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
I loved the flavors of this recipe and the moist cake. For baking in a deep bundt pan, I reduced the temp to 325° because I know my oven. It is an easy and delicious recipe that is sure to be a hit. I browned my butter to make a brown butter cream cheese frosting, which has a wonderful flavor.
This recipe turned out perfect! I accidentally added a bit more pineapple and chose to add the pecans into the cake. It was delicious!
Used applesauce instead of bananas and nice moist cake.
Beautiful cake. Can’t wait to cut into it for our Easter celebration.
Easy recipe to complete. My house smells amazing! Will definitely make it again.
Excellent cake and I am usually not a bundt cake fan. This cake turned out very moist, soft and just in time for Easter. It’s great to have recipes that you can trust to turn out well the first time around. Made as written and only addition was blue coloring in the icing to go with Easter sprinkles on the top. As for Easter morning, I HAVE to make those lemon sweet rolls once again!
Absolutely amazing!
Hummingbird cake is my absolute favorite, and this one did not disappoint! The icing was perfect for the cake.
This was an easy recipe to make. I greased the pan with shortening and floured it and it came out very well. The frosting is nice and light and not too sweet. Delicious cake.
Have always wanted to make a hummingbird cake I had a vision and totally ignored/missed the “not recommended for minis” oops lol. But my bad is still delicious but some pouring makes sense now. What a fun recipe to get spice cake in the Spring!
Such an impressive end result and it was super delicious! The pecan nuts and cream cheese frosting just make it even better!
Cake turned out wonderful. Easy to make, perfect for Easter.
The Hummingbird Cake was so easy to make and it turned out delicious.
Although this recipe did take some time to put together, it is a great recipe!
A definite keeper. So moist and delicious
This cake is AMAZING!!! So moist, full of taste & texture, and super easy to bake.
My family absolutely loved this recipe! It was not overly sweet. The crunch from the pecans, sweet pineapple chunks, and the tanginess from the cream cheese made this a 10/10. I will be making this for Easter!
My husband loved this recipe! The cream cheese icing is wonderful as I don’t care for super sweet icings….the cake is moist and it’s like eating 3 cakes (carrot/spice, banana and pineapple)in one!
Delicious!!!! The perfect dessert for an Easter meal!
Really delicious and easy to make!
I’ve made other Hummingbird cake recipes before and this was definitely a winner! Great texture, holds up well to the bundt shape but is still nice and soft.
I really liked this recipe! It is super moist and the cinnamon in the icing gives it a little extra
Delicious and easy to make! As others have noted, banana seems to be the dominant flavor, but it mellowed out on day 2. The cream cheese frosting is really good, but I’m not sure it was necessary. I received many compliments on this bake!
I loved the flavour combination of pineapple and pecan, never tried this before and its really delicious. The icing/frosting compliments this really well too.
This was easy to make but looks like it was hard
Great recipe! Was super moist and everyone loved it. I made it to bring to church and it was a big hit. Turned out beautifully and didn’t stick to the pan, which is always a plus.
This was delicious! This was my first time making a hummingbird cake and I loved the moistness, fruity flavor, and spice! My family devoured it in about 3 days flat!
I have made Sally’s hummingbird layer cake before and it is always a hit with everyone! But I love to use my Bundt pan, and I love the simplicity of this cake in the Bundt form. It was easy to make and had a beautiful texture, with all the delicious tidbits inside. The frosting is also easy and so yummy. My whole family gives it 5 stars!
My husband, who is a chocolate cake fan, and I, who like but don’t love pineapple, are completely astonished at how good this cake is. The crumb is so tender, the pineapple is there but not in our face, The banana is gentle but flavorful, and the nuts add a lovely crunch. And then there is the icing. My husband is not an icing guy, but this cream cheese frosting is perfect for this cake – smooth, creamy, not overpowering. We both enjoyed it. I tend to write “Super Favorite” on recipes I love and want to make again (and for company), and “Super Favorite” will definitely go on this recipe. I want another piece of it right now, but I’m not going to do it. 🙂
I have baked the alternative recipe, perfect for Easter. I am happy with these soft and delicate Angel cupcakes. Muchos besos. Gracias!
This was delicious!! My whole team at work inhaled it.