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. 😉
One reader, Maureen, commented: “I have always wanted to make a hummingbird cake but was intimidated by the instructions. When I saw this, I just had to make it. It was so easy and delicious. My neighbor also enjoyed this combination of pineapple, bananas, and pecans. I am so happy I made this cake and will definitely make it again… Thank you, Sally. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Sophia, commented: “This Bundt cake is amazing! The recipe is easy to follow and, as always, Sally’s extra hints are very helpful! We followed it as written and it baked up beautifully. The frosting and toasted pecans make it stand out! Perfect texture and the flavor combination makes you slow down and just savor every bite! ★★★★★“
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
After making at least half a dozen hummingbird Bundt cakes, my team and I are very happy with the final result. When I started developing this dessert recipe, I looked at a lot of other bakers’ recipes for hummingbird cake, as well as my own hummingbird cake recipe. For the most part, the recipes that exist online for the layer cake are all pretty similar. Here are the 4 notable changes I made for this Bundt cake variation, and why:
- Less banana: Our early attempts came out tasting kind of like banana bread, with some pineapple in it. While obviously I love banana bread, the banana flavor was overpowering everything else in this cake. Using equal amounts of banana, pineapple, and pecans in the batter results in a more balanced flavor profile, with no single flavor hogging the spotlight.
- Chopped pineapple instead of crushed: Most hummingbird cake recipes call for a can of crushed pineapple, but I prefer to chop it up myself. This way you can control how large you want the pieces to be, and choose whether you start with fresh pineapple, canned slices, or chunks/tidbits size. A couple spoonfuls of juice go in the batter, too, for even more moisture.
- Reduced the sugar: The majority of recipes seem to call for 2 cups of white sugar in the batter, but my taste testers and I thought this made the cake way too sweet. There’s a lot of natural sweetness coming from the pineapple and banana, so I reduced the amount of sugar. I also use some brown sugar, for a little extra moisture and that warm molasses flavor brown sugar provides (which pairs so well with the spice flavor).
- Added sour cream: This was a late addition in the recipe testing process, and my team and I could really taste the difference! Bundt cakes are generally pretty dense, and sour cream serves to lighten up the crumb.
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
To get the beautiful drippy look you see pictured here, beat together equal parts softened cream cheese and butter, then add in confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and—the surprise addition—a little warm milk. 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.
Finish with a sprinkle of toasted pecans, and this hummingbird cake is ready to fly… right off the cake stand! (The one pictured is this one. 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
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes (includes nuts)
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This hummingbird Bundt cake has all the main components of the original hummingbird layer cake: banana, pineapple, toasted pecans, a little spice, and cream cheese icing. This is a super plush cake with tons of textures and flavors to love (and minimal decorating required).
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (160g) chopped pecans, divided
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (230g) mashed banana (about 3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas)
- 1 cup (225g) finely chopped pineapple (canned or fresh, drained)
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 4 Tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2–3 Tablespoons (30–45ml) whole milk, slightly warmed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: pinch of cinnamon, to taste
Instructions
- Toast the pecans: 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.
- Make the cake: 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.
- Make the cream cheese icing: 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.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake 1 day in advance. Cool completely, cover tightly, and keep it at room temperature until ready to ice and serve. To freeze, cool cake completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature and bring to room temperature before icing and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | 10- to 12-cup Bundt Cake Pan (I like this one and this one) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Mini Bundt Pan: I don’t recommend using this batter for mini Bundts. The batter is too thick and chunky for the mini size.
- Nuts: Feel free to skip the pecans, or replace them with walnuts. No other changes necessary.
- Oil: This recipe is best with vegetable oil or canola oil. If you want to use coconut oil, melt it first, and be sure that all of the other ingredients are room temperature. Bake the batter right away, because as the coconut oil begins to cool and solidify, it thickens the batter and could result in an overly dense cake.
- Sour Cream: You can substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream, if needed.
- Can I Leave Out the Bananas? Instead of bananas, you can try applesauce and I’m sure shredded carrots would work as well (though I have not tested the carrots). Or you can make this pineapple carrot cake as a Bundt cake. See the recipe Notes in that recipe for making it a Bundt. It will still count as the challenge.
- More Topping Options: Brown butter icing from my peach Bundt cake; homemade whipped cream; brown sugar glaze from my apple Bundt cake; orange glaze from my cranberry orange Bundt cake
Reader Comments and Reviews
Yum! My husband thought this was a ramped up banana bread, I thought it was a sweet & slightly spiced Spring treat, and my kids thought it was just the best thing ever. We will definitely be enjoying this over and over.
Great recipe! This cake is like an elevated banana bread. I used crushed pineapple and it blended in perfectly.
Perfect for spring! Never made a Sally’s recipe I didn’t like and this cake is no different. All of my family loved this cake – it’s flavorful and complex without being fussy.
This hummingbird Bundt cake turned out amazing. It felt like a cross between banana bread and carrot cake. Incredibly moist and a great texture. The recipe was easy to follow. Was a hit for the whole family.
We loved the Hummingbird Cake! The recipe was straight forward and turned out perfectly. The cake was light and moist and the frosting was delicious.
My icing came out a little too thick but the end result was DELICIOUS!
This was easy & very delicious!
Delicious, moist banana forward hummingbird cake
This cake was so so good! It was lighter than banana bread with a subtle pineapple flavor. The added texture of the pineapple and pecans have it something extra. The frosting was a bit thin for my taste so I added extra powdered sugar. It was light and sweet but not overly so. Toasting the pecans is key and so easy. I’ll definitely be making this again soon! It’s perfect for Easter!
Easy and delicious. I used a food processor to mash the bananas and chop the pineapple at the same time, and therefore didn’t have big chunks of pineapple in my cake. We liked that the flavor was similar to a banana bread but the cream cheese frosting made it feel more like a dessert.
So simple and yummy!
An easy recipe that everyone loved!
This was a fun one! A lot of ingredients but very easy! You don’t even need a mixer! My 12 yo granddaughter helped, she is a much more natural baker than I am but figured got to start them early with Sally!
This was such a hit with the family, used a brown sugar glaze which brought it over the top!
I made this as a birthday cake. It was loved by all. The bananas, pineapple and pecans gave it nice sweetness, and the cream cheese icing was fabulous. Great recipe!
This is my first time making a cake like this! It’s like an elevated banana bread. It’s moist and delicious. Great both with and without the icing. 10/10 would make again
This was my first time making a Hummingbird Cake. It was pretty easy to make. Was done at 50 minutes. If I made it again I would add more pineapple.
This turned out nice and moist and with a wonderful flavor. The spices complimented the flavors very well. On the downside the banana bread flavor was present behind it all. I think I would love this with the applesauce since I don’t love banana bread and yet, would it really be hummingbird cake? I’m happy I tried this since I had this cake on my to do list for a couple of years. I also shared the recipe with my daughter who loves bb.
I made this cake and a chocolate bundt cake for a dinner at my church and it was COMPLETELY eaten up before the chocolate cake. I heard rave reviews from those who had it and requests to make it again! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Sally
I really love your recipes. I tried the Hummingbird cake recipe and it was too yummy. The cake came out a bit dry, not sure why. But everyone still loved it. The texture and the flavor was just too good. Looking forward for your more revipes
A hit with the family! So moist and the icing was a great addition!
Lovely recipe! I made it without pecans as I’m not a fan of nuts, but I can see how they would add some extra fun texture to the cake and will try adding them next time. I was worried the pineapple flavour would be overpowering but it wasn’t at all- it tasted more like a moist, tangy banana bread with some extra sweetness. Yum!
I liked how easy this recipe came together yet was something a bit different. I took it to a luncheon and everyone liked it. Thank you Sally!
This recipe was so easy and resulted in a really delicious cake! I love banana bread and was really pleased with the banana forward flavor. The only change I would make is to start with 1T of milk in the frosting as opposed to 2T. I found it a bit liquidy and would have benefited from less liquid to start.
What a super recipe Sally! Everyone LOVED it. Was fun to make, will be added to my favorites. Thanks for another terrific recipe .
All the flavor of a hummingbird cake and none of the fussiness. Moist and delightful!
I’m not usually big on pineapple and banana paired together, but I loved it so much that I used it for my birthday cake. It was like a Caribbean banana bread.
Delicious! This was a fun one to make and share with friends. I used canned pineapple but next time would try fresh for a stronger flavor.
So yummy! I loved how moist this cake was. And the frosting was amazing!