Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients Instructions
From Aaron's kitchen

Hummingbird Cake

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Ingredients List

Metric measurements

A source measurement needs checking. See measurement notes

Check off ingredients as you prepare them. Converted amounts are rounded.

About these measurements

Metric is the default. US cups are 236.588 mL, not 250 mL. Flour, sugar and other supported dry ingredients use ingredient-specific weight conversions; they are not treated as water. Displayed conversions are rounded.

Where a reliable weight-to-volume conversion is unavailable, weighed ingredients use ounces or pounds in the US view; spoon-measured ingredients use millilitres in the metric view. Ounces (oz) mean weight, not fluid ounces. Counts, pinches, and “to taste” remain unchanged.

For baking and very small quantities, a kitchen scale is more reliable than estimated cups. Changing units does not adjust the recipe for a fan oven or a different pan.

Ingredient conversion reference Conversion notes

Notes from this source recipe

  • Source equivalents disagree: 1 tsp (approx. 5g). The explicit metric quantity is retained.
  • Source equivalents disagree: 1/2 tsp (approx. 3g). The explicit metric quantity is retained.
  • Source gives both mass and volume: 1 1/2 cups (approx. 350g). The metric quantity is retained; no water-density assumption is made.

For the Cake Base

  • All-purpose flour: 360 g
  • Baking soda: 5 g (2:37)
  • Baking powder: 3 g (2:51)
  • Sea salt: 5 mL (2:51)
  • Ground cinnamon: 5–10 mL (3:22)
  • Ginger powder: 5 mL (3:22)
  • Granulated white sugar: 200 g (4:13)
  • Brown sugar: 200–210 g (4:13)
  • Vegetable oil: 350 g (4:48)
  • Eggs: 3 large eggs (4:57)
  • Vanilla paste: 10 mL (or vanilla extract) (5:22)
  • Ripe bananas: 5 bananas (0:49)
  • Crushed pineapple: 227 g (with the juice included) (1:23)
  • Walnuts: 120 g (chopped) (5:22)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Butter: 340 g, ice-cold (9:16)
  • Philadelphia cream cheese: 250 g+, ice-cold (9:35)
  • Vanilla: 5 mL (10:32)
  • Powdered sugar: Approx. 723 g (12:52)

Step-by-Step Baking Instructions

Step 1: Prep and Oven Setup

  • Preheat your oven to 175 °C (3:52).
  • Grease three 20.3 cm silicone cake molds with non-stick spray (6:46).

Step 2: Mash the Wet Baseos

  • Peel 5 very ripe bananas and place them in a mixing bowl (0:49).
  • Tip: If your bananas aren't ripe enough, bake them at 175 °C for 10 minutes until black and soft (0:37).
  • Mash them completely using a potato ricer or fork (0:49).
  • Add 227 g of crushed pineapples with their juice and mix with the ricer until combined (1:23).

Step 3: Combine Dry Spices & Sugars

  • Place the bowl on a kitchen scale and zero it out (4:13).
  • Weigh in 360 g of all-purpose flour, 5 g of baking soda, and 3 g of baking powder (2:21).
  • Add 5 mL of sea salt, 5–10 mL of cinnamon, and 5 mL of ginger powder (2:51).
  • Weigh out 200 g of white granulated sugar and 200–210 g of brown sugar directly into the mix (4:13).

Step 4: Wet Ingredients & Walnuts

  • Pour in 350 g of vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, and 10 mL of vanilla paste (4:48).
  • Toss in 115–120 g of chopped walnuts (5:22).
  • Scale safety rule: Remove the bowl from your kitchen scale before mixing so you do not damage the scale's calibration (5:32). [1]

Step 5: Mix and Bake

  • Using a simple spatula, fold the batter completely by hand (1:14).
  • Mix only until the ingredients are just combined and no flour lumps remain (1:04). Do not overmix.
  • Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans using a scale for accuracy (approx. 464–500 g per pan) (7:33).
  • Bake at 175 °C for roughly 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool entirely overnight before frosting (8:36).

🍦 Step-by-Step Frosting & Assembly

Step 1: Beat the Base

  • To keep the frosting stable, use ice-cold butter and cream cheese straight from the fridge (8:44).
  • Add 340 g of cold butter pieces and 250 g of cold cream cheese into a bowl with 5 mL of vanilla (9:16).
  • Use a hand mixer to beat them together (10:52). Because it is cold, it will take a moment to integrate (11:33).
  • Fixing lumps: If the butter chunks are stubborn, transfer the mix to a microwave-safe bowl and nuke it for 15 seconds to soften slightly (14:40).

Step 2: Add Sugar

  • Gradually mix in up to 723 g of powdered sugar (12:52).
  • Beat on high speed until the texture turns thick, smooth, and glossy (13:34).

Step 3: Assemble and Decorate

  • Place your first cake layer down on a piece of parchment paper on a cake turntable (18:03).
  • Spread a generous layer of cream cheese frosting evenly over the layer using a cake spatula (18:17).
  • Stack the second layer, add more frosting, and top with the third cake layer (18:46).
  • Coat the outside of the cake. Use rustic, decorative "swoops" with your spatula on the top and sides for a clean, homemade look (22:05).
  • Chill the cake in the refrigerator before serving (12:23).

Recipe from Aaron in the Kitchen. View the original page.

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