Fluffy hummingbird cupcakes are your favorite way to treat yourself. These tasty showstoppers are so easy to make and a family favorite.
There is nothing better than a moist cupcake with a creamy not-too-sweet frosting. When that cupcake is packed with flavor and beautifully put together, it is even better.
That’s why hummingbird cupcakes are a family favorite around here. In fact, besides classic chocolate cupcakes, these are one of the most requested cupcakes I make.
When I was younger, my grandmother would make a hummingbird cake for our Sunday dinners together and it was always the best part of our trips to visit. It has been years since we’ve had those Sunday dinners, but I still dream about the cake.
She baked hers starting with a box mix, but you really could never tell. These cupcakes are a homage to her from scratch and in cupcake form for easier eating, and topped with a dried pineapple flower for a bit of pizzazz.
What I love about these hummingbird cupcakes is that they aren’t very sweet. It gets most of its sweetness from the banana and pineapple.
The cream cheese in the frosting also helps cut the sweetness in both the frosting and the cupcake. It makes them very moreish and keeps you from feeling too guilty when you end up having a second cupcake.
And you will have that second cupcake.
If you’ve never had hummingbird cupcakes, they are a banana cupcake with pineapple, coconut, and a few pecans for crunch. I recommend using unsweetened shredded coconut as it has the best flavor, but the sweetened coconut will still work, just know that the coconut flavor will be more prominent.
They are topped with a velvety cream cheese frosting which perfectly complements all the tropical flavors.
I recommend storing your hummingbird cupcakes in an airtight container. They should last up to three days undecorated.
If you are decorating with the dried pineapples, they are best within 24 hours. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes in airtight containers for up to a month.
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Hummingbird Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Egg room temperature
- 2 large Banana mashed
- 1/3 cup Crushed Pineapple
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
- 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans toasted
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1-2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 12 Dried Pineapple Ring
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. Whisk well and set aside.
- In a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg well incorporated before adding the next.
- Add in the banana and pineapple and beat well.
- Add in the flour and mix until just incorporated. Fold in the coconut and pecans until just incorporated.
- Fill the cupcake liners until they are 3/4 full.
- Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until it is well incorporated – about 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and mix well. Add in enough heavy cream until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Fit a piping bag with a piping tip and fill with the frosting.
- Frost the cupcakes.
- Take the pineapple rings and make a cut on a part of the ring so you can wrap the ring around like a flower. Top the cupcakes with the dried pineapples.
- Store in an airtight container for up to three days.