Rich and flavorful hummingbird cake is a Southern classic—but a relatively new one. The dessert gained popularity in 1978 when a hummingbird cake recipe was submitted to Southern Living Magazine by a Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina. Featuring a cake batter packed with mashed bananas, crushed pineapple, and toasted pecans and finished with cream cheese frosting, the moist cake quickly became a staple. But the recipe’s origin, and name, remained murky. Some claim that name came from the fact that the cake is sweet enough to attract a hummingbird. Other say it’s because people will hover around the cake the way hummingbirds hover around a flower. But the most evidence suggests that the cake originated in Jamaica, where it’s called “Doctor Bird Cake” after Jamaica’s national bird—the “doctor bird” or hummingbird.
You’ll want overripe bananas and canned pineapple (with its juices) for this delicious cake; fresh pineapple won’t give you the same flavor and texture. Over the years, cooks have made a few tweaks to the original recipe: Some people add shredded carrot (this cake’s flavor and texture are similar to a carrot cake, so it makes sense to combine them) or coconut. This version, from chef and cookbook author Kelly Fields, is wonderfully aromatic thanks to the addition of cardamom and ground dried rose petals. Fields notes that their mother often made hummingbird cake for holidays, and for many years, they even thought their mom had invented the whimsical name. For a classic presentation, decorate the top edge of the frosted cake with pecan halves or garnish the sides of the cake with crushed pecans.
This recipe was excerpted from ‘The Good Book of Southern Baking’ by Kelly Fields. Buy the full book on Amazon.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour and 35 minutes, plus cooling
Yield
Makes 1 9-inch layer cake
Ingredients
For the cake
For the frosting
Preparation
Step 1
Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 4-inch-high sides with baking spray, then line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and lightly spray the paper. (If you don’t have 4-inch-deep pans, 2-inch-deep will work.)
Step 2
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, rose petals, and cardamom and mix well. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs with the vegetable oil, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt, then stir in the dry ingredients, mixing just until they are moistened. Stir in the sour cream. Using a large spatula, fold in the crushed pineapple and juice, bananas, and pecans. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes, rotating the pans after 20 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of each cake. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Place a rack over each pan, invert the cakes onto the racks, and remove the pans. Peel off the parchment paper. Cool completely.
Step 3
Make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl; beat until incorporated and smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure that the frosting is as smooth as possible. Beat in the orange zest and vanilla paste.
Step 4
Using a serrated knife, trim the domed tops of the cakes so they’re flat; save the scraps for snacking. Cut each cake horizontally into two even layers, creating four layers in total. Set one layer on a cake stand or plate and spread with the frosting. Continue to stack and frost the layers, then spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake.
Step 5
Refrigerate for 15 minutes, until set. Spread the remaining frosting evenly all over the sides and top of the cake. The cake will keep at room temperature for about 4 days, if it ever actually sticks around that long.
Recipe notes
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