on top with more pecans or fresh edible flowers.
  • Line: There is nothing worse than going through the effort of making a scratch cake and having it stick, therefore, add some parchment to the pans to insure they don’t stick.
  • Additional Ingredient: Like carrot cake, spice is nice in this old fashioned hummingbird cake, as a result, try adding some cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger.

What to Serve with this Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe

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Slice of hummingbird cake with the remainder of the cake next to it on a round red tablecloth.
5 from 3 votes

Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake

Yield: 16 servings
Prep: 14 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
cooling time: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 14 minutes
Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe is a Southern staple, like sweet tea and porch swings. This cake is super moist, jam packed with flavor and sensational.
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⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 8 oz crushed pineapple, can, undrained
  • 3 bananas, ripe, mashed
  • 1 cup pecans, roasted
  • Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 stick butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Spray (3) 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Set to the side for later.
  • Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powdered, salt, and cinnamon.
  • In another bowl cream together eggs, oil, vanilla, crushed pineapple, and mashed bananas.
  • Then pour the flour mixture into the wet and mix just until incorporated.
  • Evenly pour batter into 3 cake pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  • Let cakes cool for about 25 minutes then remove from the pans and put on a cooling rack. Then let cakes cool completely before frosting.
  • Once cakes are cool frost the cakes.
  • Refrigerate the cake for up to 3 days.

Expert Tips

 
  • Add Coconut: Coconut or toasted coconut after frosting is a wonderful addition.
  • Decorate: Make a beautiful pattern on top with more pecans or fresh edible flowers.
  • Line: There is nothing worse than going through the effort of making a scratch cake and having it stick, therefore, add some parchment to the pans to insure they don’t stick.
  • Additional Ingredient: Like carrot cake, spice is nice in this old fashioned hummingbird cake, as a result, try adding some cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger.

Estimated Nutritional Information

Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 319mg | Potassium: 226mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 451IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

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