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
GREAT TASTEING CAKE. Easy to follow recipe.
Delicious! My 9 year old son baked this with a little assistance and it was a fun and great recipe. We didn’t change a thing!
I made this for a special friend’s birthday so I didn’t get to sample beforehand (well, except for the icing). I assure you it’s a winner – the smell alone was divine!! I plan to make another for my family. Sally’s recipes never dissapoint!!
If i could give 4.5 stars, i would! When people ask about my food intolerances, I always say, “No cilantro or bananas, please.” Cilantro (aka fresh coriander in the UK) because it tastes like soap to me (thanks, dad) and bananas because they are super gross. So, I’ve avoided making this classic American cake* for years because it relies on bananas and pineapple for moisture and flavor. Well, I had avoided making it until today. It’s the monthly baking challenge on the blog and I usually like the recipes there. Also, I was interested to read that she had worked to make this recipe less “banana forward.” Mom came over for dinner tonight, which gave me the excuse to bake it (I also made one for the office – sshhhh!). The texture of this cake is *very* good, I liked the toasted pecans, and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting was super light. I could still taste the banana, unfortunately, but it wasn’t oppressive. I’ll say 4/10 stars because I could taste the banana, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be! My mother, who loves banana gave it 5 stars.
This recipe is a keeper! I am usually more of a pie and pastry gal, but this cake is delicious! It is so moist and has amazing flavor combos with the pineapple, banana, and pecans! The cream cheese frosting adds a nice tang, but the cake could easily stand on its own!
I did some minor substitutions to make dairy-free (used a coconut based yogurt in place of the sour cream and used a cream cheese substitute in the frosting)- everything tasted great!
As a added bonus, the aroma of this recipe made my whole house smell delightful!
Moist, sweet and delicious. I served this at a dinner party and everyone asked for seconds.
This cake is delicious and easy to make. The extensive list of ingredients makes for a moist and tasty delight! I might have used a bunt pan that was too small as it baked over the edges and all over the bottom of the oven. Pay attention to the size of the pan you pour your batter into. Leave some space at the top for the cake to rise.
I made this recipe over the weekend and it was a huge hit! I subbed apple sauce for the vegetable oil and it turned out very delicious and the cream cheese frosting was 10/10 🙂 Thanks for yet another great recipe Sally!
As usual, super clear and helpful instructions and tips. This cake smells incredible while baking! My family all loved this cake! Delicious and flavorful! Perfect for spring, or anytime!
Absolutely delicious. Similar to carrot cake but with a tropical twist… an oh that glaze frosting. Just perfection.
Delicious! Omitted the pecans due to an allergy, turned out great. Good amount of icing.
What a great cake! Super moist and the icinig is amazing. Thank you
Very good recipe. Followed it as written and it came out perfectly. I would make extra icing next time just because it was so tasty.
This cake is delicious! I love how moist it is and the cinnamon cream cheese icing is so perfect for it!
This cake is just lovely. I love the spice cake fragrance and the icing is very yummy. It feels like a preview of Springtime!
Fun cake to make! It is moist, full of flavor and spot on taste with the balance of ingredients. Sally’s recipes are spot on…
The cake came out well, very moist and a great crumb. I do think the banana is overpowering. It’s more a banana cake with pineapple, than a hummingbird cake. But I could feel that way because I’m not the biggest fan of bananas. Lol. Don’t get me wrong, the cake tastes great! But next time I think I’ll use the applesauce alternative.
Very easy recipe to follow! Turned out well. Not one of my favorite recipes of Sally – but good! The icing was the star of the show!
The recipe was more banana forward than expected but still delicious! The cake was very moist and the icing was very good. My husband requested it on a carrot cake!
Excellent recipe! The only thing I changed was I doubled the icing and used heavy cream in lieu of warm milk bc my husband likes a lot of icing
Loved this recipe. Came together rather quickly. It was a hit!
Another absolutely amazing recipe! Baking it today really helped to bring spring into the house.
Perfect cake for a warm spring-like day! I even subbed in gluten-free flour and it came out perfectly!
Delicious! What a great cake for welcoming/wishing for spring!
A five star cake! As soon as I saw this cake pop into my emails, I knew I had to make it!! It was so simple and versatile. I swapped plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream and used toasted walnuts instead of pecans, as it’s what I had on hand. So delicious! Frosting yielded quite a bit, so I would do only half if you like a lightly frosted Bundt. Delicious! I think we have found one of our Easter desserts.
Great recipe for the hummingbird cake and I like the convenience of the bundt pan.
I baked this recipe and the flavor was great! It wasn’t too pineappley or too much banana. My husband said it kind of turned to mush in his mouth and it did in mine as well. The Bundt pan I used was a stone pampered chef Bundt pan and I’m thinking maybe the cake wasn’t fully cooked even though it looked done. It looked done by toothpick test and slices but is very moist. I’m thinking I should have used a metal pan instead and that was my own error. I think I had this happen the last time I used the stone Bundt. The icing was light and fluffy which paired great with this heavier cake. It was a nice cake overall and a nice revamp of the traditional hummingbird cake.
Love a different way to use ripe bananas with a twist of pineapple and pecans. The all spice and cinnamon give it a really nice flavor!
My mom makes a Hummingbird Cake by Southern Living, and this recipe really stands up to that one. It’s incredible moist, and I love the cream cheese frosting!