This moist hummingbird cake is quick and easy because it starts with a cake mix plus added banana and pineapple then covered in a rich cream cheese frosting.
The best thing about this cake is that you can get a hummingbird cake that tastes like you made it from scratch, but it’s so much quicker using a box mix as the base.
Table of Contents:
Starting with a cake mix just means the results will be predictable and you’ll get a great-tasting homemade hummingbird cake every single time.
It definitely won’t be apparent that you started with a cake mix.
Ingredient Notes:
Now let’s talk about just some of the ingredients that are in this pineapple banana cake. (The printable list of all ingredients is in the recipe card below.)
Yellow cake mix: This is the base for this cake. You’ll be adding in other ingredients, but this will be the base to build off of and it will make things go super quick and easy. You could probably use any 15-ounce cake mix, but I used Betty Crocker’s yellow cake mix.
Flour, baking powder, sugar and salt: These ingredients will help extend the cake mix and help to make a little more cake batter, which will fill the pans a bit more and make for thicker cake layers. It will also help give it that from-scratch taste.
Cinnamon & vanilla extract: Cinnamon is the perfect spice to add to a banana and pineapple cake. It’s just enough to bring out the flavors, but subtle and not overpowering at all. Vanilla extract goes hand-in-hand when baking because it lends a nice taste and helps bring out the other flavors.
Oil and butter: These two ingredients will give a lot of moisture to the cake and the butter will give it a touch of butter flavor. If you want a strong butter flavor, just add a teaspoon of butter extract.
Bananas & Pineapple: It just wouldn’t be a hummingbird cake without bananas and pineapple. They make a great combination. Make sure to use very ripe bananas as they’ll have the strongest flavor.
How to Make this Cake:
Let’s talk about how to make a hummingbird cake. (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Step 1:
First, you’ll want to make the cake. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and grease and flour two, 8-inch round cake pans.
Make sure that the pans you are using are at least 2 inches deep (that’s a standard pan) as this cake will rise up when baking.
Step 2:
Add all of the cake ingredients, except for the chopped nuts, to a large mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for about one minute.
Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and then mix again on medium for about 30 more seconds.
Step 3:
Add the chopped nuts (which are optional), and keep a handful to crush for garnishing the cake. Fold the chopped nuts into the cake batter with a large spoon or silicone spatula.
Step 4:
Pour the batter into prepared pans and bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 40-45 minutes. This cake will rise up quite a bit when baking, so if you’re worried about overflow, just add a cookie sheet on the rack below the cake pans.
This cake is fully baked when a toothpick inserted into the middle of each layer comes out with a few moist crumbs on it or clean.
Step 5:
Once baked, set the cake layers onto a rack to cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 6:
Next, turn them out of the pans and set the cake layers directly onto the racks to cool completely before adding frosting.
Step 7:
Now make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter and the cream cheese and mix well with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.
Step 8:
Add the salt, lemon juice and three cups of confectioner’s sugar, and then mix on medium speed until well combined and smooth.
Step 9:
Now add in the last three cups of confectioner’s sugar and mix on medium speed until smooth. Once it’s mixed well, check the consistency. If it’s too thin, add in another cup of confectioners sugar.
Once the desired consistency has been reached, mix on medium-high for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy.
Step 10:
Add the frosting to the cooled cake. Make sure that the cake has cooled completely throughout or the heat will travel up and the frosting will become thin and runny.
Once frosted, feel free to sprinkle crushed or chopped pecans or walnuts over the cake for garnish.
Easy Hummingbird Cake with Cake Mix and Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 (15 ounce) box yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker yellow cake mix)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/4 cup butter, melted (1/2 stick)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 medium-sized very ripe bananas, mashed (about a heaping cupful)
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
For the frosting: (See notes for an even easier frosting option.)
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature (3 sticks)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 6 cups confectioner's sugar
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour two, 8 inch round cake pans. Make sure that the pans are at least 2 inches deep as this cake will rise up when baking.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all of the cake ingredients, except for the chopped nuts. Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for about one minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again on medium for about 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped nuts, reserving a few to crush for garnish, and fold in with a large spoon or silicone spatula.
- Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 40-45 minutes. This cake will rise up quite a bit when baking. If you're worried about overflow, just add a cookie sheet on the rack below the cake pans.
- This cake is fully baked when a toothpick inserted into the middle of each layer comes out with a few moist crumbs on it or clean.
- Set onto a rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then turn cake layers out of pans and set directly onto racks to cool completely before adding frosting.
For the frosting: (See notes for an even easier frosting option.)
- In a large mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter and cream cheese and mix well with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
- Add the salt, lemon juice and three cups of confectioner's sugar. Mix on medium speed until well combined and smooth.
- Add in the last three cups of confectioner's sugar and mix on medium speed until smooth.
- Check the consistency. If it’s too thin, add in another cup of confectioners sugar. Once the desired consistency has been reached, mix on medium-high for a couple minutes until light and fluffly.
- Add frosting to cooled cake.
Notes
Nutrition
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Tips & FAQs:
Hummingbird cake is a cake made with bananas and pineapple that was invented in Jamaica and became popular in the southern United States.
This recipe calls for a yellow cake mix. Any type will probably do, but make sure to use a mix that’s about 15 ounces. I’ve had good luck with Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines cake mixes.
Yes, you probably could although it may taste slightly different than if you’d used a yellow cake mix.
No, just add the cake mix dry and add in the other ingredients called for in the recipe card, but not the back of the cake mix box.
The added ingredients will help this cake taste homemade like it’s made from scratch and not a mix. It will also extend the cake mix to make for thicker cake layers.
Make sure not to pack the flour down into the measuring cup. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level off the top. Scooping the flour will end up adding too much, which will make the cake dry.
Use real butter and preferably not margarine. Butter just works better and has a better taste. For the cake, you can use either salted or unsalted. There’s a small amount, so either will work. For the frosting, use unsalted.
You can, but the flavor just won’t be as strong. Very ripe bananas work better and have better flavor. You can set the green bananas into a paper sack, close the sack and let them sit like that for a few days and it helps to ripen them faster.
Well, you don’t have to, but then you won’t get a hummingbird cake. It would just be a cake with pineapple in it, which is fine if that’s what you’re going for.
Canned crushed pineapple works well, but if you prefer fresh pineapple, you can use that, but it needs to be fairly crushed up so there aren’t chunks in the cake batter.
You can omit the pineapple, but just know you won’t get an actual hummingbird cake. It would just be a banana cake.
Yes.
This cake is fully baked when a toothpick inserted into the middle of each layer comes out with a few moist crumbs on it or clean.
When making the frosting, make sure to let the cream cheese come to room temperature before trying to mix the buttercream frosting.
There is an easier option if you don’t want to make homemade frosting. You can use two cans of premade cream cheese icing to layer and cover the cake.
This cake can be made ahead of time and frozen if desired. Let the baked cake layers cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and foil and place in the freezer for up to a month.
To thaw, place the wrapped cake layers on the counter at room temperature and let thaw completely, then remove the wrapping. Once defrosted, add frosting.
Because this cake is covered in cream cheese buttercream, it will need to be kept in the refrigerator, well covered, and will last for 5-6 days.
This cake is best served at room temperature, so set it out for about 20-30 minutes before serving.
I have not tested this recipe out as cupcakes, but it should work just fine. Fill 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes) with cupcake liners and fill with batter about 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F and start checking for doneness at around 20-25 minutes.
I have not tested that out, but it should be just fine. You shouldn’t need to make any changes regarding temperature and baking time although I would start checking for doneness about 10 minutes earlier just to be safe.
Oh, I’m sure that would be just fine. I haven’t personally tested this recipe out baked in a bundt pan, but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work. Don’t adjust the ingredients or the temperature, but you may end up baking it for longer since it’s baking in a deeper pan.
This cake would be great with a lemon curd filling.
Video:
Supplies used for this recipe:
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- Mixing bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Two, 8-inch round cake pans
- Silicon spatula
- Oven mitts
- Cooling racks
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I’d like to try this recipe but without the added sugar. Would I need to add more of an additional ingredient or can I simply leave it out?
It might be fine just leaving it out. I wouldn’t say that for a scratch cake, but this one is based on a cake mix, so it might be okay…I’ve just not tried it that way.