Name: Dr. Bird Cake
Yield: Makes 1 single-layer cake
Ingredients: 100g pecans or walnuts, chopped; 100g canned chopped pineapple in juice, drained and ⅓ cup juice reserved; 250g (1¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp.) whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour; 150g (¾ cup) light soft brown sugar; 1½ tsp. baking soda; 1 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon; ½ tsp. ground allspice; ½ tsp. ground nutmeg; ¼ tsp. sea salt; 2 ripe bananas, mashed; 50g coconut oil or butter, or oil of choice, plus extra for greasing; 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract; 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar; 1 egg (optional); 25g coconut flakes, toasted; 1 handful of pecans, roughly chopped; 200g (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, softened; 175g full-fat cream cheese; ¼ tsp. sea salt; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 250g (2 cups, plus 2 Tbsp.) icing (powdered) sugar, sifted

A banana pineapple spice cake being sliced.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

The world-famous hummingbird cake has its origins in Jamaica, where it is also known as Dr. Bird Cake. The interweaving of both pineapple juice and pineapple chunks with spices and banana produces a craveable cake, which is bolstered with crunchy pecans and a creamy frosting. The cake’s history goes back to the 1960s when the Jamaican Tourist Board, looking to foster tourism as a means of creating a new stream of income, utilized fruits of the island—yes, banana and pineapple—in a cake recipe. This recipe distributed to the media sought to spread the word about the island’s remarkable produce. The spiced banana-pineapple cake was named after the country’s national bird, the hummingbird, colloquially known as the doctor bird. Food editors, particularly in U.S. Southern states, got hold of the recipe and from there it rapidly became part of the annals of American cooking, and then the world’s. Upon tasting the cake it’s evident why it has attracted so much attention over the years.

Note: This Dr. Bird cake recipe makes a single layer cake that’s ideal for snacking. If you’d like a double-layer cake, use two 9½" round cake pans and double all ingredients for both the cake and frosting.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes 1 single-layer cake

Ingredients

Cake

100g pecans or walnuts, chopped

100g canned chopped pineapple in juice, drained and ⅓ cup juice reserved

250g (1¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp.) whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour

150g (¾ cup) light soft brown sugar

1½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground allspice

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. sea salt

2 ripe bananas, mashed

50g coconut oil or butter, or oil of choice, plus extra for greasing

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 egg (optional)

25g coconut flakes, toasted

1 handful of pecans, roughly chopped

Frosting

200g (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

175g full-fat cream cheese

¼ tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

250g (2 cups, plus 2 Tbsp.) icing (powdered) sugar, sifted

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (180°C) and grease and line the base of a 9½ inch round cake tin. (If making a double-layered cake, use 2 tins and double the quantity of cake mixture and frosting).
Step 2
Put the nuts and pineapple in a blender or food processor and pulse briefly until finely chopped.
Step 3
Sift all the dry ingredients, up to and including the salt, into a mixing bowl, then stir until combined and set aside.
Step 4
In a separate bowl, add the bananas, coconut oil or butter, reserved pineapple juice, vanilla, vinegar, and egg, if using. Whisk until combined, then add to the dry ingredients with the pecan and pineapple mix. Briefly stir until combined, but do not over-mix the cake batter.
Step 5
Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and level the top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out of the tin onto a rack to cool completely.
Step 6
Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Add the salt and vanilla, then stir in the icing sugar, a little at a time, to make a thick, spreadable icing. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake (or half over each cake if making 2). Sprinkle with the coconut flakes and pecans.