Full of bright, fruity flavors, this One-Layer Hummingbird Cake will be your new dessert obsession! Thought to have originated in Jamaica, each luscious bite of hummingbird cake boasts bold banana and pineapple flavors. A neutral oil helps keep the crumb soft and tender, and a perfuming of vanilla extract adds to its sweet success. Our Cream Cheese Frosting covers the exterior in tangy, buttery goodness, and a sprinkling of chopped toasted pecans adds the perfect crunch. But it’s the Nordic Ware Charlotte Cake Pan that makes this cake truly magical. Similar in appearance to a traditional French dessert that requires great care to make, this stunning design replicates the dessert with ease. The cupped top allows for toppings and garnishes to be cradled without hassle or mess, creating a gorgeous, finished look. An elegant beauty with rich, tropical flavors to match, this unbeatable cake is the ultimate dessert!
One-Layer Hummingbird Cake
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (219 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon (1.5 grams) ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 (8-ounce) can (227 grams) crushed pineapple, drained
- â…” cup (160 grams) mashed banana
- ½ cup (112 grams) neutral oil
- 1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (52 grams) finely chopped toasted pecans
- Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
- Garnish: finely chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together pineapple, banana, oil, egg, and vanilla. Add pineapple mixture to flour mixture, whisking just until combined. Fold in pecans.
- Spray a 6-cup Charlotte pan with baking spray with flour. Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter several times to settle batter and release air bubbles.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Place Cream Cheese Frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch French star piping tip (Ateco #865). Pipe on top of cake as desired. Garnish with pecans, if desired. Refrigerate until frosting is set, 15 to 20 minutes, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 2¾ cups (330 grams) confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined and stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Use immediately.
Sweet Cream Cheese Swirls
We show you how to gorgeously pipe our Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Place Cream Cheese Frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch French star piping tip (Ateco #865). Pipe onto cake as desired. Garnish with pecans, if desired. Refrigerate until frosting is set, 15 to 20 minutes, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
I made this cake for my birthday. Very good, even better the second day. I only had a 9″ pan but it worked out OK. Cream cheese icing was delicious. Thanks for a wonderful cake recipe.
I was gifted the Charlotte pan for Christmas and this was my first bake in it. Delicious and beautiful! A definite keeper. I think I’ll try the cake recipe as muffins next without the frosting.
I thought the cake was a little dry. So, I put it on a bed of crushed pineapple with its juice. I also brushed some pineapple juice on the cut slices. My husband loved it! I think next time I make it; I’ll put some crushed pineapple and juice on top before adding the cream cheese frosting. Also, I only used 3/4 cup of confectioner’s sugar and that was too sweet for me. Can’t imagine how sweet it would have been if I had used the other 2 cups.