Hummingbird Cake: Sweet, Southern, and Just A Bit Sinful

Posts on Happily Homegrown contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase through an affiliate link, your price will be the same, but Happily Homegrown will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

I have a sweet tooth.  Its not a big surprise if you know me.  I think a little bit of sugar can make anything better, and dessert is used to celebrate everything from birthdays and holidays, to great report cards and “just because days”.  Growing up, any time we’d visit Granny Mitchell, there was always cakes, pies, or cookies ready to go out for company.  This cake, while not her recipe, reminds me of her and the type of things she would make for when we came to visit.

This Hummingbird Cake is sweet, southern, and just a little bit sinful.  Four delicious layers of cake alternating with tangy cream cheese frosting.  Its perfect with a cup of hot tea after a delicious meal, but I may just have a slice for breakfast too – it does have bananas, pineapple, eggs, and cream cheese after all, and those are breakfast ingredients too!

Hummingbird Cake

2 sticks of softened butter
2 cups of sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup milk, with 1 tsp lemon juice
4 bananas, mashed
8oz of crushed pineapple

Preheat your oven to 350°. Prepare two 8″ round cake pans with a coating of shortening or non-stick spray.

Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Add the vanilla and eggs, and beat until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.

Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk, beating just long for everything to be incorporated.

Next, beat in the banana & pineapple.

Fill your pans evenly, and then slam the pans on the counter to get the air bubbles out. This will also help your cakes to bake more evenly.

Bake at 350° for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when you test your cakes.

Allow to cool completely. Then split each cake into 2 layers. Frost the cake with cream cheese frosting, and build your layer cake. Garnish the sides of your cake with chopped pecans. Allow to chill for at least an hour before serving so the layers stay together when the cake is sliced.

If you are lucky enough to have four 8″ round pans, you can split the batter into the four pans and bake for 25 minutes, saving the step of splitting the layers.

When my son saw me take the cake our of the fridge, he exclaimed that is was so beautiful!  His eyes almost popped out of his head seeding all those layers.  And then, when he got to taste it, there was a chorus of yummy noises for him, and his siblings. 

Print

Hummingbird Cake

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 2 sticks of softened butter
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup milk with 1 tsp lemon juice
• 4 bananas mashed
• 8 oz of crushed pineapple

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Prepare two 8″ round cake pans with a coating of shortening or non-stick spray.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Add the vanilla and eggs, and beat until fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.
4. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk, beating just long for everything to be incorporated.
5. Next, beat in the banana & pineapple.
6. Fill your pans evenly, and then slam the pans on the counter to get the air bubbles out. This will also help your cakes to bake more evenly.
7. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when you test your cakes.
8. Allow to cool completely. Then split each cake into 2 layers. Frost the cake with cream cheese frosting, and build your layer cake. Garnish the sides of your cake with chopped pecans. Allow to chill for at least an hour before serving so the layers stay together when the cake is sliced.

Recipe Notes

If you are lucky enough to have four 8″ round pans, you can split the batter into the four pans and bake for 25 minutes, saving the step of splitting the layers and cutting back on the baking time.

Print

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter softened
• 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese softened
• 2 lbs confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1-2 tbsp milk
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt. Add two cups of the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Add more powdered sugar, and beat until fluffy. Continue adding sugar in doses until it has all been incorporated. If your frosting is too stiff, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency has been reached.
2. Frost your cake, and store any leftover frosting in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.