This classic Southern cake reminds me of a hybrid cross of carrot cake, meets banana cake (well, minus the carrots). I find banana bread to be a bit boring, but this cake has the addition of pineapple and pecans. The oil and eggs yields a very moist cake, and you don’t need to use an electric mixer! What’s not to love about cream cheese frosting?
I love bananas. They’re one of my favorite “power snacks”, sliced and mounded atop non-fat cottage cheese, with a few raisins sprinkled in. That might sound a little weird to some people, but it’s my mid-morning snack at the office– and, certainly, a lot healthier than a doughnut!
The first thing I noticed, is that I didn’t need a cake mixer. Sweet! So, I began by draining a can of pineapple and reducing the syrup to about 1/3 cup.
Cream cheese. Definitely. I can’t imagine using any other type of frosting with this cake. No matter how much cheaper “generic brands” are– I’m sticking with Philadelphia Cream Cheese. The best.
The frosting recipes lists 20 ounces of unsalted butter and 20 ounces of cream cheese. Whoa! I stuck to two sticks of butter and two packages of cream cheese. That’s still a lot…
…and I used four cups of confectioners sugar, instead of five. Once the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla are creamed together, the cream cheese is slowly added.
Day-um! That’s a lot of frosting– and I might add– it’s so good! I have to wait at least two hours before frosting the cake. Tick, tock, tick, tock…
I love frosting, but I won’t lie– I had almost two cups of leftover frosting. It didn’t go to waste. It’s in the freezer, and I’ll use it for cupcakes, in the future. Waiting an hour for the frosting to set was torture, because the cinnamon aroma got my taste buds going!
Classic Hummingbird Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 2 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple in juice
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 15-ounces
- 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 large very ripe bananas peeled and mashed (2-cups)
- 1 1/2 cups pecans toasted and chopped
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FROSTING:
- 20 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (I used two sticks)
- 5 cups confectioners' sugar 20-ounces; (I used 4 cups)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 20 ounces cream cheese chilled and cut into 20 equal pieces (I used 2-packages)
- 1/2 cup pecans toasted and chopped
Instructions
Cake:
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F.
- Grease 2 light-colored 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans.
- Drain pineapple in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing to remove juice. Pour juice into small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes; set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in bowl.
- Whisk sugar and eggs together in separate large bowl; whisk in oil.
- Stir in bananas, pecans, vanilla, drained pineapple, and reduced pineapple juice.
- Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula.
- Bake until dark golden brown on top and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes (mine was ready in 45 minutes), rotating pans halfway through baking.
- Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 20 minutes.
- Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours.
Frosting:
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt together on low speed until smooth; continue to mix for 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
- Increase speed to medium-low, add cream cheese 1 piece at a time, and mix until smooth; continue to mix for 2 minutes.
- Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 2 cups frosting evenly over top, right to edge of cake.
- Top with second cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread 2 cups frosting evenly over top.
- Spread remaining frosting evenly over sides of cake. To smooth frosting, run edge of offset spatula around cake sides and over top.
- Sprinkle top of cake with pecans. Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour before serving. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
Notes
I'm a classic southern girl who loves this treat!!
Best,
Bonnie
I brought a coconut cake into work today and someone asked if it was hummingbird…my response was NO but I wish it was! So glad you posted this!
Oh man, Debby, I would have gladly taken that extra cake off your hands, this looks out of this world.
I so appreciate the time you took to share this with us. The excerpt from the magazine PLUS your tips are very helpful. I have a bunch of bananas on my counter and have always wanted to try this type of cake – going to do so now!!! Thank You!!!
I've heard of hummingbird cake but never knew what it was. I know I'd be eating half the cake if I had that in the house. It looks beautiful and sounds delicious.
I have always heard of hummingbird cake but have never had one…it sounds great.
Love carrot cake so I bet this would be just as delicious. I like that you shared your thoughts on the ingredients and frosting. Very helpful!
No doubt I will love this cake, Debby. Pineapple and bananas are a combination I haven't tried before. And cream cheese frosting is my fav. This sounds like the perfect Easter dessert.
I have seen hummingbird cakes quite often over the years, but never tried one. I'm not sure why not. I love bananas and pineapple. I might see a cake that looks like this one, mistake it for a carrot cake, and not touch it, so that might be part of the avoidance.
I hate too-ripe bananas too, but they are great to have around for cakes and bread and muffins and smoothies.
Such a beautiful cake. Blessings dear. Catherine
Well, that does it. I'm making this for my one year old's smash cake. I think she'll love it 🙂