Hummingbird Cupcakes
These hummingbird cupcakes are so addictive. The cupcakes are moist and tender, made with banana, pineapple, and pecans and frosted with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. A perfect dessert for spring and summer baking!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make – the cupcake batter just requires a bowl and a whisk
- Moist and tender cupcakes
- Fruity and tropical flavor from the pineapple and bananas
- Sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting perfectly complements the flavor of the cupcakes
- Great balance of flavors – not overly sweet
Ingredients for Hummingbird Cupcakes
Hummingbird Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Use your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Banana – Mashed. Use super ripe bananas for the best flavor and sweetness.
- Crushed pineapple – Undrained.
- Pineapple juice – You can use the pineapple juice from the crushed pineapple or regular pineapple juice.
- Egg – Large egg, room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract.
- Pecans – Finely chopped.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Cream cheese – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds amazing vanilla flavor.
- Salt – A pinch of salt provides some contrast to the sweetness.
Additional Ingredients
- Banana chips
- Dried pineapple
- Pecans
How to Make Hummingbird Cupcakes
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- Make the cupcake batter: Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. Cream the granulated sugar, unsalted butter and vegetable oil until smooth. Add in the mashed banana, crushed pineapple, pineapple juice, egg, and vanilla extract and mix. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is well combined. Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Bake the cupcakes: Portion the cupcake batter into the paper liners using a large cookie scoop (about 3/4 full). Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: Whip the butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes until light and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until combined. Turn the mixer to medium and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the cupcakes: Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 857 piping tip with the cream cheese frosting. Pipe a swirl of frosting onto the cupcakes and decorate the cupcakes with banana chips, dried pineapple, and pecans.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my post on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes and 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn simple tips and tricks to make the best hummingbird cupcakes.
- Learn more about my favorite cupcake baking and decorating supplies.
- Use super ripe bananas for the best flavor and sweetness. Mash the bananas using a fork to your desired consistency.
How to Store and Serve Hummingbird Cupcakes
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature if you are serving the cupcakes the day you bake them. If serving at a later time, store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
- Serve the cupcakes at room temperature for the best taste and texture. Remove the cupcakes from the refrigerator 2 to 3 hours before serving so the cream cheese frosting can soften.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn this recipe into a layer cake?
- This recipe is specifically formulated for cupcakes, but I encourage you to check out my hummingbird cake recipe for appropriate measurements for the cupcake batter and cream cheese frosting.
Can I add coconut to the recipe?
- Yes! Some recipes for hummingbird cake and cupcakes also include coconut. If you would like, you could add 1/4 cup of shredded sweetened coconut to the cupcake batter.
- If you wanted to switch up the pecans, a great substitution is chopped walnuts.
Other Recipes You Will Love
- Hummingbird cake
- Loaded carrot cake
- Carrot cake cupcakes
- Loaded carrot cake cupcakes
- Banana cupcakes
If you try out these hummingbird cupcakes, please take a moment to leave a comment with a star rating below to let me know if you enjoyed this recipe! Make sure to tag @cakemehometonight on Instagram so I can see your sweet creations!
click the stars to rate!
Hummingbird Cupcakes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
These hummingbird cupcakes are so addictive. The cupcakes are moist and tender, made with banana, pineapple, and pecans and frosted with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. A perfect dessert for spring and summer baking!
Equipment
Ingredients
Hummingbird Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) baking powder
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (113 g) mashed banana
- ⅓ cup (79 g) crushed pineapple undrained
- 2 tbsp (30 g) pineapple juice
- 1 (1) large egg room temperature
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (27 g) chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese room temperature
- 3 ½ cup (420 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
Additional Ingredients
- 12 (12) banana chips
- ¼ cup (25 g) pecans finely chopped
- ¼ cup (40 g) dried pineapple finely diced
Instructions
Hummingbird Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pans with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the granulated sugar, unsalted butter, and vegetable oil for a few minutes until light and creamy. Add in the mashed banana, crushed pineapple, pineapple juice, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the ingredient are combined and the batter is smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Fold in the chopped pecans.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop about ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until the cupcakes bounces back when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the room temperature unsalted butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes until it is light, pale, and creamy.
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Add in the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined with the butter and cream cheese. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Mix the cream cheese frosting on low speed for several minutes to remove any air bubbles and to smooth out the frosting.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 857 piping tip with the cream cheese frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate the cupcakes with banana chips, chopped pecans, and diced dried pineapple.
Notes
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Made This Recipe?
Please leave a comment with a star rating to let me know how you enjoyed the recipe!
About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
Never Miss A Sweet Recipe!
Subscribe get the latest recipes, baking tips and more sent straight to your inbox!
Did you make this recipe or want to see more? Make sure to leave your review below and tag me on Instagram @CakeMeHomeTonight so I can see your creations!