Old-Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe
If you love a classic carrot cake recipe, you'll love this old-fashioned hummingbird cake recipe! This ultra-moist banana spice cake is packed with crushed pineapples & pecans, soaked in pineapple-rum syrup, and layered with cream cheese frosting! If you're going to make a hummingbird cake, make this one!
My version gives an extra nod to the original hummingbird cake's Jamaican roots by using Jamaican dark rum in a syrup that soaks into the layers. It deepens the flavor, makes the sweet tropical notes pop, and turns this unassuming banana pineapple cake into a work of art that's just begging to be the centerpiece on your dessert table!
For more banana recipes be sure to try my banana snickerdoodles, my banana caramel cake or my crowd-favorite banana pudding cheesecake!
Recipe Overview: Old-Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Old-Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe
🕒 Ready In: 4½ hours (only 30 minutes active prep)
👪 Servings: 12-16 slices
🍽 Calories: 825 calories estimated per party slice
🥣 Main Ingredients: bananas, pineapple, pecans, coconut extract, spices, flour, eggs, butter, sugar, rum, cream cheese
👌 Difficulty: Medium
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Why This Is The Best Hummingbird Cake Recipe Ever
- The pineapple-rum simple syrup is a game changer! It makes the cake layers incredibly moist and gives it more depth, seriously upgrading this old-fashioned hummingbird cake recipe!
- It stays soft & moist for days even out of the refrigerator! Enjoy this hummingbird cake cold, at room temperature, or even a little warm with a zap in the microwave.
- Brown butter! It complements the warm spices and intensifies all the flavors in the cake. It's my favorite hack to elevate desserts. I use it in my banana cookies too!
Don't just take my word for it, one reader says:
"★★★★★ I honestly don't know where to start. The rum simple syrup, the perfectly balanced cream cheese frosting, the crumb/moisture of the actual cake. This was a heavenly experience. If you're on the fence if this recipe is worth it, this recipe is absolute perfection!"
- Rebecca
Jump to:
- Recipe Overview: Old-Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe
- Why This Is The Best Hummingbird Cake Recipe Ever
- Key Ingredients
- How to Make an Upgraded Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe
- Substitutions and Variations
- FAQs
- Ainseanlea's Top Cake Tips
- More Layer Cakes You'll Love!
- Old-Fashioned Hummingbird Cake with an Easy Upgrade
Key Ingredients
Bananas. The primary flavor of the hummingbird cake, and it also gives it its soft texture. Choose ripe or overripe bananas with at least some black spots for a sweeter and more intense banana flavor, and puree them for a smooth batter. Banana lover? You'll also love my moist banana cake.
Pineapple. Drain canned crushed pineapples and use the pineapples in the hummingbird cake batter, and the juice for the simple syrup.
Pecans. Traditionally used in an old-fashioned hummingbird cake recipe, but you can substitute for other nuts. Crush them finely or pulse in a food processor for a smoother batter that's not too much of an obstacle course.
Greek yogurt. Use full-fat or whole milk Greek yogurt to help carry the flavors and keep the cake moist & tender.
Dark brown sugar. Complements the tropical and warm flavors of the cake and also makes the hummingbird cake more moist.
All-purpose flour. Has enough gluten to hold the cake together. Bananas have an enzyme that tenderizes the cake, so there's no need for cake flour here.
Fat. Brown butter for a deep, extra nutty flavor and oil to keep the cake soft even after refrigerating. Check out this step-by-step tutorial on how to brown butter. Be sure to use a neutral oil like canola, avocado, or grapeseed so it doesn't clash with the flavors of the cake.
Coconut extract. Brings a sweet & concentrated yet subtle coconut flavor to the cake. Used in lieu of coconut flakes, which can make the cake texture too busy.
Cream cheese for the frosting. Use full-fat cream cheese; reduced fat will have a softer texture and make the frosting harder to work with.
How to Make an Upgraded Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe
- Step 1: Drain the pineapples & save the juice.
- Step 2: Brown the butter!
- Step 3: Mix the butter, oil, eggs, sugar, and extracts.
- Step 4: Alternate the dry ingredients with blended yogurt and bananas, then fold in the pecans and drained pineapples.
- Step 5: Pour the batter into 3 pans and bake at 325°F for about 35 minutes.
- Step 6: Make the pineapple-rum syrup and spoon it over the warm cakes. It really levels up this old-fashioned hummingbird cake recipe!
- Step 7: Cover with plastic wrap and allow the cake to completely cool.
- Step 8: Make the cream cheese frosting
- Step 9: Layer the cake layers with the frosting and decorate your hummingbird layer cake as desired.
Substitutions and Variations
- No rum? No problem! Skip the dark rum in the simple syrup entirely or swap it for 2 teaspoons of rum extract or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract for that deep, warm flavor sans alcohol.
- Swap the pecans for other nuts (walnuts and pistachios fit well). You can also just omit them from the batter too and/or add shredded coconut instead for a little textural interest!
- Want something lower-effort with the same flavor? Make my hummingbird bundt cake. It's an easy hummingbird cake made in one pan with a hand-whisked glaze. All the flavors of an old-fashioned hummingbird cake recipe, no layering required!
FAQs
Hummingbird cake is a banana-pineapple cake originating from Jamaica in 1971. The original Jamaican hummingbird cake recipe is a single-layer or bundt cake without frosting; however, the adapted recipe popularized by Southern Living magazine in 1978 transformed the original into a layer cake with cream cheese frosting.
Both of these refer to the same cake, although someone who says doctor bird cake may be referring to the simpler, original version. Doctor bird cake is simply the original name of the Jamaican hummingbird cake recipe, named for Jamaica's national bird, the swallowtail hummingbird, affectionately called the Dr. Bird.
You can, but canned crushed pineapple is more convenient since they are guaranteed to be ripe & sweet and gives you enough juice for the pineapple simple syrup to upgrade the old-fashioned hummingbird cake recipe.
Freezing is the best option if you plan to assemble the cake more than 2 days after baking. Wrap the still-warm cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 1 month. Use at least 2-3 layers of plastic wrap to ensure the cakes don't absorb any other food odors. When ready to decorate, thaw the cake layers, bringing them to room temperature before applying the simple syrup and assembling the cake. Warm the simple syrup before applying so it soaks in more readily.
If you'll decorate the cake within 2 days, there's no need to freeze. Apply the syrup to the cake layers while warm and then press plastic wrap to the surface of the cake layers, tucking in any extra to the sides to fully seal it and stop any moisture escaping as steam. You can keep the layers like this on your counter for up to 2 days until you're ready to decorate!
Absolutely! You can completely assemble and decorate the cake up to 2 days in advance and store it in the freezer. Fill and cover the cake with the cream cheese frosting - this will prevent the cake layers from drying out. I also recommend a cake dome as an extra precaution so the frosting doesn't absorb odors from your fridge.
Ainseanlea's Top Cake Tips
- Use a kitchen scale. Measuring in grams gives the most precise and consistent results. If you insist on using measuring cups, make sure you spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level with a straight edge to avoid packing and using too much flour. On the other hand, you should pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup.
- Use an oven thermometer. Ovens can have hotspots and/or run hotter or cooler than the displayed reading. An oven thermometer ensures that you are baking at the correct temperature.
- Don't plan to finish it all in one day. Layer cakes can take a bit of effort, so I like to pace myself and bake the cake layers the day before I plan to assemble them. This also makes sure the layers are completely cool so your frosting doesn't slide off and particularly for this old-fashioned hummingbird cake recipe, it gives all the flavors time to deepen so your cake will just plain taste better!
More Layer Cakes You'll Love!
Tried this recipe? Please leave a comment with a star rating. I love hearing your feedback, and it greatly helps me improve recipes for you!
Old-Fashioned Hummingbird Cake with an Easy Upgrade
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Mix the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.370 grams all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 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 the pineapple juice for the pineapple-rum simple syrup later.one 8 oz can crushed pineapples
- Puree the ripe bananas and the Greek yogurt until completely smooth and set aside.330 grams ripe bananas, pureed, 225 grams plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- Melt the unsalted butter in a stainless steel pan then add the milk powder. Brown the butter until the milk solids and the milk powder are golden to medium 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 brown, remove the pan from the heat immediately. The butter will continue to brown even once removed. This is fine, don't panic. Allow the brown butter to cool slightly so that it doesn't scald the eggs in the next step.113 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.315 grams dark brown sugar, 225 grams neutral-flavored oil, 4 large eggs, 1½ tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoon coconut extract
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and alternate adding the flour mixture and banana/greek yogurt mixture set aside earlier. Add them to the mixing bowl in 3 increments. Mix only until there are no more dry spots.
- Add the drained crushed pineapple set aside earlier and the crushed pecans. 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.85 grams pecans
- Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with baking spray and parchment paper. Divide the cake batter equally among the three pans. Bake at 325°F for 34-40 minutes or until the cake springs back easily after being lightly pressed.
- Once the cake layers are done, remove the pans from the oven and allow the layers to cool slightly. While the cake layers cool, prepare the pineapple rum simple syrup.The simple syrup should be added to the cake layers while they are still hot/slightly warm.
- Add 4 ounces (½ cup) of the pineapple juice set aside earlier, the dark rum, and the granulated sugar to a small bowl and mix until the sugar is dissolved. If you have less than 4 oz of pineapple juice, you can top it up with water.115 grams pineapple juice, 115 grams granulated sugar, 2 tablespoon dark rum
- Using a toothpick or cocktail pick, poke holes into the cake layers all the way through to the bottom.
- Spoon a third of the pineapple-rum syrup over each warm cake layer. Cover each layer with plastic wrap and allow the syrup to soak into the cake completely as it cools.
- Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with flat paddle attachment just until smooth.450 grams cream cheese
- Add the softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar and beat again on high speed just until smooth.340 grams unsalted butter, 225 grams confectioners' sugar
- Toast the crushed pecans on medium high heat in a non-stick or seasoned cast iron pan for 2-4 minutes until slightly dark and fragrant. It will start to smell almost like popcorn when ready. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and set aside until ready to top the cake.85 grams pecans
- Spread a thin layer of frosting down on an 8-inch cake circle. This will serve as "glue" to prevent the assembled cake from moving around as you decorate it.
- Place the first cake layer down on the cake circle. Be sure to center the cake layer, using the cake circle as a guide. If any of your cake layers appear thicker or taller than the others start with the the thickest one so heavier layers don't affect the structure of your cake.
- Using an offset spatula, spread an even layer of the cream cheese frosting (about a quarter inch thick) on top of the first cake layer. I like to spread the cream cheese frosting out a little past the edge of the cake then use it to fill in the gaps once the next cake layer is placed on top.
- Add a second layer of the hummingbird cake on top, spreading another even layer of the cream cheese frosting on top with your offset spatula. Use the spatula to smooth any excess frosting along the sides of the cake and push them into any gaps. Take this opportunity to gently realign the second layer if needed to make sure your layer cake will be perfectly vertical.
- Add your last cake layer on top. I like to invert this one so the perfectly flat bottom is now the top of the cake. This makes it easier for you to spread an even layer of the cream cheese frosting that looks crisp!
- Using the offset spatula spread a thin layer of the cream cheese frosting on the top of the cake. Spread it over the edge slightly.
- Use the offset spatula (or a cake scraper) again to crumb coat the sides of the cake for the semi-naked cake effect shown in the photo. The goal here is to minimize gaps, filling them with the cream cheese frosting. You will likely have a lip along the top edge of the cake. This is fine.
- For a sharp top edge, clean the offset spatula then, holding it against the top edge of the cake at a 45° angle, smooth out the upper lip of cream cheese buttercream by dragging it towards you in one swift but controlled motion. Clean the offset spatula and repeat this around the top edge of the cake until the lip is gone.
- Use the remaining cream cheese buttercream to pipe a border around the top edge of the cake with your favorite piping tip. The cream cheese frosting may have softened. This is normal. Allow it to sit in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to reach a pipeaple consistency again.
- Sprinkle the toasted pecans from earlier in the center within the piped border. Refrigerate, bringing out the cake 20 minutes before serving to allow it to come to room temperature for optimal texture!
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Notes
- Avoid opening the oven door repeatedly during baking. This prevents the cake from rising properly and can actually cause it to sink. I generally don't check doneness until at least 28-30 minutes in.
- You can completely omit the rum from the simple syrup or substitute 2 teaspoon of rum extract.
- Use a square of non-slip shelf liner under your cake circle and on top of your turntable. It stops the cake from moving around and makes transfer easier.
The frosting is the perfect balance of sweetness for the cake! It did not overpower it at all. We also had this cake room temp and cold. It was incredible either way!
I honestly don’t know where to start. The rum simple syrup, the perfectly balanced cream cheese frosting, the crumb/moisture of the actual cake. This was a heavenly experience. If you’re on the fence if this recipe is worth it, this recipe is absolute perfection!
This is the best hummingbird cake I've ever had! It's super moist, the perfect texture, and layered with the perfect amount of flavors. I had to stop my husband from eating two slices in one sitting.
I tried this recipe and it was AMAZING! The bananas and pineapple made the cake so moist and flavorful, and the pecans added just the right amount of crunch. The pineapple rum syrup was such a nice touch…it gave the cake a little tropical kick that made it stand out.
And that cream cheese frosting…so smooth and tangy, it tied everything together perfectly. Honestly, this is now on of my favorites! So, so good!