Hummingbird Layer Cake

Hummingbird Layer Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a traditional southern pecan, coconut, banana, and pineapple filled cake. The recipe comes from Katie Jacobs' new book So much to celebrate. A cream cheese frosting makes this stacked naked cake sweet and moist. Perfect for summer parties and celebrations. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

In my recent years of being educated into Southern culture, there are a few things I’ve learned to be true. I’ve learned that you will be called “Ma’am,” no matter how old you are. I’ve found that iced tea does not come unsweetened; chicken is best served fried. Finally, moreso than football, camouflage, or pickup trucks, Southerners are really serious about their family recipes.

Hummingbird Layer Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a traditional southern pecan, coconut, banana, and pineapple filled cake. The recipe comes from Katie Jacobs' new book So much to celebrate. A cream cheese frosting makes this stacked naked cake sweet and moist. Perfect for summer parties and celebrations. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

During my first year of living in Selma, Alabama, I discovered a number of foods for the first time. Skillet cornbread, fried pork chops, and chocolate chess pie were all foods that I barely knew existed and had definitely had never tried. Of all the bites I tasted during those early months in the deep South, one treat that stands out head and shoulders above all others in my mind is hummingbird layer cake, a cinnamon, pecan, and coconut flavored cake kept moist with the addition of bananas, crushed pineapple, and a sweet cream cheese frosting. While the combination of those ingredients seemed kinda odd to me, I nevertheless tried the cake and immediately fell in love.

Hummingbird Layer Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a traditional southern pecan, coconut, banana, and pineapple filled cake. The recipe comes from Katie Jacobs' new book So much to celebrate. A cream cheese frosting makes this stacked naked cake sweet and moist. Perfect for summer parties and celebrations. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

Hummingbird Cake

Northerners, I’ll be honest- you’re missing out if you’ve never tried hummingbird cake. In true Southern form, this cake is heavy, rich, and moist, but the bright fruity flavors combined with the warm scent of cinnamon keeps you coming back for more and more. It’s a comforting recipe that somehow tastes like home, and I am beyond ecstatic to share the recipe for this delightful cake with you today!

Hummingbird Layer Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a traditional southern pecan, coconut, banana, and pineapple filled cake. The recipe comes from Katie Jacobs' new book So much to celebrate. A cream cheese frosting makes this stacked naked cake sweet and moist. Perfect for summer parties and celebrations. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

This recipe for hummingbird cake comes from a darling Southern book written by my friend Katie Jacobs. “So Much To Celebrate” is an entertaining how-to filled with recipes, party ideas, and more. Katie, a Nashville native, put her keen eye for style, color, and Southern flair to use in this book that is equally beautiful as it is inspiring. While a number of recipes caught my eye, it was the hummingbird layer cake that stole my heart.

Hummingbird Layer Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a traditional southern pecan, coconut, banana, and pineapple filled cake. The recipe comes from Katie Jacobs' new book So much to celebrate. A cream cheese frosting makes this stacked naked cake sweet and moist. Perfect for summer parties and celebrations. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

Making the Cake

To make this hummingbird layer cake, we start by mixing the wet ingredients with the sugar until light and fluffy. Next, several mashed bananas, crushed pineapple, pecans, and coconut are added, followed by the dry ingredients and a healthy spoon of cinnamon. The cake gets baked in four separate pans until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Hummingbird Layer Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a traditional southern pecan, coconut, banana, and pineapple filled cake. The recipe comes from Katie Jacobs' new book So much to celebrate. A cream cheese frosting makes this stacked naked cake sweet and moist. Perfect for summer parties and celebrations. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

The frosting for this hummingbird layer cake is ultra-rich but perfectly sweet. Butter and cream cheese are creamed together before powdered sugar and vanilla are whipped in. In true cream cheese frosting fashion, this icing is fairly loose, so to achieve clean edges, I refrigerated the cake throughout the icing process and tried not to fuss with it too much. As a garnish, I trimmed some fresh blooms, a sweet and feminine topping worthy of a Katie Jacobs cake. I think she would approve.

Hummingbird Layer Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a traditional southern pecan, coconut, banana, and pineapple filled cake. The recipe comes from Katie Jacobs' new book So much to celebrate. A cream cheese frosting makes this stacked naked cake sweet and moist. Perfect for summer parties and celebrations. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

This hummingbird layer cake is out of this world, a delightful treat to enjoy all year round. If you’re looking for a gift idea for a lady in your life, check out her book at this link here! Katie represents Southern baking well, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Happy baking!

Hummingbird Layer Cake by Wood and Spoon Blog. This is a recipe for a traditional southern pecan, coconut, banana, and pineapple filled cake. The recipe comes from Katie Jacobs' new book So much to celebrate. A cream cheese frosting makes this stacked naked cake sweet and moist. Perfect for summer parties and celebrations. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

If you like this hummingbird layer cake you should check out:

Hummingbird Muffins

Almond Coconut Cake

Banana Coconut Chocolate Cream Pie

Print

Hummingbird Layer Cake

This hummingbird cake is a Southern specialty from Katie Jacobs’ new book. Moist layers of cake made with cinnamon, banana, and crushed pineapple are filled with pecans and coconut, and the frosting is a rich and fluffy cream cheese icing.

  • Author: Katie Jacobs
  • Prep Time: 35
  • Cook Time: 35
  • Total Time: 90
  • Yield: 12

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
  • 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

For the frosting:

  • 1 pound (16 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 11/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
  • 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Instructions

For the cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour four 8-inch round cake pans.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat oil, vanilla, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix together banana, pineapple, pecans, and coconut. Add to egg mixture; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; blend well.
  5. Divide batter between pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes.
  6. Transfer pans to a wire rack. Once cooled, invert cakes onto racks; reinvert, top side up. Cool completely. While cake is cooling, make frosting.

For the frosting:

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese and vanilla until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. With mixer on medium speed, gradually add butter, beating until incorporated. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add sugar, beating until incorporated. Use immediately to frost and layer the cake.

Notes

  • This frosting is rich and fairly loose. To help keep your cake edges clean, refrigerate the cake throughout the icing process to help it set up.

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37 thoughts on “Hummingbird Layer Cake”

  1. Pingback: Hummingbird Cupcakes

  2. First time I had this cake was in a little vegetarian restaurant in my home town, and I fell in love. Ive Requested it for my birthday cakes ever since! My fiancΓ© has never heard of, or tried this cake, yet…. so I decided to make it for my wedding in 2 weeks!! Thank goodness it’s a very small wedding and we’re only celebrating with those in the wedding party πŸ™‚ Thank you for the recipe

  3. I am trying this recipe now and I can’t wait to put it together and taste it! Is it really 2 whole POUNDS of confectioners sugar like the recipe list calls for for the icing??

  4. Victoria Aldridge

    Hi Kate, I want to make this cake for my mother-in-laws birthday but I want to make it on Sunday and she is coming over on Wednesday. Do you know how well the cake “keeps” and should I refrigerate it or leave it out but covered? Thank you! Can’t wait to try it!

    1. Hi there! I always recommend baking layers of cake ahead of time, freezing, and then frosting and assembling as close to time of serving as possible. πŸ™‚

    1. it will stay moist for a couple of days, but if you need to make farther in advance, I recommend baking the layers, wrapping in plastic wrap and foil, and freezing.

  5. Melinda GammelgΓ₯rd

    What a lovely blog you have created! I’m really exited to try and bake this cake, sounds delicious! I’ve always found it really fun baking americanstyled cakes, as the northern cakes are a lot different in texture and fillings! Keep up the good work!

  6. Where I live in Deep South Texas . We stir with wooden spoon as called for in directions. Plus 1 1/2 cup of oil. Yes the juice of the small can of pinnapple is used also. Also we do make3 layers . But 4 does sound good. I got this recipe pass down from my mother in law. Well for one thing I love to bake and she knew I would do it her way. God bless my mother in law. She done everything as said in recipes so I do the same…This recipe was found in a newspaper way before I was born. And no coconut was added either. So to say yes best cake ever. I still make it every holiday and special birthdays…

  7. I have been baking since I was 12 years old and learned most from my grandmother and my great aunt Fern. Fern was always coming up with interesting “new” recipes to share with the family and this cake was one of them, although, she called Dr. Bird’s cake. I have seen it online with both names. One difference though is that the recipe we always made called for ripe but still fairly firm bananas cut into cubes instead of mashing. This actually seems to make the cake even more moist. Also, we did not drain the pineapple and used the juice in the cake, why waste it?! And, when in the South, it is ALWAYS pecans! I actually found your recipe looking for a good cream cheese frosting. By the way, this cake is also wonderful unfrosted, made in a bundt pan, as muffins, or in a loaf pan, like banana bread.

    1. Tammy, this story is brilliant. My very FAVORITE thing about this blog is connecting with people who have stories like this to tell. Thank you for letting me be apart of it! πŸ™‚

  8. This is a beautiful cake… delicious… But the ingredients lists pecans and the instructions point 4 lists walnuts? I used pecans … is that right ?

    1. You are so right Sarah! Thank you for pointing this out! I made the correction. It should be pecans. πŸ™‚

  9. Hi Kate! What a beautiful blog you have and these mouth-watering pictures. I a baker and cake artist, I make Customised Designer Cakes in Delhi. I loved your Humming Bird Cake recipe & can’t wait to try it out myself.
    Thanks for Sharing

  10. I baked this cake. We had it with no frosting (we’re not into cream cheese). Thank you so much for posting this recipe. We’re turning this cake into a birthday tradition!

  11. Pingback: Hummingbird Layer Cake ~ Gastronomy-Art | Food Art

  12. This looks amazing but not sure about the cake pans. The instructions says”two 4 6-inch round cake pans”… is it “two” or is it “4”? Thank you!

    1. Hello! Thank you for pointing that out, dear! What a terrible mistake. I’ve adjusted the typo in the recipe. πŸ™‚

      1. Haha. And now I see it’s 8″ rounds instead of 6″. I would have had cake batter all over my oven. I can’t wait to try it. Thank you! πŸ™‚

        1. No, you were absolutely correct! I made the adjustment after you commented. Thank you for helping to provide clarification. πŸ™‚

  13. Josephine Varsi

    I often bake for a group and people generally take a small piece (other folks bake, too so it becomes a sort of tasting party). With that in mind, I’d like to bake this as a sheet cake. Is it too much batter for a 9 x 13 pan? Thank you.

    1. That’s a great question. It will be really close and may end up being a smidge too much batter. The cake doesn’t rise a ton so I would recommend preparing your 9×13 and filling with batter until it’s between 1/2-2/3 of the way full. If you can tell it’s full enough, simply put excess batter in a tiny ramekin/muffin tin/ etc. πŸ™‚

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