How could anyone not be interested in a perfect, thickly-frosted cake? Especially when its layers are delicious combinations of banana, pineapple, pecan and coconut! People love hummingbird cake because it's so light and special.

There's a long-told story behind the origin of hummingbird cake - but it's not nearly as old as people may think. 

The first known mention of hummingbird cake is the Jamaican Tourist Board promoting a banana-pineapple-coconut cake called doctor bird cake, after a Jamaican hummingbird in 1968.

There's a lot of debate over where exactly hummingbird cake was invented. Some say it was created by Ruth Cleveland of the White House and some say a Mrs. L.H. Wiggins from Greensboro, North Carolina is the first person to have baked the confection. 

Either way, the recipe has been around for quite a while. Early versions included bananas as an ingredient but these days, banana bread does that job just fine.

What's in a Hummingbird Cake?

Order now and find out!

Hummingbird cake is flashy, sweet, and delicious. It's made with oil instead of butter. The added pineapple and banana create a tough, moist cake that stays flavorful for a long time. Coconut adds sweetness while chopped walnuts or pecans give it flavor contrast. 

Traditionally this cake is layered, but you can also find it in cupcake form or as a Bundt if you want something different. No one flavor completely takes over; you'll find the overall sweetness is well-balanced by coconut and nuts.

Buttercream frosting flavors the layers and coats the top and sides of the cake. To add texture, some people will pipe swoops or swirls, while others like to finish with dried pineapple flowers or candied pineapple pieces. 

Other versions that coat the sides of the cake add chopped toasted pecans or coconut flakes as finishing touches.

Linoui's Hummingbird Cake is an authentic Hummingbird Cake worth trying if you're intrigued enough.