With its signature flavors of banana, pineapple, pecans, and spice, this hummingbird Bundt cake will fly your tastebuds off to someplace warm and sunny. Top with a cinnamon-spiced cream cheese icing and more toasted pecans for a cake that will disappear as quickly as the bird it’s named after. 😉
There are lots of fantastic recipes out there for hummingbird cake, and they’re all pretty similar. I adapted this Bundt cake variation from Southern Living‘s ever-popular recipe. It has all the main components of the classic hummingbird layer cake:
- Banana
- Pineapple
- Toasted pecans
- A little spice
- Cream cheese icing
…but in Bundt form. This is a super plush cake with tons of textures and flavors to love (and minimal decorating required). Here is my hummingbird layer cake if you ever want to try it, too!
FAQ: Why Is It Called Hummingbird Cake?
When I first began making this cake from scratch, I was curious about its name and origins. The cake flavor originated in Jamaica. A version of the recipe was published by Southern Living magazine in the late 1970s, which led to the cake’s popularity in the American South. Now hummingbird cake is often referred to as a Southern classic. And as for its name, the cake was named for Jamaica’s national bird!
Hummingbird Bundt Cake Ingredients:
- Pecans: Toast them first. It makes a world of difference, trust me! I always recommend this for carrot cake, too. You’ll use some in the batter and the rest as garnish on top.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this cake.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder: We’re using both leaveners here, for double-duty to lift up this naturally heavy cake.
- Cinnamon + Allspice: These warm spices pair beautifully with the banana and pineapple.
- Salt: A little salt balances the sweet.
- Eggs (from chickens, not hummingbirds!): Eggs bind all the ingredients together.
- Vegetable Oil: A neutral-tasting oil makes this cake wonderfully moist while letting its main flavors shine.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream lightens up the crumb of this cake, so it isn’t overly dense.
- Granulated Sugar + Brown Sugar: A mix of both sugars sweetens the cake.
- Vanilla: Flavor-enhancer extraordinaire!
- Bananas: You want the super-ripe, brown and spotty ones like you use for banana cake. You can also use thawed, previously frozen bananas. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
- Pineapple + Juice: You can use fresh or canned pineapple in this cake. Finely chop it, and include a little pineapple juice in the batter, too.
Behind the Recipe Testing
I like to use pineapple chunks. Finely chop them on a cutting board. You can use canned or fresh:
The batter is thick and textured. Use a Bundt pan that holds 10 to 12 cups of batter, such as this one or this one. Because Bundt cake pans vary so much in depth and shape, the bake time will differ. I recommend you begin checking it at 50 minutes. It will most likely need more time, so continue checking every 3 minutes or so. My hummingbird Bundt cakes all took about 58 minutes.
Cinnamon-Spiced Cream Cheese Icing
. This makes a cream cheese icing that is just the right consistency for decorating this hummingbird Bundt cake. I also stir in a sprinkle of cinnamon for an extra kiss of spice, but that’s completely optional.
Spoon the icing over the cake slowly; it will begin to drip down the sides, and you can use the spoon to help guide it where you want it to go.
. It’s beautiful in person!) You could also decorate the iced cake with coconut, like I do with this coconut Easter cake.
Hummingbird Bundt Cake Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread the chopped pecans on the sheet and toast for 7–8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Turn the oven temperature up to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, pineapple juice, and sour cream together until combined. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Whisk or fold in the banana, pineapple, and 1 cup (130g) of the pecans.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold with a silicone spatula until combined. Batter is thick. Spoon/pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
- Bake for 55–60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean with just a couple lightly moist crumbs.
- Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 hour in the pan set on a wire rack. Then invert the slightly cooled Bundt cake onto a serving plate/cake stand. Allow to cool for at least 1 more hour before icing. Cake can still be slightly warm when icing it.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and 2 Tablespoons (30ml) of warm milk. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until completely combined and smooth. Stir in cinnamon, if using. Thin out with 1 more Tablespoon of milk, if desired (I usually do). Spoon the icing over the top of the cake, and sprinkle with the remaining toasted pecans.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to bring it to room temperature before serving.
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