Hummingbird Cupcakes

These Hummingbird Cupcakes are moist, packed full of pineapple and banana flavors and topped with cream cheese frosting.  It doesn’t get any sweeter than that!

These Pineapple Carrot Cake Cupcakes would also be perfect for Spring!

I have a bold statement to make.

These Hummingbird Cupcakes are the BEST cupcakes I have EVER tasted.

They’re moist, packed full of pineapple and banana flavors and topped with cream cheese frosting.  It doesn’t get any better than that people.

I ate one and promptly packed those suckers up to take out of my house before I ate the entire batch.

I haven’t eaten a cupcake that good in a long time and I had to share them with the World, or my local Moose lodge for that matter.

 I had never tasted Hummingbird Cake before but I am SO glad this was the first recipe I decided to use because I know nothing else will compare

These Hummingbird Cupcakes are nothing short of perfection.

These Hummingbird Cupcakes complete #SpringSweetsWeek which is bittersweet.

I’m a procrastinator so I waited and had to make everything in one week.

This week also happens to be the week we are heading to the beach and I’m trying to rock a new swimsuit.

I held myself to a little bit of everything and off the treats went to family, friends and coworkers.

Whew, now bring on the beach!

WHAT IS HUMMINGBIRD CAKE?

Hummingbird cake is a mixture of pineapple, bananas and toasted pecans.

These Hummingbird cupcakes have crushed pineapple in them which adds sweetness, flavor and a moistness (sorry but it’s true).

These cupcakes are a Southern thing which might be why I hadn’t heard of them until a few years back.

I cannot take credit for this recipe as I adapted it from Southern Living Magazine.

It was originally submitted to Southern Living in 1978 by a woman in North Carolina and is now the most requested recipe from the magazine and I totally understand why.

HOW DO YOU MAKE HUMMINGBIRD CUPCAKES?

The best part of this whole recipe, it’s made in one bowl.  Well at least the batter.

Then you make the frosting which you could technically clean the bowl from the batter and then reuse it to make the frosting, still using only one pan. 

You take flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and whisk it all together.

Add in your eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, crushed pineapple (undrained), mashed bananas and TOASTED, chopped pecans.

You must toast them.  It brings out the natural oils and gives them a richer flavor.

Mix all the ingredients together and place into a muffin pan lined with muffin liners.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and allow to cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make your cream cheese frosting.

Into the bowl of your stand mixer, add in butter and cream cheese and beat for 2 minutes until combined and fluffy. 

Add in vanilla extract.  Next, using one cup at a time, add in powdered sugar, completely incorporate and add in another cup.  Beat for 2 minutes until combined and fluffy.

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and add a wedge of dried pineapple and a pecan to the top.

Perfection!

DO YOU HAVE TO USE PECANS IN HUMMINGBIRD CAKE?

I’m going to go off on my own accord and say no.

As I was making this batter and folding in the pecans, I wondered how delicious this cake would be with chopped walnuts.

I know it would be delicious.  Authentic, no, but I challenge you to be unique.  It’ll still taste amazing!

HOW DO YOU TOAST NUTS?

Place nuts, into a single layer, in a dry skillet, on the stove top.

Turn heat to medium. (Do not add anything else to pan.  No cooking spray, oils, etc.)

Stir frequently and watch closely.  Nuts have oils in them and they will burn quickly.

The nuts are toasted when they are golden brown and you can smell their aroma.

CAN I MAKE THESE HUMMINGBIRD CUPCAKES INTO HUMMINGBIRD CAKE?

Absolutely!  As I said, I adapted this recipe from Southern Living in which it’s actually a cake but they also give you instructions to make this into cupcakes. 

To make these hummingbird cupcakes into cake, once the batter is mixed evenly divide the batter into 3 (9inch) baking pans greased and floured.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Next, prepare the cream cheese frosting.

Remove cakes from the pan when they are completely cooled.

Onto a platter, place one cake round and evenly spread top with cream cheese frosting.  Place another cake on top of frosting and repeat with the cream cheese frosting.

Lastly, place on the last cake round and frost the top and all over the sides.

You can decorate the top of cake with more pecans, pineapple, dried pineapple or banana slices.

DO I HAVE TO REFRIGERATE HUMMINGBIRD CAKE?

Any time you are working with cream cheese, in this case, cream cheese frosting, it is best to place the prepared cake or cupcakes into the refrigerator to keep it from spoiling.

Allow the cake or cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving.

SUGA, SUGA

I have to give a HUGE shout out to Dixie Crystals who provided the granulated sugar for this cake. 

I also have their powdered sugar from the last time they sponsored a fun holiday themed week and it’s just the best.

They’re a wonderful company who truly appreciates food bloggers and I couldn’t love them and their products more!

These Hummingbird Cupcakes are super moist, bursting with banana-pineapple flavor with a sweet cream cheese frosting!

4 votes

Print

Hummingbird Cupcakes

Prep 10 mins

Cook 20 mins

Inactive 30 mins

Total 60 mins

Author Megan | Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

Yield 15 servings

These Hummingbird Cupcakes are moist, packed full of pineapple and banana flavors and topped with cream cheese frosting.  It doesn’t get any sweeter than that!

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 4 oz crushed pineapple, in 100% juice, undrained
• 1 cup bananas, mashed
• ¾ cup pecans, toasted

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 dried pineapple slices, cut into 16 wedges, for garnish
• 15 pecans, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners (15) and set aside.
2. Into a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
3. To the bowl, add in eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, crushed pineapple, mashed bananas and pecans.  Stir to combine.
4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.  
5. Bake for 18-20 minute or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  (Mine took 20 minutes)
6. While the cupcakes bake, prepare the cream cheese frosting. (recipe below)
7. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
8. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and garnish with dried pineapple wedge and pecan.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Into the bowl of your stand mixer, add in butter and cream cheese and beat for 2 minutes until combined and fluffy. 
2. Add in vanilla extract.  Next, using one cup at a time, add in powdered sugar, completely incorporate and add in another cup.  Beat for 2 minutes until combined and fluffy.

Notes

Adapted from Hummingbird Cake Recipe

*I cut the recipe in half and yielded 15 cupcakes.

Courses Dessert

Cuisine American

I hope you have enjoyed the recipes we’ve been creating this week and don’t forget to enter the giveaway for prizes from our fabulous sponsors!

Have a {Sweet} Spring!

Welcome to #SpringSweetsWeek 2019 hosted by Heather from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! What better way to celebrate the coming of spring than with food and a fun giveaway? 30 bloggers from around the country have come together to share over 100 sweet recipes perfect for spring!  Get ready to ditch your hats, coats, and snow boots and get ready for some delicious sweet treats like cupcakes, cookies, sweet breads, and cocktails! Our #SpringSweetsWeek sponsors are helping us give away some great prizes. Thank you so much Swiss Diamond, Dixie Crystals, Nancy’s Yogurt, Sprinkle Pop, Adams Extracts, Barleans, Melissa’s Produce, and PEEPS® for your generosity. We have an incredible giveaway below and would love if you would take a moment to read about it and what you can win!

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Prize #1:   Swiss Diamond Cookware is giving one winner an XD Nonstick 6 Piece Newlywed Kitchen Kit!  Swiss Diamond’s 6-Piece XD Newlywed Set is the ultimate nonstick cookware collection, with a pot or pan for nearly every recipe you can think of! Nothing conducts heat more efficiently than diamonds, and combined with the extra-thick cast aluminum body, these pans have amazingly even heat distribution. With this superior heat retention, they sear ingredients as well as stainless steel, but without the messy cleanup. The XD nonstick coating releases so well, you can cook anything without a drop of oil or butter.   This set includes a 9.5″ fry pan, an 8″ fry pan, a 2.2 quart saucepan with lid, and 5.5 quart soup pot with lid.

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Prize #2:  Dixie Crystals is giving one winner the Wilton Ultimate Cake Decorating Tools Set!   What better way to decorate your cakes made with Dixie Crystals sugar then to use this decorating set?  A blue and white rectangular organizer caddy has 4 see-through drawers and 2 top compartments for holding tips, plus slots on the side to hold spatulas.  Included in the caddy are 263 pieces including piping tips, a practice board, decorating bags, straight and angled spatulas, flower nails and an icing comb. There’s also a lot of handy fondant tools including a roller, cut-out sets, impression mats, modeling tools, shaping foam and a fondant smoother. It’s a cake decorators dream!

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Prize #3:  Melissa’s Produce is giving one winner an Organic Family Produce Box.  This box contains 100% organic fruits and vegetables including kale, cucumbers, apples, pears, lemons, oranges, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, and so much more!  It’s easy to get in your five servings of fruits and vegetables with this fun produce box.

Joe and Sharon Hernandez founded Melissa’s Produce with a decade of produce industry experience in a small, rented produce warehouse lunchroom. The original office had just three telephones and four chairs.  In a few short years the company would grew to occupy a newly renovated and expanded 280,000 square foot office and warehouse complex.  The Melissa’s brand is named after Joe and Sharon’s daughter, who takes an active role in the company.  The company’s Food Service Division has become a full-service operation that supplies culinary professionals with staples, exotics and Melissa’s full line of organic produce.  Visit https://www.melissas.com to find the best fruits, vegetables, gifts, and to get tasty recipes!

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Chuck and Sue Kesey opened Springfield Creamery in Oregon in 1960 right after they got married.  For the first decade they focused on bottling glass jugs of milk for home delivery and school lunches.  Nancy Van Brasch Hamren joined the Creamery in 1969 and shared her recipe for making yogurt.  Nancy’s became the first yogurt sold in the United States to contain live probiotics.  In 1999 Nancy’s Yogurt began distributing to all 50 states.  Today there are nearly 60 employees and Springfield Creamery makes over 100 cultured dairy and soy products.   To learn more about Nancy’s Yogurt, the products they sell, and how they make their products visit https://nancysyogurt.com/.

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Prize #7:  Adams Extract is giving one winner four of their amazing extracts and a set of their food colors.   The extracts include Pure Almond Extract, Pure Vanilla Extract, and Pure Lemon Extract.  The winner will also receive Adams Best Twice as Strong Vanilla which is awesome to bake with. 

John A. Adams began making and selling his Green Plant Sarsaparilla extract in 1888 in Battle Creek, Michigan. In 1905, he moved his family to Beeville, TX.  Working with just $6.71 worth of materials on top of an old icebox, John A. Adams created a new formula for vanilla.  His wife tested it by whipping up a cake and announced, “John, this is the BEST flavoring I have ever used.” “Well, that’s old man Adams BEST,” he responded. The name stuck, and Adams Best was born!  Today, Adams manufactures and markets under several Adams Brand banners, including Adams Best®, Adams Extract®, Adams® Seasoning & Spice, and many more.   To learn more about Adams Extract, to shop their products, or to find delicious recipes visit https://www.adamsextract.com/default.aspx.

Prize #8:  Sprinkle Pop is giving one winner six fabulous sprinkle mixes from their Easter collection!   The sprinkle mixes include Hangin’ with my Peeps, Bewitched, Signature, Green Tea, Cottontail Confetti, and Egg Hunt.  These fun sprinkles are a great addition to any spring or Easter baked goods. 

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Saturday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes

• Aquavit-Scented Blood Orange Galette by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Easy PEEPS fruit bouquet by Creative Southern Home
• Fresh Strawberry Pie by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Hummingbird Cupcakes by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Lemon Tea Cake Cookies by The Speckled Palate
• No Bake Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Cups by Blogghetti
• Orange Smoothie Recipe with Pineapple & Basil by Sweet Beginnings
• Pastel PEEPS Mini Pudding Pies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• PB Marshmallow Peep Blondies by Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats
• PEEP S’Mores Skillet by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Peeptinis by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Springtime Rocky Road Blondies by The Crumby Kitchen
• Super Moist Coffee Cake by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Vegan Blood Orange Dark Chocolate Loaf Cake by The Baking Fairy
• White Chocolate Hot Cocoa with Peeps Marshmallows by Our Good Life
• White Chocolate Spring Candy Pops by Family Around the Table

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Thank you #SpringSweetsWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Swiss Diamond, Nancy’s Yogurt, Barlean’s, Sprinkle Pop, PEEPS, Melissa’s Produce, and Adams Extracts for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #SpringSweetsWeek giveaway is open to residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older.   All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Eight (8) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #SpringSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #SpringSweetsWeek posts or entry.