Hummingbird Cake Recipe
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I kept seeing a Facebook post from Southern Living that said this hummingbird cake recipe was its most popular recipe … in the entire 50 year history of Southern Living magazine. That’s a pretty serious statement. And, the woman who submitted the recipe, a Mrs. L.H. Wiggins is from Greensboro, NC, which isn’t far from me. I love how they use the Mrs. in front of her name. Something you’d do 50 years ago.
Anyway, any recipe that can stand the test of 50 years is a dessert I have to make. A hummingbird cake is simply a banana, nut, spice cake. It’s reminiscent of a carrot cake.
Pineapple is what I’d call the secret ingredient. It adds moisture, but doesn’t overpower the overall flavor of the cake.
I made this for my family one Sunday and it was an instant hit. No wonder it’s a southern classic, just as Mrs. Wiggins would have it be.
Hummingbird Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 11/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
- 2 cups chopped bananas
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 16-ounce package powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda and cinnamon.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Add eggs and oil, stirring moistened.3 large eggs, 11/2 cups vegetable oil
- Stir in vanilla, pineapple, bananas, and 1 cup chopped pecans.1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained, 2 cups chopped bananas, 1 cup chopped pecans
- Pour batter into 3 well-greased 9-inch round cake pans
- Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes our clean.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes
- Remove from pans to cool completely on wire racks
For Frosting
- Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth2 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened, 1 cup butter
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla2 16-ounce package powdered sugar, sifted, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- When cake layers are cool, place on cake plate and frosting each layer.
- Top cake with whole pecans in decorative fashion
Did You Make This Recipe?
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