Classic Hummingbird Cake With Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

A slice of Hummingbird cake on a white china plate with the tiered cake in the background.

5 from 1 vote

Classic Hummingbird Cake With Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Humming Bird Cake is a rich, soft cake that is bursting with banana, pecan and coconut flavors. Then frosted with a rich cream cheese frosting and topped with toasted pecans and coconut.

Prep Time30

Cook Time28

Resting and Frosting Time2 30

Total Time3 28

Course: Cake dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 608kcal

Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Equipment

Ingredients

Cake

2 cups chopped toasted pecans* 250g
3 cups all-purpose flour 375 g (spoon and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups mashed banana 4 ripe bananas
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
3 large eggs at room temperature
⅔ cup vegetable oil 160 ml.
1 cup packed dark brown sugar 200g may also use light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
½ cup coconut flakes 46 ½g
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:

16 ounces cream cheese, softened 450g (2- 8oz. blocks cream cheese softened room to temperature)
1 cup unsalted butter 175g softened to room temperature
¼ cup caramel sauce 84 ¼g
4 cups confectioners’ sugar 480g (divided)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon coarse salt

For the topping:

½ cup coconut flakes 46 ½g toasted coconut flakes
¼ cup toasted pecans ( toast these nuts with the cake nuts and set the ¼ cup aside.) 27 ¼g finely chopped

Instructions

Toast the pecans:

Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Spread pecans onto a lined baking pan. Toast for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven. Set ¼ cup aside for the frosting.

Toast the coconut:

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the ½ cup coconut and toast until light golden. Set aside.

The cake:

Turn oven up to 350°F (177°C).
Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper.
Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
Whisk the rest of the cake ingredients in a medium bowl.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until completely combined.
Fold in 1 and ½ cups toasted pecans. (Save the rest for garnish.) You should have about 7 cups of batter.
Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans. Bake for 26-29 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Rotate pans halfway through baking.
Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack.
Once completely cooled, remove cakes from pan and level the tops off so they are flat. I simply use a serrated knife. Discard the tops or eat. YUM!

For the frosting:

In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, caramel sauce, vanilla, and salt together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in 3 ½ cups of the confectioners’ sugar, adding more if necessary to reach a stiffer but spreadable consistency.
Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes.

The topping:

In a small bowl, combine the toasted coconut and chopped pecans.

Assemble the cake:

Make sure the cake layers are completely cooled before starting.
Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Using an offset spatula, spread top with 1 cup of the frosting.
Place second layer on top of frosted bottom. Evenly cover the top with frosting.
Top with 3rd layer and evenly cover the top with frosting. Finish with the third cake layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides, making it as smooth as possible. (See Notes)
Decorate top with a circle of the coconut-pecan mixture around the outer edge of the cake.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing or else the cake may gently fall apart as you cut.
Leftover cake is delicious covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

To prevent layers from slipping:

To keep the layers from slipping when finishing the cake, skewer the three layers together with 3 thin bamboo skewers evenly spaced around the cake.

When the cake is cold and set, remove the skewers. You can cover the small holes made by the skewers with the frosting and topping.

Make ahead instructions:
Prepare cakes and frosting 1 day in advance. Keep cakes at room temperature, covered tightly.

Refrigerate prepared frosting in an airtight container, then bring to room temperature when ready to use.

Freezing cake:

Frosted or unfrosted cakes may be frozen up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving.

Special Tools: KitchenAid Stand Mixer | Glass Mixing Bowls | Rainbow Whisk | 9-inch Cake Pan | Icing Spatula

Pecans: If you're allergic to pecans, you may leave them out without substituting another nut.
Pineapple: Don’t drain the crushed pineapple.
Frozen Bananas: You may use frozen thawed bananas in this recipe. Let them thaw thoroughly and drain off as much of the excess liquid as you can before using them.
Cupcakes: This recipe will make at least 32-35 cupcakes. Fill liners ⅔ full and bake 20-22 minutes or until cooked through.
Bundt Pan: This recipe also fits into a bundt pan, though the bake time will be long– 55-65 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Sheet Pan: There is too much batter for a 9×13 pan, but a 12×17 sheet pan is perfect. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, keep a close eye to not over-bake.
Adapted from Southern Living.

Nutrition