Moist Southern Hummingbird Cake (Printable)

Moist cake combining bananas, pineapple, toasted pecans, and smooth cream cheese frosting.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 cup vegetable oil
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
09 - 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped, plus extra for garnish
10 - 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
11 - 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained

→ Cream Cheese Frosting

12 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
13 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
14 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
15 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
16 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans or line them with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until well incorporated.
04 - Stir mashed bananas, crushed pineapple with juice, and chopped pecans into the wet mixture.
05 - Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans.
07 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
08 - Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
09 - Beat cream cheese and butter together until creamy and smooth.
10 - Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, beating until fluffy and spreadable.
11 - Spread frosting between cake layers and over the top and sides of the cake.
12 - Finish by sprinkling extra toasted pecans over the frosted cake.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crushed pineapple keeps it impossibly moist without any dry crumbs, even days later.
  • That cream cheese frosting tastes like you've been a baker your whole life, even if you just started yesterday.
  • It's the kind of cake people ask for by name at gatherings, the one you'll make again and again.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and softened butter and cream cheese aren't suggestions—they're what make the cake and frosting silky instead of grainy.
  • Don't skip cooling the cake completely before frosting; warm cake melts the frosting and it slides right off.
  • The crushed pineapple juice is doing heavy lifting for moisture, so never drain it out.
03 -
  • Toast the pecans yourself in a 350°F oven for about 8 minutes; the difference between toasted and raw is the difference between forgettable and unforgettable.
  • Sift the powdered sugar for frosting—it breaks up hidden lumps that would otherwise make your frosting grainy and sad.
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