Simple Tropical Birthday Cake: Easy Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
As part of Emily’s tropical-themed birthday celebration, I needed a cake that matched the relaxed island feel of the party. When it came to choosing the flavour, there was really only one option.
Hummingbird cake.
This recipe has been a favourite in our family for years. It’s soft, moist, full of tropical flavour, and pairs perfectly with cream cheese frosting. It also makes the ideal simple tropical birthday cake because it looks impressive without requiring complicated decorating skills.
Why Hummingbird Cake Is Perfect for a Tropical Birthday Cake
Hummingbird cake is packed with warm, comforting flavours and has the perfect balance of sweetness and texture.
Traditionally made with banana and pineapple, it naturally lends itself to tropical-themed celebrations. The addition of cream cheese frosting gives it a rich, tangy finish that works beautifully with the fruity cake layers.
For this birthday cake, I wanted a taller layered look, so I baked two cakes in 20cm round cake tins and sliced each cake in half to create four layers.
The result looked impressive while still being very simple to assemble.
Cream Cheese Frosting Makes All the Difference
You simply can’t have hummingbird cake without cream cheese frosting.
I used the frosting between each layer as well as across the top of the cake. A thin layer was also spread around the outside to create a soft naked cake finish.
One of the reasons I love naked cakes for entertaining is that they don’t need to be perfect. The rustic finish actually adds to the overall look, making them ideal for stress-free celebrations.
Tropical Cake Decorations
The decorations were kept simple but tied the whole tropical theme together beautifully.
To decorate the cake, I added:
- Fresh coconut
- Raffaello chocolates
- Faux tropical greenery
- A flashing happy birthday topper
The coconut added texture while the greenery helped create that tropical island feel without requiring complicated cake decorating techniques.
Sometimes simple really does work best.
A Moist and Easy Cake Recipe
One of the things I love most about this simple tropical birthday cake is how easy the cake itself is to make.
You don’t need any fancy equipment or advanced baking skills which makes it perfect for home bakers.
The original recipe used vegetable oil, but I prefer using coconut oil instead. It adds extra flavour and complements the tropical ingredients beautifully.
The result is a cake that stays incredibly moist and tastes even better the next day.
The Perfect Stress-Free Celebration Cake
This simple tropical birthday cake was exactly what I wanted for the party. It looked festive, tasted delicious, and didn’t require hours of decorating or complicated techniques.
If you’re planning a tropical-themed party, summer birthday, or relaxed family celebration, hummingbird cake is such a beautiful option.
With layers of moist cake, cream cheese frosting, coconut, and tropical decorations, it feels special while still being achievable for everyday home bakers.
If you love fun and colourful celebration cakes, you might also enjoy my Lollies and Chocolate Cake, which is perfect for birthdays, parties, and anyone with a serious sweet tooth.
Hummingbird Cake with cream cheese frosting
Equipment
- Stand mixer for Icing
Ingredients
Hummingbird Cake
- 450g can crushed pineapple in juice
- 150 gram plain flour
- 75 gram self-raising flour
- ½ tsp bicarb soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 220 gram brown sugar
- 40 gram desiccated coconut
- 1 cup mashed banana (around 2 large bananas)
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 180 ml coconut oil
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 113 gram softened butter
- 226 gram cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 550 grams Icing Sugar
- ½ lemon, zest and juice
Instructions
Hummingbird Cake
- Preheat oven to 160°C (fan forced). Line and grease a 20cm round cake tin.
- Drain pineapple, using a spoon to remove as much liquid as possible. Retain 60ml of the juice.
- Whisk together flours, sodas, spices and sugar in a large bowl.
- Stir in pineapple, reserved liquid, coconut, banana, eggs and oil and mix until well combined.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Stand cake in pan for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
- Beat butter and cream cheese on high until creamy and well combined.
- Add lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla and mix together.
- With the mixer on low speed gradually add the icing sugar until well combined and smooth.
