Editor’s note: This recipe comes straight from Jennifer Davis’s new book The Southern Baking Cookbook (Page Street Publishing, 2022). Here’s what Jennifer has to say about it:

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“My grandmother always baked her hummingbird cake as a Bundt cake instead of a layer cake. Hummingbird cake got its name because it’s said that the dessert is sweet enough to attract hummingbirds. I love the soft notes of pineapple and banana in this recipe, with just enough frosting to sweeten the whole cake. Maybe I won’t have to fight off the nectar-loving seasonal hummingbirds when I’m enjoying a slice outside!”

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 cups (375 grams) cake flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground anise
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup (224 grams) coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 1 1⁄2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
• 1⁄2 cup (110 grams) light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 8 oz (224 grams) crushed pineapple, with juice
• 2 cups (454 grams) mashed overripe banana
• 1 cup (113 grams) roughly chopped pecans

Frosting

• 1⁄2 cup (116 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1⁄4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• 21⁄2 cups (300 grams) confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon milk (optional)
• 1 cup (113 grams) roughly chopped pecans, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Choose your favorite 10- to 12-cup (2.4- to 2.9-L) Bundt pan, and spray it with a light coating of nonstick baking spray.

Make the cake

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, anise, baking soda, and salt. Set the flour mixture aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar at medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the pineapple and its juice and the banana and mix to combine the ingredients. Then, with the mixer running at medium speed, spoon in the flour mixture and beat the ingredients for 1 to 2 minutes, until a cake batter forms. Fold in the pecans with a rubber spatula to disperse them throughout the batter.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and place it in the center of the oven’s middle rack. Bake the cake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs. Remove the Bundt pan from the oven and place it directly on a wire rack to completely cool.

Make the frosting

5. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat them with a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix again for 2 to 3 minutes, until a frosting forms. For a thinner frosting, mix in the milk (if using). To thicken the frosting, add an additional 1⁄4 cup (30 grams) of confectioners’ sugar, then beat the frosting again.

6. Place the cooled cake on a serving dish. Cover it with the frosting, then sprinkle the top with the pecans before slicing and serving it.

Reprinted with permission from The Southern Baking Cookbook by Jenn Davis, Page Street Publishing Co. 2022. Photo credit: Jennifer Davis

Recommended Equipment

Nordic Ware ProForm Bundt, 12 Cup