Hummingbird Sheet Cake
Andrea Potischman
May 16, 2018
I’ve recently become obsessed with hummingbird cake. First, I love the name: it sounds pretty. Second, it’s almost a cross between four of my favorite sweets: coconut cake, frosted banana cake, carrot cake, and banana bread. It’s sweet, but not overly so. It has texture but is super moist. It’s rustic, yet elegant. Best of all, it’s a sheet cake and it’s incredibly easy to make. Really. In the “cake” world, it does not get much easier than this.
If you Google “hummingbird cake,” you will see references to a banana-pineapple spice cake common in the Southern U.S.—a mid-19th-century invention. The hummingbird cake was created in Jamaica and named after the island’s national bird—the hummingbird. In Jamaica, the cake has another name: “doctor bird cake,” after another name for the national bird. But how did this small island make such a big splash with this tropical-style cake? It turns out that the Jamaican Tourist Board is responsible for its popularity.
From what I understand, in 1978 the tourist board got the idea to export hummingbird cake recipes with other popular local Jamaican favorites in media kits aimed at Americans, in hopes of driving up tourism. The hummingbird cake recipe quickly got traction. Southern Living picked it up and within a year it had won the “Favorite Cake Award” at the Kentucky State Fair. In 1990, it got selected as Southern Living’s favorite recipe and was recognized for being “the most requested recipe in the magazine’s history. Impressive.
Typically made in a layer-cake fashion, I broke from the mold in my recipe. Sometimes simple is best. If you have never tried a hummingbird cake, you should give it a try. This is an easy, absolutely delicious cake that does not disappoint.
Hummingbird Sheet Cake
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- Dash of salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- One (8-ounce) can of crushed pineapple, drained
- 3 bananas, mashed
- 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
For the Frosting:
- Two (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.
- For the Cake: In a large mixing bowl add the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix well and set aside.
- In the bowl of a kitchen mixer such as a Kitchen Aid fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium until well incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Add the pineapple and banana and mix well. Remove the bowl from the stand and using a rubber spatula gently fold in the pecans.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to even out and remove any air bubbles. Place the cake in the oven and bake for about 55 minutes or until set and a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- For the Frosting: Place the cream cheese and butter into the bowl of a kitchen mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high until smooth and well incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix. With the mixer on low slowly add the confectioners' sugar. Mix until smooth and fluffy. Once the cake cooled completely, invert the cake onto a serving platter. At this point, I like to use a serrated knife to lightly trim the sides cake removing any hard crust.
- Frost the cake as desired. Store the frosted cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Oh, this sounds so delicious but I need the recipe for a full size sheet pan (16×24). Can you help me with this? Thanks
If you double the recipe that should be fine.