Hummingbird Cake Recipe (With Video)

Servings:

12

Yield:

1 9-inch layer cake

There’s a lot to love about our hummingbird cake recipe. It makes an easy two-layer cake that’s packed with banana, coconut, canned pineapple, and walnuts (or pecans if you prefer). It’s an oil cake, no butter needed except to grease the baking pans. The oil and the fruits ensure it is a deliciously moist cake. Cream cheese frosting goes between the layers and is used to frost the cake. The finishing touch is homemade dried pineapple flowers—thinly sliced pineapple is dried in a low oven creating dramatic natural blooms that make this cake perfect for a celebration, whether Easter, Mother’s Day, or a birthday.

Directions

Prep for making pineapple flowers:

Preheat oven to 225°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with Silpats or parchment. Peel pineapples and use a small melon baller to remove and discard any "eyes."
Make dried pineapple flowers:

Slice pineapple very thinly; place slices on baking sheets. Cook until tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip slices; cook until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack.

Pineapple flowers can be made up to three days ahead. Cool and refrigerate in an airtight container.
Preheat oven and prep pans:

Increase heat to 350°F, with rack in the center. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Butter paper, and dust the pans with flour, tapping out any excess. Set aside.
Mix dry ingredients:

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
Combine oil, vanilla, and sugar; add eggs one at a time:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, 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.
Combine banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut:

In a medium bowl, mix together banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut.
Add banana mixture to egg; blend in dry ingredients:

Add to egg mixture; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; blend well.
Divide batter between pans and bake:

Divide batter between pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
Cool:

Transfer pans to a wire rack. Let cool 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges to loosen. Invert onto racks; reinvert, top side up. Cool completely.

Once cakes are cooled, they can be assembled and frosted or frozen for later use; wrap each layer well and freeze.
Assemble cake:

With a serrated knife, trim and discard rounded top off one layer. Place layer on serving platter. Using an offset spatula, spread top of layer with 1/4 inch of frosting. Top with untrimmed layer.
Frost and decorate:

Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Decorate with pineapple flowers, if desired. Serve at room temperature.