Southern Hummingbird Cake Recipe (2024)

In this post I’ll be sharing the classic Southern Hummingbird Cake Recipe.

The South is known for it’s delicious foods and the desserts are no exception. Hummingbird Cake is a Southern classic. A Hummingbird Cake is a moist, dense and delicious dessert comprised of three delectable layers topped with a rich cream cheese frosting.

It is unbeknownst to me how this cake got its name although there are several stories. Some say the cake was so sweet it attracts hummingbirds, while others claim it got its name because it is so delicious that you hum with delight after each bite.

A cake with ingredients that include bananas, pineapple and pecans I prefer to think it was the latter of the two tales.

Southern Hummingbird Cake from Scratch

Five Tips for Baking a Hummingbird Cake

• Always preheat your oven when baking unless the recipe says otherwise
• Make sure ingredients, such as eggs, cream cheese and butter are room temperature
• Prepare pans well by greasing with vegetable shortening and dusting with flour to prevent sticking
• Scrape the bowl well when preparing a batter or frosting to make sure all ingredients are incorporated
• When removing cakes from the pan to cool, turn upside down on the cooling rack to flatten the top

Southern Cake Recipe

Adapted and very slightly altered of the original version that appears in Southern Living

Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour
• Granulated Sugar
• Salt
• Baking Soda
• Ground Cinnamon
• Eggs
• Vegetable Oil
• Vanilla Extract
• Crushed Pineapple with Juice
• Chopped Ripe Bananas
• Chopped Pecans
• Vegetable Shortening and Flour, for dusting the pans

Frosting

• 2 8 oz Packages of Softened Cream Cheese
• 2 Sticks of Softened Butter
• 32 oz Confectioners Sugar
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Pecan Halves and Chopped Pecans for garnish, if desired

Old Fashioned Homemade Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl: Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.

Next add the eggs and vegetable oil to the flour mixture and stir until incorporated.

For Step 3: Lastly, stir in the vanilla, pineapple, bananas and chopped pecans.

Next: Divide the batter evenly into 3 nine inch prepared cake pans.

5th Step: Bake 25-30 minutes or until set when a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes and then remove to wire cooling racks. Cool upside down to flatten the tops of the cakes for one hour.

To Prepare the Frosting:

Beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium low until smooth. Gradually add the powder sugar on low blending after each addition until all has been incorporated. Increase speed to medium high and mix until fluffy.

Frost between layers when assembling the cake and cover the top and sides with remaining frosting. Garnish with pecan halves and chopped pecans, if desired.

Best Hummingbird Cake

Southern Hummingbird Cake Recipe

Shared at Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday

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Thank you so much for stopping by! I am so happy that you did. I know you’ll love this amazing dessert just as much as we do.

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Until next time, Love and Happy Cooking, Friend!

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