Hummingbird Cake
This Hummingbird Cake recipe makes a two-layer 8-inch cake. It is packed full of flavor from the bananas, the pineapple, all the spices and the nutty pecans. The perfectly sweet layers are wrapped up in a tangy cream cheese frosting that will keep you coming back for more.
Servings: 12
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 325 g
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- A pinch of nutmeg
- A pinch of clove
- A pinch of cardamom
- 1 cup mashed banana about 2 medium banana, 231 g
- 1 cup oil 210 g
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup light brown sugar lightly packed, 273 g
- ¾ cup crushed pineapple strained, 170 g
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans 60 g
- More pecans for topping if desired
- Melted butter for cake pans
Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese room temperature, 454 g
- 8 oz unsalted butter room temperature, 227 g
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar 150 g
Instructions
Make the cake batter
- Toast the pecans in a frying pan over medium heat for 3 - 5 minutes until fragrant. Let it cool and chop into smaller pieces.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Brush some melted butter on two 8” round cake pans. Line the bottom of the cake pan with a piece of round parchment paper cut to size and brush the parchment paper with butter as well. Set aside.
- Add mashed banana, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and crushed pineapple to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until the sugar completely dissolves and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and cardamom into a medium mixing bowl. Add the salt and mix thoroughly with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and fold until incorporated. Fold in the chopped pecans.
- Divide batter evenly between two cake pans, about 700 g of batter per pan. Bake for approximately 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 - 15 minutes. When you can touch the cake pans, use a butter knife to loosen the sides, flip the pan over to remove the cake from the pan. Peel off the parchment paper, and allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack before adding frosting.
Prepare the cream cheese frosting and assemble the cake
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese together until thoroughly mixed and creamy.
- Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.
- Add powdered sugar and stir until incorporated, gradually increase the mixer speed and beat until fluffy.
- When the cake is completely cool, place 1 layer on a cake stand or plate. Put 3 or 4 strips of parchment paper underneath the cake to cover the cake stand or plate. This is to keep the frosting from smearing everywhere.
- Add about 1 cup of frosting on top of the first layer and even it out with an offset spatula. Add the second layer of cake on top.
- Add a thin layer of frosting on the side and top of the cake, use a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe swirl all over the cake. Carefully pull out the pieces of parchment paper underneath the cake.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set or until ready to serve.
Notes
- Vegetable oil, canola oil or olive oil will work in this recipe.
- Strained the crushed pineapple using a sieve, but don’t press all the juice out of it. You just want to get as much pineapple pulp without the juice in the can in the batter as possible.
- Don’t throw away the pineapple juice and excess crushed pineapple, you can use it to make smoothies.
Nutrition
Serving: 186g | Calories: 728kcal
