A decadent homemade Hummingbird Cake made with pineapple and walnuts, topped with pineapple frosting & dried pineapple flower decorations. It’s impressive!
Hummingbird Cake Recipe
I love everything about this Hummingbird Cake! First of all, it’s full of pineapple chunks, bananas, and walnuts! Then it’s covered in a sweet and yummy pineapple frosting and decorated with dried pineapple flowers. The entire cake is just stunning if I do say so myself!
The “flowers” are what draws you in, but the flavors are what keeps you coming back for more! Yeah, this cake was that good!
The flowers are really the main attraction to the cake.
I love them cascading down the side of the cake. I thought about putting them on the top, but then changed my mind when I was looking at the cake. What do you think? Do you like them asymmetrical like this? If you weren’t already in love with the pineapple flowers from the first tutorial, here, I hope you are now!
I’m just blown away each time I look at the photos. I love how imperfect they are. They each have their own character and whimsy-ness. They just make me happy.
And a happy baker is a happy blogger.
Enough about the outside, let’s get to the inside of this cake! It’s packed with pineapple chunks and bananas. Toss in some toasted walnuts and it’s just wonderful!
The original recipe made three 9″ round cakes, but I don’t have three pans… so I made two 8″ cakes and two 6″ cakes. It worked out great. I just used one smaller cake on top – the second one is carefully tucked away in my freezer waiting for summer day to be consumed!
Frankly, I think any day is a great day for this cake!
This recipe is part three of a series including the Pineapple Flowers and the Pineapple Frosting.
This recipe was featured on Better Homes and Gardens in their 15 Ways to Enjoy Tropical Recipes at Home. Check it out!
Hummingbird Cake

Three layer Hummingbird Cake full of pineapples, bananas, and walnuts with a pineapple frosting and decorated with dried pineapple flowers.
Ingredients
- 2 C ripe banana, mashed (approximately 3)
- 1 1/2 C vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, including juice
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 C flour
- 2 C sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 C walnuts, chopped + more for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and prepare thee 9" round cake pans with nonstick spray or parchment.
- Beat the bananas, oil and eggs in your stand mixer and add in the pineapple and vanilla.
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
- Hand stir in the walnuts.
- Divide the batter into three pans and bake for 30 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and cool on a wire rack.
- Frost with Pineapple Frosting. Add walnuts to the lower half of the cake by pressing them into the frosting by the handful.
- Decorate with Dried Pineapple Flowers.
- Cut and serve!
Notes
If you refrigerate the cake, do so without the flowers. The humidity in the ridge will soften the dried flowers and make them more leathery. Save a 1/4 cup of the frosting in a baggie and pipe on wet frosting to adhere the flowers when you are ready to serve.
Recipe from Taste of Home Bakeshop
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 465Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 248mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 2gSugar: 32gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
9 Delicious Hummingbird Cake to Make This Year - Great Food Kitchen
Monday 19th of July 2021
[…] Recipe: Hummingbird Cake – pintsizedbaker.com […]
Sande
Thursday 11th of January 2018
Hi there Sande here, the pic shows 2 different size pans in order for the pineapples to cascade. Is it 4 layers ? 2 six inch and 2, 8 inch. I’d like to make it like your pic shows. I’m proud to say I mastered the pineapples . Thank you for sharing
Karyn Granrud
Saturday 13th of January 2018
The cake recipe itself makes two 8-inch cakes. I wanted a tiered look so I made one 8-inch and one 6-inch. There was batter left over for a few cupcakes. Don't try to get all the batter into the smaller pan. I would not suggest torting the cake (slicing it in half) because of the walnut pineapple chunks. I hope it turns out fabulous!!
Tasanee Campbell
Friday 3rd of July 2015
I was introduced to Humming bird cake on my mission in Northern Florida. Love it. You cake is beautiful.- If you are ever looking for something different to do with it, add 2 TBS of Cinnamon to the cream cheese frosting.
Karyn Granrud
Sunday 5th of July 2015
Cinnamon Cream Cheese would be great! I've used it on spice cakes as well!
10 Scrumptious Valentines Day Desserts _ Mabey She Made It
Wednesday 1st of April 2015
[…] Olive Oil Cake Flourless Chocolate Cake Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake Hummingbird Cake Chocolate Cherry Cake with […]
Sara Willard
Friday 27th of March 2015
I know this post is a few months old now, but I have a question! You clearly didn't do three 9 inch layers here - can you share what you did? Two 9 inch and two 8 inch? Two nine inch and one 8 inch? Did you change the batter at all to accommodate?
I just love the look of the smaller top layers and I'd like to do mine the same but want to be sure! Thanks so much in advance!!!
Karyn Granrud
Sunday 29th of March 2015
The original recipe made three 9" round cakes, but I don't have three pans... so I made two 8" cakes and two 6" cakes.