• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Organized Island
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Halloween
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Halloween
  • Shop
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Halloween
  • Shop
×
Organized Island » Recipes » Recipes

Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake

Published: Apr 4, 2022 · Modified: May 20, 2023 by Raquel · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

Sharing is caring!

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Hummingbird Cake
Old Fashioned Humming Bird Cake slice on plate with stacked plates behind it.

This easy Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake recipe is a wonderful southern classic when it comes to dessert. Made with pineapple, pecans and spices and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting.

We are all about sharing easy dinner and dessert ideas and this simple cake recipe is sure to please. 

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love This Recipe for a Hummingbird Cake
  • Ingredients For Classic Hummingbird Cake 
  • How to Make A Hummingbird Cake
  • How To Make Hummingbird Cake Frosting
  • Pro Tips and Timesaver Shortcuts
  • Serving and Storage Suggestions
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More Easy Dessert Cakes
  • My Best Cake Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

Why You Will Love This Recipe for a Hummingbird Cake

This is a delicious flavorful cake. It is like a cross between carrot cake and a spice cake. The pineapple gives it a tropical flavor. It is so tasty and it is ready in 45 minutes

Nice as a dessert or picnic treat, it is a great way to celebrate the warmer seasons.

This beautiful cake is also nice for potlucks, picnics, tea parties and special occasions.

Old-Fashioned Hummingbird cake.

It moist cake also makes a nice birthday cake. 

Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake landscape .

Ingredients For Classic Hummingbird Cake 

Ingredient photo

Cake
flour - I use all purpose flour
sugar
eggs
vanilla
baking soda
crushed pineapple
pecans (optional)

Frosting
powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)
cream cheese
butter - at room temperature
vanilla
pecans

Equipment and Kitchen Tools Needed

  • large bowl
  • electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • 2 9-inch cake pans
  • spoon
  • parchment paper
  • wire racks
  • serving plate

How to Make A Hummingbird Cake

Step By Step Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prep two 9” round cake pans by spraying with non stick cooking spray and dusting lightly with flour.
  3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, add  dry ingredients: (flour, sugar, baking soda)and blend until well combined.
  4. Whisk in wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla, crushed pineapple and pecans) until mixed completely.
  5.  Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans, bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool to room temperature before frosting.
How to Make A Hummingbird cake.

How To Make Hummingbird Cake Frosting

  1. Blend cream cheese and butter on high speed until it begins to thicken. Reduce the speed and add in the powdered sugar and vanilla, blend well.
  2. Once cakes have completely cooled, add frosting between the top and bottom layers and then frost the entire cake with remaining frosting.
  3. Sprinkle crushed pecans over entire cake, pressing some of the pecans gently along side of the cake to until completely covered.
Hummingbird cake frosting caje (1).

Pro Tips and Timesaver Shortcuts

  • I like to crush the pecans the day before for easy prep.
  • After cooling cake in the pans for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and let continue to cool on a wire rack.
  • You can make this cake in a bundt pan instead of two round cake pans but baking time will increase to around an hour. Check with a toothpick for doneness.
Hummingbird cake covering with pecans

Serving and Storage Suggestions

  • Add a few pecan halves to decorate the top of the cake.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Recipe FAQs

Can Hummingbird Cake Be Frozen?

Yes. you can freeze the cake in sections or in slices. Place in ziploc bags in the freezer for up to one month.

Why do they call it a hummingbird cake?

There are a few theories on this. The first is that  it was called the Doctor bird cake, a nickname for a Jamaican variety of hummingbird called the Red-billed Streamertail. The Hummingbird is the Jamaican National Bird. Another theory is that people hover around the cake like hummingbirds hover around flowers.

Why do they call it a hummingbird cake?

There are a few theories on this. The first is that  it was called the Doctor bird cake, a nickname for a Jamaican variety of hummingbird called the Red-billed Streamertail. The Hummingbird is the Jamaican National Bird. Another theory is that people hover around the cake like hummingbirds hover around flowers.

Don't forget to bookmark this recipe.

Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake

More Easy Dessert Cakes

  • Lemon Jello Cake on plate.
    Lemon Jello Cake
  • Neapolitan Cake cliced.
    Neapolitan Cake Recipe
  • Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake on board.
    Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake Recipe | Copycat Recipe
  • Buttermilk Pound Cake
    Buttermilk Pound Cake Recipe

My Best Cake Recipes

Mango Coconut Cake - A Refreshing coconut cake that is perfect for summer.

Baked Banana Pudding – A wonderful dessert recipe for banana lovers -creamy and easy!

Tres Leches Cake - this Mexican-inspired cake is made with three types of milk - delicious!

Coca Cola Cake - My favorite version of this decadent chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. SO COOD!

Texas Sheet Cake - Another one of those delicious and moist chocolatey cakes!

Sour Cream Pound Cake - Just 7 ingredients for this delicious pound cake!

Cookie Cake - A giant cookie cake to be shared!

Old Fashioned Orange Cake - A delicious orange chiffon style cake.

Neapolitan Cake - beautiful multi-colored cake.

📖 Recipe

Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe

Raquel Pineira
This easy Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake recipe is a wonderful southern classic made with pineapple, pecans and cream cheese frosting.
5 from 30 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 361 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
  • ½ cup crushed pecans optional

Frosting

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ½ cups crushed pecans to coat the cake

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep two 9” round cake pans by spraying with non stick cooking spray and dusting lightly with flour.
  • In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add flour, sugar, baking soda and blend on low speed until well combined.
  • Blend in eggs, vanilla, crushed pineapple and pecans (optional) into the flour mixture until mixed completely.
  • Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans,
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool to room temperature before frosting.

Frosting

  • Blend cream cheese and butter on high speed until it begins to thicken. Reduce the speed and add in the powdered sugar and vanilla, blend well.
  • Once cakes have completely cooled, add frosting between the top and bottom cake layers and then frost the entire cake with remaining frosting.
  • Sprinkle crushed pecans over entire cake, pressing some of the pecans gently along side of the cake to until completely covered.

Notes

  • I like to crush the pecans the day before for easy prep.
  • After cooling cake in the pans for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and let continue to cool on a wire rack.
  • You can make this cake in a bundt pan instead of two round cake pans but baking time will increase to around an hour. Check with a toothpick for doneness.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 163mgPotassium: 59mgFiber: 1gSugar: 54gVitamin A: 293IUCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

We hope you enjoyed this festive dessert recipe. If you are not yet subscribing to my CELEBRATE THE SEASON newsletter, you can subscribe here.

I share simple recipes to celebrate the season and a few things that I don’t share here. I email you only once a week, as I know how valuable your time is and respect that tremendously!

If you try this recipe or any other recipe on Organized Island, please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! To see what I am up to, check out my stories on Instagram and let me know you are following. It would bring me much joy!

Want to streamline your weekly meals? Check out my Beginner's Guide to Meal Planning book on Amazon.

easy-recipe-ideas
« Hamburger Sliders Recipe
Banana Cream Cupcakes »

About Raquel

Southern California mom who blogs about time-saving recipes, entertaining and party ideas.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tamara Bowman

    April 04, 2022 at 1:16 pm

    I LOVE a good hummingbird cake. All that pineapple goodness. What an awesome looking cake.

    Reply
  2. clearissa

    April 15, 2022 at 9:58 am

    5 stars
    You had me at pecans. 🙂 This cake looks so moist. And it's not overly difficult to make. This is a winner. Thank you for sharing at #omhgww. Pinned and tweeted if buttons are available. See you next week.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Raquel! I am a self-proclaimed foodie and have enjoyed cooking and baking since I was little. I loved baking cookies with my mother and grandma as a child, and later making dinners for my parents to foster my passion while in high school. I also had a passion for organizing and keeping things tidy.

More about me →

Budget Meals

  • Pesto Meatballs with pasta.
    Pesto Meatballs and Spaghetti
  • Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
    Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
  • Slice Hawaiian rolls on plate with soda next to it.
    Hamburger Sliders Recipe
  • Slow Cooker Irish Beef stew recipe
    Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew
  • Chicken Egg Noodle Casserole
    Chicken Egg Noodle Casserole
  • Easy Fried chicken tenders
    Chicken Tenders Fried

Latest Recipes

  • Spider Donuts on plate.
    Easy Spider Donuts Halloween Treat
  • Monster Halloween Popcorn Balls on plate.
    Halloween Popcorn Balls
  • Bacon Chicken Ranch Pinwheels on tray.
    Bacon Chicken Ranch Pinwheels
  • Ice Cream Coffee Floats with cherry on top.
    Ice Cream Coffee Float Recipe
  • Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa (Chili Verde) in bowl.
    Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa (Chili Verde)
  • Pumpkin Hand Pies on plate.1
    Pumpkin Hand Pies

Halloween Recipes

  • Pumpkin Jello Shots
    Pumpkin Gelatin Shots
  • Graveyard Pudding cups
    Graveyard Pudding Cups | Halloween Pudding Cups
  • Witches Brew Punch
    Witches Brew Punch
  • Halloween Sheet Cake.
    Halloween Sheet Cake Recipe
  • Mummy Meatballs
    Easy Mummy Meatballs Halloween Appetizer Recipe
  • Witch Cocktail Recipe aka sangria.
    Witch Cocktail
  • Halloween Check Mix in bowl.
    Halloween Chex Mix
  • Monster Halloween Cookies.
    Halloween Monster Cookies

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy

Accessibility Statement

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 · Organized Island · Privacy Policy