The first published reference to hummingbird cake was in a February 1978 issue of Southern Living magazine; the recipe was submitted by L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina. That summer, hummingbird cake won the favorite cake award at the Kentucky State Fair. There are several theories about how the cake got its name. One suggests that the cake is so delicious that it makes people hum with happiness; others suggest that the cake is sweet enough for hummingbirds, or that people hover around the cake like hummingbirds hover over flowers. In the Caribbean, a hummingbird is known as a “doctor-bird,” and in March 1969 a recipe for doctor-bird cake was published in the Jamaican Daily Gleaner. The cake has also been called Jamaican cake, granny’s best cake, cake that won’t last, and nothing-left cake.
Recipe Servings: 12
Ingredients
Cake:
- Shortening, as needed to grease pans
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little to dust the pans
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ cups canola oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 cups mashed bananas, very ripe
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
Frosting:
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
- Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set the mixture aside.
- Combine the oil, eggs, pineapple, bananas, and half of the nuts in a large bowl.
- Add the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake them for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely.
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the butter, mixing until well combined and smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing until fully combined.
- Cover the tops of each 9-inch cake with frosting and stack one on top of the other.
- Frost the sides of the cakes and sprinkle with remaining nuts.
For Cake:
For Frosting:
For Assembly:
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