Super Moist Hummingbird Cake Recipe
If you're looking for a cake with major wow factor, this is the one. This hummingbird cake recipe makes an ultra-moist cake packed with tropical flavors and topped with an addictive cream cheese frosting and pecans. The presentation is beautiful but the taste keeps everyone coming back for more!
Servings: 16 slices
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 300 grams
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp allspice
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature, 170 grams
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 297 grams
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk 118 ml
- 1 ½ cups pureed or very smoothly mashed ripe bananas 340 grams
- 8 oz crushed pineapple drained
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans 114 grams
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened, 57 grams
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar 340 grams
- ⅛ tsp salt
- dash of milk or heavy cream
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease two or three 8 inch springform pans with butter (butter the sides and bottom) and line each pan with a parchment paper circle for easy cake removal. Set aside.
- Puree or very smoothly mash 3-4 large ripe bananas. Be sure to measure the bananas after, you need 1 ½ cups. I recommend pureeing the mashed bananas for a smoother, less chucky texture. Set aside.
- Drain the crushed pineapple. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar, beat using an electric mixer, 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, buttermilk, pureed banana, drained crushed pineapple and vanilla extract. Beat with the electric mixer.
- Gradually add the flour mixture and pecans to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the flour is incorporated.
- Evenly divide the batter among the pans. If using 2 pans, that’s 3 cups of batter per pan, if using 3 pans, that’s 2 cups of batter per pan. If you have bake even cake strips, secure them around the outside of the pans.
- Bake 2 pans for 40-50 minutes or 3 pans for 32-37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You can also bake all of the batter in a 9x13 inch pan for about 45-55 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool before adding the cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place the room temperature cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer on medium and beat together for 1-2 minutes, until whipped and fluffy.
- Add in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar (and optional salt), beat again on low for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until everything is incorporated.
- If the frosting is too thick, add a splash of milk or heavy cream, beat until creamy.
- Assemble the Cake
- If needed, level the cooled cakes using a cake leveler or serrated knife.
- Spread a small amount of frosting on the bottom of your cake plate / stand, this acts as “glue” to prevent the cake from moving. Place one cake layer over the frosting. Measure 3/4 to 1 cup of frosting and evenly spread that on top of the first layer. Top with the second cake layer and spread another ¾ to 1 cup of frosting on top of that layer. Use the remaining frosting around the sides and top of the cake. Top the cake with chopped pecans if desired.
Notes
I’ve also made this recipe with gluten free flour with awesome results! I recommend King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. Use it as a one for one substitute for regular all-purpose flour.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 702IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg