Hummingbird Cake
A classic three-layer banana, pineapple and toasted pecan cake with cinnamon-spiced crumb and generous cream cheese frosting. Makes 12 substantial slices. Batch yield: One three-layer 20 cm cake, cut into 12 substantial slices. One serving: 1 slice, approximately 220 g after baking and cooling, including frosting and pecans. Allow approximately 4 hours 20 minutes from starting to a chilled, sliceable cake: 220 non-oven minutes plus 40 oven minutes. Oven time comprises 8 minutes to toast the pecans and about 32 minutes to bake all three layers simultaneously; no sequential cake batches are assumed. Non-oven time includes 60 minutes of hands-on work, 15 minutes of pecan cooling, 100 minutes of cake cooling and 60 minutes of chilling, with 15 minutes of hands-on work overlapping cooling. Preheating overlaps initial preparation. The 45 minutes needed to soften the butter and cream cheese overlap the final 45 minutes of cake cooling and are not counted again. Baking and cooling may take longer depending on the oven and room temperature. Appliances: Oven with capacity for three 20 cm cake tins across two shelves; Electric hand mixer; Refrigerator. Equipment: Three 20 cm round cake tins, at least 5 cm deep; Baking tray; Baking parchment; Wire cooling racks; Digital kitchen scales; Measuring jug and measuring spoons; Mixing bowls; Balloon whisk; Flexible spatula; Pastry brush; Knife and chopping board; Cake-testing skewer; Offset spatula; Serving plate; Cake knife. Allergens: Contains wheat flour, eggs, dairy butter, cream cheese and pecans. Check packaged ingredient labels for any additional product-specific allergens or cross-contact warnings. Storage: Keep the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator at 4°C or below for up to 4 days. Because of the cream cheese frosting, limit cumulative room-temperature time to 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C. Freeze individually wrapped slices in an airtight container for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
230 min
Prep
40 min
Cook
12
Serves
853
Calories
Macros · per serving
8g protein
99g carbs
47g fat
Ingredients
For 12 servings
- 330 g Plain all-purpose flour
- 325 g Granulated sugar
- 6 g Baking soda
- 4 g Fine salt
- 4 g Ground cinnamon
- 3 eggs Large eggs
- 200 ml Sunflower oil
- 10 ml Vanilla extract
- 250 g pineapple
- 350 g Very ripe banana, peeled weight
- 120 g Pecan halves
- 450 g Full-fat block cream cheese, not spreadable
- 150 g Unsalted butter
- 450 g Icing sugar
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 175°C conventional / 350°F, or 155°C fan. Arrange two shelves so that three 20 cm round cake tins, each at least 5 cm deep, can bake together with space around them. Brush the tins with 5 ml of the measured sunflower oil and line their bases with baking parchment. Weigh the remaining ingredients while the oven heats, allowing about 15 minutes for this preparation. Keep the butter and cream cheese refrigerated for now.
- 2
Spread all 120 g pecans on a baking tray. Toast for 8 minutes, stirring halfway, until fragrant and slightly darker. Leave to cool for 15 minutes. During the first 10 minutes of this cooling time, prepare the dry and wet mixtures as described next.
- 3
Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. In a second bowl, mash the banana until mostly smooth with a few small lumps. Peel, core and finely chop the pineapple, collecting any juice. Whisk in the eggs, approximately 150 g without shells, followed by the remaining 195 ml oil and 5 ml vanilla. Stir in the pineapple and any juice.
- 4
Once the pecans are cool, chop them and reserve 30 g for the topping. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold until almost combined. Fold in the remaining 90 g pecans, stopping as soon as no dry flour remains. The batter should be thick and spoonable, not beaten smooth. Allow about 5 minutes for chopping, folding and dividing.
- 5
Divide the batter evenly between the tins, approximately 565 g per tin, and level the surfaces. Bake all three layers together for about 32 minutes, checking from 30 minutes. At about 18 minutes, carefully exchange the tins between shelves and rotate them front to back. The layers are ready when their centres spring back lightly and a skewer comes out without wet batter; a few moist crumbs are fine.
- 6
Cool the cakes in their tins on wire racks for 15 minutes. Turn them out, remove the parchment and leave on the racks for another 85 minutes, until completely cool through the centre. Allow about 5 minutes of hands-on time within this cooling period for turning them out. Do not frost warm layers.
- 7
During the final 45 minutes of cake cooling, cut the butter into small cubes and take it and the cream cheese out of the refrigerator. Let them soften at a cool room temperature, around 18–21°C. The butter should yield to gentle pressure, and the cream cheese should be cool but pliable, not warm.
- 8
Allow about 10 minutes to make the frosting. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter for 2 minutes until smooth. Add the icing sugar in three additions, mixing on low initially and then beating until creamy, scraping down the bowl. Add the cream cheese in several pieces and the remaining 5 ml vanilla. Beat on low only until smooth and spreadable; prolonged beating can loosen cream cheese frosting.
- 9
Allow about 15 minutes to assemble and frost. Place one completely cooled layer on a serving plate and spread with 220 g frosting. Add the second layer and another 220 g frosting, then the final layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Scatter the reserved 30 g toasted pecans over the top, pressing them gently into the frosting.
- 10
Refrigerate the finished cake for 60 minutes to firm the frosting and make the layers easier to cut. Cut the chilled cake into 12 equal wedges with a knife, wiping it between cuts.
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