Hummingbird Cake

Where did hummingbird cake originate from?

The hummingbird cake is a pride of the south, but yet…a bit of a mystery of the origins. This sweet, moist and tropical tasting cake was first submitted under the name we know today (Hummingbird Cake) to Southern Living Magazine in 1978 by a Mrs. L.H. Wiggins. Proudly to say, she was from Greensboro, NC, (about a 15 minute drive from my birthplace!) According to Southern Living, it is still their most popular recipe published.

The history of the beloved hummingbird cake is still quite a mystery though. Some claim it showed up as a tube cake with no icing at the turn of the 20th century under different labels, such as: “Bird Cake”, “Bird of Paradise Cake” and “A Cake that Lasts” because it kept well and stayed moist. Some believe it has Jamaican origins. Whatever the origin, I’m glad this delicious cake filled with pineapple and bananas was introduced. This cake is so moist and easy to make. I can just imagine Mrs. Wiggins making this cake and sitting it on an open window sill on a summer day, and a curious and brave hummingbird zooming over to it, not able to resist the sweet smell, hoovering around for a sip of sugar, (lightbulb moment for Mrs. Wiggins on the name!💡) That’s what I will imagine for my origin story!

This cake is dedicated to my mom, on her birthday week.♥ Lover of birds, and especially hummingbirds. During the summer, on any given day, several hummingbirds can be observed in her backyard, feeding on her sugar mixture in the feeder, sometimes having to be filled everyday. Those tiny birds have quite a sweet tooth! I updated this post with a few new photos of a two-layer 9-inch hummingbird cake I made for my neighbor. My neighbor had kindly repainted a couple of metal sunflowers that were in our back yard and I thought one kind gesture deserved another, so I baked her this cake. (She loved it by the way!) I decorated it with some of my edible viola flowers that I grew from seed along with a few edible butterflies I had in my cake decorating arsenal.

NOTE: This recipe yields a 9-inch two layer cake or a three layer 8-inch cake, (adjust baking time as needed.) The cake with pineapple flowers shown is a two layer 6-inch cake. (I only needed a small cake to share with family and I made a few loaves on the side to take to some old friends on the same visit.) Traditionally, a hummingbird cake is covered completely in icing, but my family and I do not like an overly sweetened cake, and especially since this cake is already very sweet and moist, it doesn’t need much more, so if you want to cover the cake completely, double the icing recipe.

Let’s begin!

Ingredients for hummingbird cake

Ingredients:

For cake:

• 1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe bananas (3-4 med bananas)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup plant butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• One 8oz can crushed pineapple, with juice

Easy cream cheese icing ingredients:

Icing ingredients:

• Two 8 oz blocks cream cheese
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp orange juice

Optional toppings: Toasted pecans and dried pineapple flowers

How to make dried pineapple flowers

NOTE: If you are using dried pineapple flowers for decoration, please allow yourself time, at least 3 hours.For dried pineapple flower instructions, click HERE.

How to make a hummingbird cake

Cake Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350℉/176℃ and grease and flour two 9-inch baking pans.Mash bananas and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla at medium speed until fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

Start adding the flour mixture, a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour mixture, beating until just combined after each addition.

Add bananas and pineapple (with juice) and fold in with fork or rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.Use a measuring cup to evenly disperse batter into prepared pans, then firmly tap bottom on pans on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown and when toothpick inserted, no wet batter, only a few moist crumbs on toothpick or toothpick comes out clean.Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then remove cakes and continue cooling on rack completely.

How to make a simple cream cheese icing (only 3 ingredients!)

Icing Instructions:

Add all icing ingredients (cream cheese, honey and orange juice) to a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until light and creamy.Just as easy as that!

This easy icing is not the traditional hummingbird cake recipe, but in my opinion, it yields the perfect amount of sweetness for an already very sweet cake.(We southerner’s like to play around with recipes and switch ‘em up to our liking😉)

Spread icing between layers, then remaining amount over top and sides of the cake, if desired. Like I stated before, our family just enjoys the small amount in between layers and on top, so you may have to double (or at least add one more block of cream cheese) the recipe to cover sides also. Top with dried pineapple flowers for an extra special touch.

What does hummingbird cake taste like?

Hummingbird cake is very moist and dense and the bananas and pineapple give it a tropical flavor and the hint of cinnamon adds a cozy warmth to each bite. The cream cheese icing compliments this cake so deliciously and is easy to spread and swirl in a decorative pattern.

Enjoy!

💜Julie