This moist Hummingbird Cake will wow your family and friends! Made with bananas, pineapple and pecans, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting, it’s an American classic.
Hello hummingbird! ❤️
Have you ever had Hummingbird Cake before? It’s Ah-mazing.
A soft and moist banana cake loaded with pecans AND pineapple (I know right?) and topped with face-plant-worthy cream cheese frosting.
If you love banana cake, you will be ALL OVER this classic American cake. If not for the moist and flavourful cake, than for the rich cream cheese frosting. I could face plant into the bowl of frosting ALONE.
But once you put it all together? Heaven I tell you. I went one step further and made homemade pecan cookie crumbs to scatter on top. Because #yolo right?
I’ve mentioned to you before that I love one-layer cakes. I know layer cakes are all the rage right now but I feel like one layer cakes are often overlooked.
But to me, they’re baking old-school style and I love them.
So what can you expect with this gorgeous Hummingbird Cake? Well for one, a very moist cake, thanks to the banana. pineapple and oil. And there’s a surprising depth of flavour with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.
There’s a little crunch from the pecans INSDE the cake and then there’s that thick and luscious layer of cream cheese frosting. I mean really.
Butter, cream cheese, vanilla and sugar combine to make the most amazing frosting that pairs perfectly with the exotic flavours of the Hummingbird Cake.
The final touch for my Hummingbird Cake is a sprinkling of pecan cookie crumbs. They only take 10 minutes to make and honestly, they take this cake from good to great. They add a delicious crunch and so much nutty flavour.
They’re like crunchy shortbread pecan cookies. And I mean cake + frosting + cookies = heaven right? I can’t wait for you to try this one. Make sure you show me your photos on Instagram #sweetestmenu
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let's Bake
Hummingbird Cake
A beautiful moist Hummingbird Cake with cream cheese frosting and crunchy pecan cookie crumbs.
Ingredients
- 245 grams (1 and 3/4 cups) plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar
- 45 grams (1/4 cup) brown sugar
- 105 grams (1 cup) pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 cup mashed banana (approximately 2–3 overripe bananas)
- 275 grams (1 cup) tinned crushed pineapple in juice
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pecan cookie crumbs
- 105 grams (1 cup) pecans, finely chopped
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) plain flour
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornflour or cornstarch
- 60 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
Cream cheese frosting
- 60 grams (1/4 cup) butter, softened
- 250 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) full fat cream cheese, softened, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 435 grams (3 and 1/2 cups) icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line an 8-inch baking tin with baking or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, place flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, caster sugar and brown sugar. Add pecans. Stir briefly to combine.
- Mash bananas well with a fork and measure out 1 cup. Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients, add crushed pineapple and mashed banana. Add oil, eggs and vanilla.
- Use a spatula to gently fold ingredients together until wet and combined. Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for approximately 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Transfer cake to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the pecan cookie crumbs, add pecans, flour, sugar and cornflour to a medium mixing bowl. Pour over melted butter and stir until crumbs resemble wet sand.
- Line a baking tray with baking or parchment paper. Add cookie crumbs and spread into one even layer. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until just golden. Leave to cool completely.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, add butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and continue to beat until smooth.
- Add frosting to cake and use a small spatula to spread to the edges. Sprinkle over pecan cookie crumbs. Cut into slices and serve.
Nutrition Information
KEC says
This recipe is amazing. My entire family, even those that don’t usually like cake absolutely loved it. Definitely making this one again!!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! So happy to hear that!
Maggie says
Amazing cake loved it! And the pecan cookie crumbs were out of this world!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love hearing that Maggie!
Helen Kennedy says
I’ve just made this, it’s currently cooling. The pecan cookie crumbs are SO good and the batter tasted great when I scraped the bowl out. I used some mandarin infused olive oil which needed finishing, it was obvious in the batter, but I forgot the vanilla, so just a different flavour. It’s for my husband’s birthday today, we are having a Zoom party but the guests won’t be able to taste it!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you love the crumbles Helen, I hope you love the cake too!
Tracey says
I should try this before I comment I suppose, but I’m so excited just to have FOUND this recipe. I love banana cake, especially with nuts ( pecans are my fave), but I also have pineapple on hand, and my fave icing ever is cream cheese frosting! This cake just has to be divine!! I’ve never heard of hummingbird cake before. I’m definitely going to make this and will comment again later. Thank you SO much for posting.
I agree with you about one pan cakes. Just the right size, and easy and sort of old fashioned. I’m subscribing! 😀
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you found me Tracey – hope you love the cake!
Tracey says
I made it and I LOVED IT!!!!
It was so moist too.
My hubby really Really like it as well.
Thank you!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love hearing that!
Danielle says
Hi Jessica, this recipe looks unreal, can’t wait to try! I’m hoping to make it for my mum’s bday a day early, would you reckon leaving the icing and pecan cookie crumb off until the day of serving? Or would icing it the day before work out just fine? Thanks for your help!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Danielle, great question! I do recommend leaving the icing and cookie crumbs until that day of serving if you can. That way you don’t have to put the cake in the fridge and the cookie crumbs won’t go soggy. I hope your mum loves it!
Dany says
OMG! Delicious. Had a piece before my son swiped it and took it to home to flatmates. A big hit and I have forthwith ditched my regular banana cake for this. I didn’t have pecans so did the switch with shredded coconut and I was a whole cup of icing sugar short but was definitely sweet enough especially with the chopped naked ginger sprinkled very liberally over the top. Thank you for a great recipe. Off to try your vegan choc chip cookies now. So much for quitting sugar!!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Dany! Adding coconut sounds lovely.
Caitlin says
Keen to make this for a friend’s birthday on the weekend but they have requested a layer cake *cue eye-roll haha*. If I use 2x 8″ pans do you know what the approximate bake time would be?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Caitlin, it really depends how thick your cake layers are – my guess is around the 20 minute mark. Alternatively, you could bake it as one layer and then slice it in half once it is baked and cooled.