Hummingbird Cake
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Hummingbird cake is a classic Southern cake. It is moister than most cakes and is usually paired with cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
for the cupcakes
- 3 cups (720 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp all spice
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract
- 1 8 oz (225 g) can crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1 cup (240 ml) chopped walnuts
- 2 cups (480 ml) chopped bananas
for the frosting
- 1 8 oz (225 g) package of cream cheese
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter
- 4 cups (960 ml) of confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl, add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup walnuts, and bananas.
- Pour batter into lined cupcake tins. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before you frost them.
- Spread cream cheese frosting (made by beating together all the frosting ingredients) on top of your cupcakes. You can also sprinkle some walnuts on top for garnish if you so please.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Cake
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 680
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this recipe use both white and dark brown sugar?
The cake batter calls for ½ cup white sugar and 1½ cups dark brown sugar. The dark brown sugar contributes molasses, which deepens the flavor and adds to the moist, dense crumb that hummingbird cake is known for; the white sugar lightens the texture slightly so the cake is not overly dense.
What does the coconut extract do, and can I leave it out?
The recipe adds ½ tsp coconut extract to the batter and another ½ tsp to the frosting alongside vanilla extract. The coconut extract is part of the recipe’s flavor profile rather than a decorative note — omitting it would make it a more standard cream cheese-frosted banana-pineapple cake. It can be left out if you prefer, with no structural impact.
The crushed pineapple goes in undrained — is that correct?
Yes, intentionally. The recipe specifies one 8 oz (225 g) can of crushed pineapple undrained. The juice contributes moisture that, combined with the 1 cup vegetable oil and 2 cups mashed banana, creates hummingbird cake’s characteristic soft, wet crumb — draining it would make the cake drier. 
