A classic two layer banana, pineapple and pecan hummingbird cake with delicious cream cheese frosting – the perfect afternoon tea treat.
Hummingbird cake is up there as one of my all-time favourite cake recipes. It’s the perfect mix of moist banana and pineapple cake with cinnamon and pecans, combined with the most AMAZING cream cheese frosting! YUM!!
The main ingredients in a classic hummingbird cake
Hummingbird cake is made from a few essential ingredients:
- mashed banana (the riper the better!)
- crushed pineapple
- pecans
- cinnamon
There are of course other ingredients that go into hummingbird cake… but these are the ones that give it that classic flavour!
Note: If you’re nut-free then you can simply omit the pecans with no need to replace them with anything else.
A simple recipe… mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together and bake!
Don’t be deceived by hummingbird cake – even though it looks AMAZING (especially with the two layers), it’s actually the easiest thing in the world to make.
- Sift the dry ingredients together (except for the sugar and pecans).
- Mash and mix together the wet ingredients.
- Fold the sugar, pecans and sifted dry ingredients through the wet ingredients.
- Divide into 2 cake tins and bake in the oven.
THAT’S IT!!!
How to make perfect cream cheese frosting
Once you make perfectly smooth cream cheese frosting, you’ll be wanting to make it every single day… and eat it straight from the bowl!
To get your cream cheese frosting just right:
- sift the icing sugar into a bowl
- beat the icing sugar and the butter until smooth, pale and creamy
- add the cream cheese (softened to room temperature), lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until just smooth and creamy (don’t over-beat).
- I like to use full fat cream cheese as it makes a creamier, thicker frosting
How long can you store hummingbird cake for?
Hummingbird cake can be stored in a cool place at room temperature for up to 4 hours. If storing it for longer, place it into an airtight container in the fridge, but allow to come to room temperature before serving. Consume refrigerated hummingbird cake within 2 days.
More classic cake recipes
Nothing beats a good old classic cake recipe… check out a few more of my favourites here:
- Ultimate Butter Cake with Buttercream Frosting
- Caramel Mud Cake
- Chocolate Mud Cake
- Easy Apple Cake
- Baked Lemon Cheesecake
- White Chocolate Mud Cake
- Raspberry & Cream Jelly Cakes
Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 350 g self raising flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 bananas very ripe
- 425 g tin of pineapple chunks
- 250 ml vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g pecans roughly chopped
- 350 g caster sugar
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 400 g icing sugar
- 150 g butter room temperature
- 250 g cream cheese full fat
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 50 g pecans crushed, to decorate
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Grease and line 2 X 23cm round cake tins.
- Sift the flour and cinnamon into a bowl and add the sugar.
- In a seperate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Drain the pineapple chunks, roughly chop and add to the bowl with the bananas. Add the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, chopped pecans and mix until combined.
- Fold the banana mixture through the dry mixture and stir until just combined.
- Divide the mixture equally between the two cake tins and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cakes spring back when touched in the centre.
- Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the butter and beat with hand-held beaters or a stand mixer until pale and creamy.
- Add the cream cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until just smooth.
- Place one of the cooled cakes onto a serving dish. Add a layer of cream cheese frosting. Place the 2nd cake on top and spread over the remaining cream cheese frosting. Decorate with pecans.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line 2 X 23cm round cake tins.
- Place the self raising flour and cinnamon into the Thermomix bowl. Sift by pressing Turbo for 5-10 seconds. Set aside in a seperate bowl.
- Place the bananas into the Thermomix bowl and mix on Speed 4, 5 seconds.
- Add the pineapple, eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Mix for a further 5 seconds, REVERSE, Speed 4.
- Add the flour mixture, caster sugar and pecans and mix on Speed 4, REVERSE, 5 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 2 -3 seconds, REVERSE, Speed 4.
- Divide the mixture equally between the two cake tins and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cakes spring back when touched in the centre. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, cut the cream cheese and butter into 3cm cubes and place all of your frosting ingredients into your Thermomix bowl. Mix for 20 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down the sides and mix for a further 20 seconds, Speed 5 or until the cream cheese frosting has combined and is smooth and creamy.
- Place one of the cooled cakes onto a serving dish. Add a layer of cream cheese frosting. Place the 2nd cake on top and spread over the remaining cream cheese frosting. Decorate with pecans.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from this original Jamie Oliver recipe.
Loved it! Tried making it in 1 large tin though, which was a bit of a disaster. Making it again as soon as I can. The lemon in cream cheese frosting is pure bliss!
Hehehe yep 2 tins is better! So glad you liked it! xx
Most cakes can be made gluten free – do you think this one should be successful? My daughter is also egg free but I haven’t found any form of egg replacer/seeds totally successful in these types of cakes, unless you can tell me what I’m doing wrong. I’ve been cooking allergy food for 10 years now. Thanks.
Hi Donna, my apologies but egg-free and gluten-free cooking is not my expertise. xx