Can you believe this was the first time I’ve tried Hummingbird Cake?!
I know. Me either.
In my defense – and probably in many of yours – I hadn’t really known about Hummingbird Cake until recently. It’s a Southern cake, so if you’re from the South you’re probably way ahead of me. Allow me to catch up!
Most people know about red velvet cake – aka, the most Southern cake there is. But a lot of people overlook this beautiful Hummingbird Cake, which, by the way – I have no idea why they call it that. And no hummingbirds were involved in the making of this cake. Just FYI.
But there’s kinda something magical that happens when you bake up a Hummingbird Cake. First, it’s a spice cake base which automatically makes it awesome. Then you jazz it up with crushed pineapple, mashed banana and pecans. Lastly, I finished this off with a super thick, ultra rich cream cheese glaze, more chopped pecans and a sprinkling of toasted coconut.
JESUS TAKE THE WHEEEEEL.
The result is a supremely moist cake bursting with a bunch of different flavors and textures. You get the sweetness from the pineapple and banana, the crunch from the pecans, and the warmth from the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves spicing the batter. Then you get the creaminess from that glaze – seriously, pass a straw – and a wonderful nuttiness from the toasted coconut.
And yes, toasting the coconut is mandatory. If you’ve ever had toasted coconut, you’ll know why. It’s only the bestthingever.
With spring vastly approaching, Easter coming up and Mother’s Day along the way, I highly suggest bookmarking this cake to make for any of those events! It’s so simple – thanks to a cake mix – but is doctored up so much that no one will know you took a shortcut. It’s definitely a cake that wows!
Plus, you can pretend to be Southern when you make it. Accent required, obvi.
Hummingbird Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box spice cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 small box instant banana pudding mix just the dry mix
- 1 cup mashed banana about 2 medium bananas
- 1 (8 oz can) crushed pineapple
- 1½ cups chopped pecans divided
- FOR GLAZE & TOPPING:
- 4 oz cream cheese softened to room temp
- 2 Tbsp butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup toasted coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease a bundt pan with cooking spray, preferably the kind with flour in it. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and dry pudding mix with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes or until combined. Fold in the mashed banana, crushed pineapple and one (1) cup of the chopped pecans.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for approx. 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool completely in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack.
- Once cool, make your glaze. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and heavy cream until combined. Add in the powdered sugar, beating until smooth and pourable. Pour the mixture over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Immediately sprinkle with the remaining chopped pecans and the toasted coconut.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge.
Rich, moist, flavorful deliciousness all up in here!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
Marina @ A Dancer's Live-It says
I have yet to try actual Hummingbird Cake because I’m not a huge fan of nuts in my baked goods, but this looks WAY too good to pass up!! By the way, I’m ECSTATIC about your cookbook!! <3
thedomesticrebel says
You could always leave out the nuts and keep them sprinkled on top! Either way, it’s a must-try for sure 🙂 thanks Marina!
Sarah E. says
That is a seriously gorgeous cake! I don’t know why, but I just love bundt cakes. They are the best! Can’t wait to make this one 🙂
oliv says
I like the idea of this cake but it just didn’t work for my family.There are so many ingredients and they didn’t live up to a scrumptious, outstanding cake. Sorry
thedomesticrebel says
Oliv, I’m so sorry you didn’t like the cake! Perhaps next time you could omit the pineapple and coconut and stick with banana, or make it more of a pina colada themed cake instead!
lynne says
do you add pineapple with or without juice please
thedomesticrebel says
Without!
Elva says
Ugh! Too late! I put the pineapple WITH the juice! We’ll see how it comes out, if at all. Perhaps it should say in the directions, DRAINED crushed pineapple..
Sandra says
Can You use walnuts instead of pecans?
thedomesticrebel says
You sure can, Sandra!
Ann says
I baked this cake for 70 minutes and when I took it out of the oven , it fell! After cooling it completely and removing it from the pan, a cut slice was partially gooey. I am very disappointed!
Leslie says
Made this for Thanksgiving dessert as an alternative for those who don’t like pie. It was a hit! The only thing I would do slightly different is thin out the frosting just a tad. Otherwise, delicious!!
Linda says
I made it without the frosting and it worked very well. My husband loved this cake! So much so that he asked me for the recipe so he could make it for his friends. I didnt know if i should drain the pineapple and i chose not to. It was super moist. I also used vanilla pudding rather than banana pudding as that is what i had on hand.