They say Hummingbird Cake originated in Jamaica and was named for their national bird. The recipe made its way to the US and Southerners took to it like a hummingbird to nectar. No wonder!
Hummingbird Cake is brimming with tropical fruity flavor! Fresh banana ensures a soft, moist crumb. Crushed pineapple and juice compliment the banana to create a tropical dream, accented with toasted walnuts and a hint of cinnamon spice. The only way to complete this three-layer show-stopper is to dress it with a thick layer of light, delicately sweetened Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting!
The Bananas
Use over-ripe bananas for the best Hummingbird Cake. Over-ripe bananas bring extra sweetness and a silky-smooth texture with just a few easy mashes of a fork. Make sure you have perfectly over-ripe bananas on hand when you need them by Freezing Over-Ripe Bananas. Freezing over-ripe bananas prevents tossing to the garbage this key fruity ingredient of so many yummy desserts (and smoothies – yum!). And you won’t wait the seemingly endless days watching your fresh storebought bananas slowly ripen to bake-ability.
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Hummingbird Cake
- Make sure to mash the bananas until smooth so that the sugars and flavor are spread evenly in the batter. No biting into a baked banana lump!
- Do NOT drain the pineapple juice. Add all of that sweet, yummy, vitamin C filled juiciness! This recipe calls for less sugar than most because the sweet fruits work their magic.
- Beat until just combined. Beating the batter too long will cause excessive gluten formation that can impact the final texture. You got this!
- Don’t skip toasting the walnuts to boost that nutty flavor! The walnuts are perfectly toasted when the walnut oil comes to their surface and starts bubbling. And they’ll exude an irresistible, toasted walnut aroma when they’re ready.
Garnish
Cake garnish is not just beautiful and delicious (and downright fun!). Garnish also lets guests know what they’re slicing before they enjoy their first sensational bite! For Hummingbird Cake, I choose dried banana chips, walnut halves, and dried pineapple chunks for several reasons:
- They represent the key flavors of Hummingbird Cake.
- They stand up over time. Even a couple of days later (if you’re able to hold onto a piece that long), the banana chips, walnut halves, and pineapple chunks pressed into the frosting are absolutely delicious and visually appealing! The texture may change slightly, but doesn’t lose its yum!
- These are all fantastic snacks to keep around the house. So why not have them on hand for garnish?
Hummingbird Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1¾ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 5 eggs
- 1¼ cups oil
- 1 cup mashed over-ripe banana
- 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Garnish
- walnut halves, dried banana chips, and dried pineapple chunks, if desired
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine dry ingredients (flour through cloves).
- In a separate large bowl, stir together eggs, oil, bananas, pineapple, and vanilla.
- With the mixer set on low speed, add fruit mixture slowly to dry ingredients.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase speed just until all ingredients are combined. Stir in walnuts.
- Pour equal amounts of batter into three prepared 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until done.
- Let cool in pans for about five minutes. Loosen edges of cakes quickly with a plastic knife (rather than metal to prevent damage to the pans).
- Invert one cake layer onto a parchment covered plate. Remove wax/parchment paper round, and top with another layer in the same way. Repeat. Cover layered cakes with a cake carrier lid until cool. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to frost.
- Frost with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting and garnish as desired.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat cream cheese with a whisk attachment in an electric mixer until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl thoroughly.
- Slowly add sugar while continuing to beat. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl thoroughly.
- Continue to whip while slowly pouring in the whipping cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl regularly during this process.
- Add vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, taking care not to overbeat.
