Hummingbird Bundt Cake
This hummingbird bundt cake is a no-fuss version of my hummingbird layer cake and is closer to the original Jamaican recipe. It's moist and packed with real banana flavor, crushed pineapples, and pecans, then soaked in a pineapple-rum simple syrup and topped with a lemon glaze.
Since this recipe trades traditional cream cheese icing for a simple glaze, you can skip the refrigerator for any leftovers and store them on the countertop, making this not only the best hummingbird cake recipe ever but also the easiest!
If you love hummingbird cake, chances are you also love carrot cake! Try out this carrot layer cake or this carrot bundt cake if you want to keep things simple!
Recipe Overview: Hummingbird Bundt Cake
✅ Recipe Name: Hummingbird Bundt Cake
🕒 Ready In: 20 minutes
👪 Serves: 12
🍽 Calories: 554 calories (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: flour, bananas, pineapple, pecans, butter, eggs, sugar, rum
👌 Difficulty: Easy!
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Why You'll Love This Bundt Cake
- This easy hummingbird cake recipe is quicker and less intensive compared to a hummingbird layer cake.
- It's closer to the cake's Jamaican roots since it's not a layer cake. I even added a dark rum simple syrup!
- It doesn't need to be refrigerated! This moist hummingbird cake recipe cake stays soft and moist for days on the counter.
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Key Ingredients
Bananas. The primary flavor of a classic hummingbird cake, but also the main ingredient that gives this cakes it's soft and tender texture. Puree the bananas for a smooth batter. Choose overripe bananas with at least some black spots. These will have the strongest banana flavor.
Pineapples. Canned crushed pineapples are drained and folded into the batter for a sweet and tropical flavor. The juice is used in the pineapple-rum simple syrup.
Pecans. Folded into the cake batter along with the crushed pineapples. Use finely ground pecans to avoid a cake that feels like eating around an obstacle course.
All-purpose flour. Has enough gluten to hold the cake together. Because the bananas lighten the cake's texture, there is no need for cake flour.
Dark brown sugar. Complements the warm flavors of the cinnamon, browned butter, and rum in the cake. Brown sugar also gives the cake a moister texture.
Greek yogurt. Whole milk Greek yogurt adds more fat to the cake, tenderizing the cake and making it more moist.
Vegetable oil. The primary source of fat in this cake. Oil helps the cake stay soft. Use a neutral-flavored oil like canola oil or grapeseed oil so it doesn't distract from the tropical flavors of the cake.
Unsalted butter. Butter is browned before being incorporated into the cake to deepen the flavor. Milk powder is optional, but can be added when browning the butter for additional flavor.
Spices and flavorings. Cinnamon, vanilla extract & coconut extract are used in the batter. After the cake is done, rum is incorporated into the simple syrup.
How to Make a Hummingbird Bundt Cake
- Step 1: Drain the crushed pineapples and save the juice.
- Step 2: Brown the butter.
- Step 3: Mix the eggs, oil, butter, brown sugar, and extracts.
- Step 4: Add all the other ingredients, pour into a bundt pan, and bake for 38 minutes.
- Step 5: Make the pineapple-rum simple syrup and spoon it over the hummingbird bundt cake.
- Step 6: Pour the lemon glaze over the bundt cake and enjoy!
FAQs
Hummingbird cake is a banana-pineapple cake with pecans folded in. Think of it as banana bread with an upgrade.
It's also called "doctor-bird cake," its original name inspired by Jamaica's national bird, the Doctor bird (a type of hummingbird).
No, but browned butter will give the hummingbird cake a deeper and warmer flavor. Check out this post for a detailed step-by-step on how to brown butter. If you opt not to brown the butter, just melt the butter before incorporating it into the cake batter.
Bananas with at least a couple of black spots are best, and my go-to's for baking and desserts. Since much of the starch has been converted to sugar, the cake has a more potent banana flavor and also gives it a soft texture, like in this banana caramel cake.
Bananas that are completely black will also work as long as they don't feel liquid under the skin. A liquidy banana indicates that the sugar has started to convert to alcohol. This can impart an unpleasant, fermented flavor to the cake.
Ainseanlea's Top Tips
- Use metric measurements. Baking by weight gives more consistent and replicable results compared to using measuring cups, which can vary with each measurement.
- Spray the bundt pan really well. The more intricate the pattern on the bundt pan, the more diligent you should be when spraying with baking spray or brushing with another cake release to guarantee seamless release.
- Spoon the pineapple-rum simple syrup over the bundt cake fresh out of the oven. This allows the syrup to soak into the cake more readily. Make sure to spoon the simple syrup along the edges, too.
- Wait until the cake is completely cooled before adding the lemon glaze. Pouring the lemon glaze on the cake while it's warm will melt the glaze and cause it to slide right off.
- Release the bundt cake from the pan while it's still slightly warm. Bundt cakes release most easily when warm, but having it open to the elements to completely cool can dry it out. Instead, at least 10-15 minutes after applying the simple syrup, when you can comfortably touch the pan barhanded, invert it onto your desired cake stand or plate to release the cake. Keep the bundt pan inverted over the cake to prevent the cake from drying out. It should have a tiny gap between the cake and the pan to avoid the cake adhering again.
More Bundt Cake Recipes You'll Love!
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Easy Hummingbird Bundt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Mix the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.275 grams all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Drain the can of crushed pineapples through a strainer, saving the juice. Press the pineapples gently with a spoon to expel any excess pineapple juice. Set aside 2 ounces (¼ cup) of the pineapple juice for the pineapple-rum simple syrup later.1 eight-oz can crushed pineapples
- Puree the ripe bananas and the greek yogurt until completely smooth and set aside.250 grams ripe bananas, 170 grams Greek yogurt
- Brown the butter. Melt the unsalted butter in a stainless steel pan then add the milk powder(if using). Brown the butter until the milk solids and the milk powder are golden brown. Be sure to constantly stir the butter, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula to keep the milk solids moving around and prevent them from burning. Once the butter has stopped sputtering and the milk solids are golden brown, remove the pan from the heat immediately.85 grams unsalted butter, 2 tablespoon milk powder
- Add the dark brown sugar, melted browned butter, oil, eggs, vanilla extract and coconut extract to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until smooth.240 grams dark brown sugar, 170 mL canola oil, 3 large eggs, 1½ tablespoon vanilla extract, 1½ teaspoon coconut extract
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and alternate adding the dry ingredients and banana/greek yogurt mixture set aside earlier to the mixing bowl in 2 increments. Mix only until there are no more dry spots.
- Add the drained crushed pineapple set aside earlier along with the crushed pecans and using a spatula, gently fold them in by hand to evenly incorporate. Use the spatula to break up large clumps of crushed pineapple as needed and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to get any ingredients that may not have been incorporated with your mixer.56 grams pecans, crushed finely
- Prepare a 10-cup bundt pan with baking spray (a 12-cup bundt pan will also work).
- Pour the hummingbird cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake at 325°F for 38-45 minutes or until the cake springs back easily after being lightly pressed. The cake batter fills the pan about three-quarters of the way. Don't be alarmed. This cake has a gentle rise. Note: the simple syrup should be added while the hummingbird bundt cake is still warm since liquid soaks more easily into a warm/hot cake.
- Add 2 ounces (a quarter cup) of the drained pineapple juice set aside earlier, the dark rum (or rum extract) and the granulated sugar to a small bowl and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Microwave the syrup for 15-20 seconds at a time as needed to help the sugar dissolve.56 mL pineapple juice, 1 tablespoon dark rum, 56 grams granulated sugar
- Using a skewer, poke holes into the hummingbird bundt cake all the way through to the bottom.
- Spoon the pineapple-rum simple syrup over the bundt cake while it is still warm, being sure to get along the edges. Cover the bundt pan with a plate or plastic wrap and allow the pineapple-rum syrup to soak into the cake completely as it cools.
- Invert the bundt pan onto a cake stand or other serving plate once the cake has completely cooled.
- Add the confectioner's sugar, warm water and lemon juice to a small bowl and whisk until smooth.290 grams confectioner's (powdered) sugar, 2 tablespoon warm water, 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Add the melted butter and whisk again until completely incorporated.28 grams unsalted butter, melted
- Pour the glaze over the cooled hummingbird bundt cake and serve. Store any leftovers in a semi-sealed container like a cake dome or wrapped in foil/plastic wrap. This cake doesn't have to be refrigerated.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients, with the exception of the butter, which is incorporated while warm after being browned.
- Make the glaze only once you are ready to top your hummingbird bundt cake. The glaze forms a crust and thickens slightly as it cools, so it won't run down the cake as smoothly if made in advance.
- Release the bundt cake from the pan while it's still slightly warm. This is when it will release the easiest, but you also want to avoid having it open to the elements to completely cool, since this can dry it out. Instead, at least 10-15 minutes after applying the simple syrup, when you can comfortably touch the pan barhanded, invert the pan onto your desired cake stand or plate to release the cake. Keep the bundt pan inverted over the cake until it is completely cool. It should have a tiny gap between the cake and the pan to avoid the cake adhering again.
That is a scrumptious taste of goodness. I meant to just have little taste, but the next thing I knew, I had eaten the entire slice. It was delicious! Can’t wait to have another slice.
I made this cake for freindsgiving and everyone loved it!! It is so moist and the flavor is unbelievable. I like that the pineapple chunks are drained before adding to the batter. This made it so the pineapple didn't feel "wet" in the cake once it was baked. One of my friends is pregnant so I skipped the rum in the simple syrup and added a little almond extract instead and it was perfect. There were no leftovers!!