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Hummingbird cake is the ultimate Southern bundt, a wonderfully moist banana-pineapple spice cake crowned with a tangy cream cheese glaze and toasted pecans. Maddie picked this for her birthday cake last year and the whole family fought over the crispy glazed edges. It is even easier than our classic pound cake, with no creaming or layering required.
The secret to this hummingbird cake is using ripe mashed bananas and crushed pineapple, which keep every bite incredibly moist.
Hummingbird Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 1 hour
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 16 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 338kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Moist and spiced with sweet banana, pineapple, and tangy cream cheese
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our marble cake
Quick Answer
To make hummingbird cake, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, mashed bananas, crushed pineapple, applesauce, and vanilla, then stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Spoon the batter into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Once cooled, pour a cream cheese glaze over the top and finish with toasted pecans.
Jump to:
- Hummingbird Cake Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Hummingbird Cake
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Hummingbird Cake FAQs
- Other Recommended Cake Recipes
- Hummingbird Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Banana and pineapple keep it moist. Mashed ripe bananas and crushed pineapple add natural moisture so the cake stays tender for days.
- No mixer required. This is a simple stir-together batter, so there is no creaming butter or whipping needed.
- Applesauce lightens it up. A little applesauce replaces some of the oil, keeping the cake moist without being heavy.
- The bundt shape does the work. A bundt pan gives you a beautiful cake with crispy glazed edges and no layering or frosting between tiers.
- Cream cheese glaze is the perfect finish. Its tangy sweetness balances the spiced banana cake and pours on for an easy, elegant look.
- Toasted pecans add crunch. Toasting the pecans first deepens their flavor and adds the signature nutty crunch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a wonderfully moist, spiced cake with sweet banana and pineapple in every bite.
- It is a no-mixer, stir-together batter that comes together in minutes.
- It is a showstopping bundt without the fuss of layering, like our marble cake.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes this hummingbird cake so moist and flavorful. See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Ripe bananas: Mashed ripe bananas add natural sweetness and keep the cake moist and tender.
- Crushed pineapple: Adds bright, tropical flavor and even more moisture to every slice.
- Applesauce: Replaces some of the oil to lighten the cake without losing any moisture.
- Cream cheese and powdered sugar: Whipped into a tangy, pourable glaze that finishes the cake.
- Toasted pecans: Sprinkled on top for the classic hummingbird crunch and nutty flavor.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to make this hummingbird cake your own.
- Add warm spices: Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg for an even cozier, spiced flavor.
- Make it a layer cake: Divide the batter between round pans and frost with cream cheese frosting.
- Add coconut: Fold in shredded coconut for a more traditional hummingbird flavor.
- Swap the nuts: Use walnuts instead of pecans, or leave them out, like in our banana nut bread.
- Top it with a thicker cream cheese frosting instead of a pourable glaze.
How to Make Hummingbird Cake
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, mashed bananas, crushed pineapple, applesauce, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until combined with no dry patches remaining.
- Spoon the batter into a greased bundt pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, then cool.
- Whip the cream cheese glaze, pour it over the cooled cake, and garnish with toasted chopped pecans.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots for the sweetest, most flavorful cake.
- Drain the crushed pineapple lightly so the batter is not too wet, but keep a little juice for moisture.
- Grease the bundt pan well with baking spray, getting into every crevice so the cake releases cleanly.
- Do not overmix the batter; stir just until the dry patches disappear to keep the cake tender.
- Cool the cake completely before glazing so the glaze sets instead of melting off.
- Toast the pecans in a dry pan for a few minutes to bring out their flavor before garnishing.
- Store covered at room temperature for up to three days, or refrigerate for up to a week.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
A slice of hummingbird cake is pure comfort with a cup of coffee, and it is always a hit at potlucks, holidays, and birthdays. The cream cheese glaze makes it feel special without any extra work.
Serve it as the centerpiece of a dessert table next to our classic pound cake and a light angel food cake so there is something for everyone.
For an extra treat, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream alongside each slice. A few extra toasted pecans on top never hurt either.
Hummingbird Cake FAQs
Hummingbird cake is a Southern spice cake made with mashed bananas, crushed pineapple, and pecans, traditionally topped with cream cheese frosting or glaze. This easy bundt version keeps all that flavor with a simple stir-together batter.
The cake is believed to be named for its sweetness, said to be sweet enough to attract hummingbirds. The recipe became popular in the American South, where it remains a beloved potluck and holiday dessert.
Yes. The flavor and moisture actually improve after a day. Bake the cake and store it covered at room temperature, then glaze it the day you plan to serve. You can also freeze the unglazed cake for up to three months.
Store hummingbird cake covered at room temperature for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week since it has a cream cheese glaze. Bring it to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Absolutely. Divide the batter between two or three greased and floured round cake pans and reduce the baking time, checking for doneness with a toothpick. Frost between the layers and on top with cream cheese frosting.
Pecans are traditional and add a lovely crunch, but you can swap in walnuts or leave the nuts out entirely if you prefer. The cake will still be moist and full of banana and pineapple flavor.
Craving more easy cake? Bake our buttery classic pound cake next.
Hummingbird Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
Cake Mix:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 3/4 Cup bananas mashed about 4 large bananas
- 8 oz crushed pineapple do not drain off the juice
- 3/4 cup apple sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.. Prepare a standard bundt pan with baking spray. Using a pastry brush to brush the spray all over, this will help prevent sticking.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine, set aside.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, mashed bananas, pineapple, apple sauce, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.3 eggs lightly beaten, 1 3/4 Cup bananas mashed, 8 oz crushed pineapple do not drain off the juice, 3/4 cup apple sauce, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together until just combined and there are no dry patches.
- Spoon the mixture into the bundt pan and smooth out the top if needed.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out mostly clean. A few crumbs stuck to the toothpick are okay but there should be no wet batter.
- Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan by inverting it, and let it cool completely on the wire rack.
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by creaming the cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl until smooth with an electric hand mixer.4 oz cream cheese
- Add in the powdered sugar a little bit at a time until fully mixed in.2 cups powdered sugar
- Add in 1 tablespoon of the milk and vanilla and mix to combine. The glaze should be thick yet pourable, if it is not pourable add the additional milk and mix it in.1-2 Tbsp whole milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Place the cooled bundt cake on the serving dish. Pour the rich cream cheese frosting over cooled bundt cake and garnish with toasted chopped pecans. Serve and enjoy!1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans for garnish
Notes
-
- We use a standard 10-cup bundt pan for this recipe.
- This needs to be fully cool before glazing.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above on how to do so.
- If you don’t want to toast your pecans you do not have to, I feel it just gives it a little extra flavor.
- This cake travels well since it is denser and holds together.
Nutrition
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oh man this lightened hummingbird bundt cake looks, sounds and i bet taste and smells totally delish!! wow now I know what I want for my birthday cake! Thanks for sharing with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday!!
This looks so yummy, Dana. Thank you for sharing and thanks for stopping by Let’s Get Real this week!! Be sure to come again!
Hi there! I’ll be featuring this as a favorite recipe on our Wednesday Whatsits post today. Thanks for submitting! Be sure to stop by to see it!!! – Krissy
I have a whole “herd” of hummingbirds at my patio spring to Sept…I will try this recipe and enjoy it while watching them!
What a beautiful cake! It looks delicious!
Hi Dana…the name of this cake intrigued me since we have hummingbirds that flit in and out of the lattice of oak leaves surrounding our second story veranda and sometimes visiting the flowers on our table 🙂 Except I would have to adjust the recipe to make it paleo…maybe almond flour and honey? Thanks for a great idea. Blessings…
Oooh Hummingbird cake is one of my favs!!! Loving the sound of this lightened up version!!!
YUM!!! I am on drool overload!
I had never heard of a hummingbird cake until I started blogging. this one looks terrific! Hugs and Thank you for sharing and for linking up to the Thursday Favorite Things Bog Hop.
I just had hummingbird cake for the first time last week…it was yummy but only could eat a few bites since it was so rich. Yours looks lighter and am anxious to try it. The one I had also had cherries in it, so I bet the recipe changes a from baker to baker. Thanks for the great recipe!
This looks delicious! Anything with cream cheese frosting makes me happy! 🙂
This looks fantastic! I’d love for you to share this at my weekly link party http://www.thelifeofjenniferdawn.com/2014/09/a-little-bird-told-me-link-party-107.html Hope to see you there!
Almost too pretty to eat…almost 🙂 Love your version!! I need to lighten up some of my sweets too. Been making too many. Maybe I can trick my fam too 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Pinning it!
GORGEOUS cake!! wow!
This looks so delicious. 🙂
Good Morning Dana, I have just bought a bundt tin, so I was interested to see how you made your Hummingbird cake….. firstly can I say, what a lovely name for a cake and secondly, I love banana, pineapple and cream cheese frosting…. but I am go to resist and make your lighter version.
I look forward to trying it out this coming weekend.
Best Wishes
Daphne