Easy Southern Hummingbird Cake with Cake Mix (Cast-Iron Skillet)
This easy Southern hummingbird cake starts with a white cake mix and is baked in a cast-iron skillet with bananas, pineapple, coconut, pecans, warm spices, and cream cheese frosting.
If you love the flavors of classic hummingbird cake but don’t want to fuss with multiple cake layers, you’re going to love this simple cast-iron skillet version. It starts with a boxed white cake mix, but ripe bananas, crushed pineapple, coconut, toasted pecans, and warm spices give it a delicious homemade flavor.
Once the cake has cooled, it is covered with rich cream cheese frosting and decorated with a piped border and a generous sprinkling of pecans. It’s easy enough for an ordinary family dessert but pretty enough to serve during the holidays.
Stop and Watch the Hummingbirds
Years ago, I was invited to teach and speak at a writing conference in Rusk, Texas. A friend traveled with me, and the night before the conference, we stayed with the woman who was in charge of the group.
She lived on the most remarkable piece of East Texas property. As I recall, they had fields and did some farming, but what I remember most clearly was the expansive, gently rolling front yard and the gorgeous wide porch overlooking it.
After a very early dinner, we settled into rocking chairs on that porch with glasses of tea. We visited awhile and watched the hummingbirds come and sip nectar from the feeders. It was the first time I could remember deliberately slowing down simply to watch the birds—with nowhere else to be and no other agenda.
Something about that evening stayed with me. Since then, birds have become “my thing.” Much of the artwork in my living room is bird-themed, including the colorful little birds hanging above my welcome sign.
As we move toward the holiday season, life is about to become very busy—not just in my family, but seemingly everywhere. We move so quickly. We worry, plan, hurry, and race from one responsibility to the next.
Sometimes it’s good to remember to stop and watch the hummingbirds.
And perhaps nibble on a slice of this delicious hummingbird cake while we’re doing it.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
—Matthew 6:26–27
What Is Hummingbird Cake?
Hummingbird cake is a rich, moist banana-and-pineapple spice cake commonly filled with pecans and covered in cream cheese frosting. Some versions also include shredded coconut, which pairs beautifully with the tropical fruit flavors.
It reminds me a little of Italian cream cake and German chocolate cake, two of my personal favorites. Those cakes also feature coconut and pecans, so adding a little coconut to this easy hummingbird cake felt exactly right.
Why Is It Called Hummingbird Cake?
Although it eventually became a beloved Southern dessert, hummingbird cake traces its roots to Jamaica, where an early version was known as Doctor Bird Cake. The name referred to Jamaica’s national bird, the red-billed streamertail hummingbird, locally called the “doctor bird.”
The banana-and-pineapple cake made its way to the United States in the late 1960s and became especially popular after a version appeared in Southern Living in 1978. Since then, hummingbird cake has earned a cherished place on Southern dessert tables.
An Easy Hummingbird Cake Made with Cake Mix
Traditional hummingbird cake is often made from scratch and baked as a tall layer cake. It’s beautiful, but sometimes you want all those wonderful flavors without all that work.
This easier recipe begins with a boxed white cake mix. Cinnamon, nutmeg, bananas, pineapple, coconut, and pecans completely transform the mix, giving the finished cake the flavor and texture of a homemade Southern dessert.
Baking it in a cast-iron skillet makes the process even simpler. There are no cake layers to level, stack, or fill.
Ingredients
You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here's a quick glance at what you will need. These are simple ingredients you might already have in your pantry or refrigerator.
For the Hummingbird Cake
- White cake mix
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground allspice, optional
- Large eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Mashed ripe bananas
- Undrained crushed pineapple
- Vanilla extract
- Sweetened shredded coconut
- Chopped pecans
Note: I used pumpkin pie spice in place of the nutmeg and allspice.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese
- Salted or unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Milk or heavy cream, if needed
- Additional chopped pecans for decorating
A Note About Baking Sweet Treats in Cast Iron
Cast iron works beautifully for both savory and sweet recipes, but I’ve learned that a skillet can occasionally pass along a trace of whatever was cooked in it previously. Before baking a dessert, wash the skillet thoroughly with warm water and a small amount of mild dish soap, rinse it well, and dry it completely. Because this hummingbird cake contains acidic pineapple and has a very moist batter, I also recommend lining the bottom of the skillet with greased parchment paper. Allow the finished cake to cool in the skillet for about 10–15 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack rather than leaving it in direct contact with the iron. These simple steps will help prevent a bitter flavor from developing along the bottom crust.
How to Make Easy Skillet Hummingbird Cake
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet thoroughly with shortening or nonstick baking spray. Add a parchment circle and grease it. Be sure the sides of the skillet well so the cake will release easily when individual slices are served.
Place the white cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, and optional allspice in a large mixing bowl. Whisk briefly to distribute the spices throughout the dry mix.
Add the eggs, vegetable oil, mashed bananas, undrained crushed pineapple, and vanilla extract. Do not add the water called for on the cake-mix box. The bananas and pineapple provide the additional moisture this cake needs.
Mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Fold in the shredded coconut and chopped pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and smooth the top.
Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 40–50 minutes. Begin checking the cake at the 40-minute mark. Because this is a deep, moist cake filled with fruit, the center may require additional time.
The cake is finished when the center springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out without wet batter. A few moist crumbs are fine. If you check it with an instant-read thermometer, the center should register approximately 205–210°F.
If the outside begins browning before the center is finished, loosely tent the skillet with foil and continue baking.
Place the skillet on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
Place the softened cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat until light, smooth, and completely combined.
Add the powdered sugar gradually, mixing at low speed until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat until the frosting is creamy and fluffy.
If the frosting is too thick to spread or pipe, add milk or heavy cream one teaspoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. If it becomes too soft, add a little more powdered sugar or refrigerate it briefly before decorating the cake.
Decorating Your Skillet Hummingbird Cake
Spread the cream cheese frosting over the completely cooled cake, stopping just before you reach the edge of the skillet. It doesn't have to be perfect smooth. A bit of texture is okay.
Sprinkle chopped pecans generously around the edges. You can also add a light sprinkling of toasted coconut, but leaving the pecans as the primary decoration gives the cake a simple, polished appearance.
Cut the cake into pie-shaped wedges for serving. A 10-inch skillet will provide approximately 10 generous slices or 12 more moderate servings.
Note: Since making this cake I've learned that you need to turn it out from the pan before frosting and slicing. Pineapple and cast iron can be a bit temperamental together. If you place the parchment paper down before baking and remove the cake from the pan about fifteen minutes after it comes out of the oven, you'll be able to avoid any bitterness that can be caused from the pineapple and cast iron converging.
What to Expect from This Hummingbird Cake
This is a rich, moist cake filled with sweet banana, bright pineapple, warm spices, coconut, and crunchy pecans. The cream cheese frosting adds just enough tanginess to balance the sweet fruit and cake.
Because of the fruit in the batter, the texture will be denser and more substantial than an ordinary white cake. It should be tender and moist without being wet or gummy.
It might begin with a boxed cake mix, but once all those wonderful ingredients are added, no one will mistake it for a plain boxed cake.
Perfect for Fall and the Holidays
Hummingbird cake is delicious at any time of year, but the warm cinnamon and nutmeg in this version give a lovely nod to the fall season. Add bananas, pineapple, coconut, toasted pecans, and cream cheese frosting, and you have a beautiful dessert worthy of Thanksgiving, Christmas, church gatherings, and holiday parties.
Best of all, baking it in a cast-iron skillet makes it much easier than a traditional layer cake while still giving you something special enough to place on the holiday table.
Recipe Variations
If you don’t care for coconut, feel free to leave it out. Many traditional hummingbird cakes are made without it.
Walnuts can be substituted for the pecans, or you can use a combination of both.
For even more texture and flavor, lightly toast the pecans and coconut before adding them to the cake. Watch them closely because both can brown quickly.
You can also bake this cake in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Because the batter will be shallower, begin checking it sooner than you would the skillet version.
If you prefer cupcakes, divide the batter between lined muffin cups and begin checking them after approximately 18 minutes.
How to Store Hummingbird Cake
Because this cake is covered with cream cheese frosting, it should be stored in the refrigerator. As I mentioned above, you should remove the cake from the skillet before frosting. Store it in an airtight container like a pie holder or cake carrier.
The cake will keep in the refrigerator for approximately four to five days. Let refrigerated slices sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before serving if you prefer a softer cake and frosting.
You can also freeze unfrosted slices for up to two months. Wrap them securely in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight freezer container. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator and add the frosting before serving.
More Cast-Iron Skillet Cakes
If you love the simplicity of baking a cake in cast iron, we have several more skillet treats for you to try. And if it’s those warm, cozy spices you’re craving, we’ve got them in spades!
Our Easy Skillet Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Glaze and Pumpkin Spice Skillet Cake are both filled with the flavors of fall. You might also enjoy our festive Orange Cranberry Skillet Cake, especially as Thanksgiving and Christmas draw near.
We're also a big fan of our Cast Iron Peach Dump Cake. Yum.
Thanks for Stopping By!
If you make this delicious skillet hummingbird cake, let us know what you think in the comments below. Did you include the coconut, or do you prefer your hummingbird cake without it? Before you go, don’t forget to pin this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board so you can find it again when you need an easy dessert for fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special gathering.
About the Cook
Janice is an author, baker, and recipe creator who loves finding simple ways to turn familiar ingredients into something special. When she isn’t baking, writing, or developing recipes, you might find her admiring the birds that have found their way into both her home and her heart.
Hummingbird Cake with Cake Mix (Cast-Iron Skillet)
This easy cast-iron skillet hummingbird cake starts with a boxed white cake mix and is filled with ripe bananas, crushed pineapple, coconut, pecans, and warm spices. Finished with rich cream cheese frosting and a decorative pecan topping, it’s a simple Southern dessert that is beautiful enough for fall gatherings and holiday tables.
Ingredients
- 1 box (approximately 15.25 ounces) white cake mix
- 11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, optional
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, approximately 2–3 bananas
- 1 cup undrained crushed pineapple
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–2 teaspoons milk or heavy cream, if needed
- ½ cup chopped pecans for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Add a circle of parchment paper to the bottom and grease it, too.
- Place the white cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, and optional allspice in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs, vegetable oil, mashed bananas, undrained crushed pineapple, and vanilla. Do not add the water listed on the cake-mix box.
- Mix until the batter is fully combined. Fold in the coconut and chopped pecans.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared skillet and smooth the top.
- Bake for approximately 40–50 minutes. Begin checking at 40 minutes. The cake is done when the center springs back lightly and a toothpick comes out without wet batter. Tent loosely with foil if the outside browns too quickly.
- Place the skillet on a wire rack and cool the cake completely. After 15 minutes turn out the cake from the pan.
- To prepare the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy.
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and beat until creamy. If necessary, add milk or cream one teaspoon at a time to reach the desired consistency.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, taking it almost to the edges.
- Sprinkle the out edges of the cake with chopped pecans.
- Cut into 10–12 wedges and serve.
Notes
For the best flavor, begin with a clean, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. If the skillet was recently used for onions, garlic, meat, or another strongly flavored food, wash it thoroughly with warm water and a small amount of mild dish soap. Rinse and dry it completely before baking.
Grease the skillet, place a fitted circle of parchment paper in the bottom, and lightly grease the parchment. Because this cake contains acidic pineapple and has a very moist batter, the parchment creates a helpful barrier between the cake and the cast iron.
Do not prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. Use the eggs and oil listed in this recipe, but do not add water. The mashed bananas and undrained pineapple provide the additional moisture.
After baking, allow the cake to cool in the skillet for 10–15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the outside edge, carefully turn the cake out, remove the parchment, and place the cake right-side up on a wire rack to cool completely. Do not add the cream cheese frosting until the cake is fully cooled.
Store the frosted cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four or five days. For the best texture, allow individual slices to sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before serving.
