Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes

Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes have all of the classic flavors of bananas, pineapple, and warm spices just like the traditional hummingbird cake.

These cupcakes are topped with a delicious pineapple cream cheese frosting and are garnished with toasted coconut and toasted pecans.

Classic Hummingbird Cake

This deliciously moist cake recipe gets a lot of its flavor from the ripened bananas, the crushed pineapples, and the warm flavors of cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla. Hummingbird cake is a classic southern dessert that is a family favorite.

This hummingbird cake cupcakes can be turned into a hummingbird cake by dividing the batter between two 9-inch rounds and baking the batter for 25-30 minutes.

The frosting for these cupcakes are made with pineapple juices and the frosting makes enough for a two layer hummingbird cake!

How to Toast Pecans

Toasting your pecans and coconut for this recipe releases a lot of flavor into the cupcakes. Toasting coconut and pecans is easy to do and you can quickly do it on your stovetop.

To toast pecans on the stovetop, add 1 tablespoon of butter to a skillet and heat the skillet over medium heat.

Once the butter begins to melt, add the chopped pecans to the skillet and stir well to mix the pecans into the butter. Stirring frequently, allow the pecans to heat in the skillet.

Once you smell a nutty aroma, remove the pecans from the heat and transfer them to a heat-safe bowl to prevent them from burning in the skillet.

How to Toast Coconut

To toast coconut, it is a very similar process. Place a skillet over medium heat and add the coconut in the skillet. Stir frequently so that the coconut toasts evenly.

Once the coconut begins to brown, stir to toast evenly, and remove from the heat and transfer the toasted coconut to a heat-safe bowl to prevent the toasted coconut from burning in the skillet.

Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes Ingredients

Ingredients in these cupcakes are similar to those in a carrot cake. The ingredients produce a moist and fluffy cake packed with delicious flavors.

• Bananas - overripe is best and produces the best flavor.
• Butter - unsalted and softened
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs - room temperature helps the ingredients mend together better
• Crushed pineapple - in a can, juices reserved
• Salt, baking soda, and baking powder
• Ground Cinnamon
• Allspice
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour - spooned & leveled
• Pecans - chopped into small bits and toasted
• Coconut - sweetened and toasted

How to Make Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes

This recipe yields 24 cupcakes so you will need 24 cupcake liners.

Preheat the oven and prepare the pans- The first step to making these cupcakes is to preheat the oven and prepare the muffin pans.

Start with room temperature ingredients- Starting with room temperature ingredients is important and will ensure the cake batter isn't over beaten and it helps the ingredients come together easier.

Cream the wet ingredients- First, the softened butter is creamed together with the granulated sugar. Once the ingredients are creamed together add in the mashed bananas, vanilla extract, and eggs.

At this time, the cinnamon and allspice are sprinkled into the batter.

Next, the crushed pineapple is added but the pineapple is drained and the juices are reserved to use with the cream cheese frosting.

Combine the dry ingredients- In a separate bowl, the all-purpose flour is spooned & leveled, and mixed together with the salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet- Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until everything is combined.

Bake the hummingbird cupcakes- The hummingbird cake cupcakes batter is then distributed evenly between 24 muffin liners and they're baked in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

When a toothpick is entered into the center of a cupcake and it is clean, the cupcakes can be removed from the oven.

If the toothpick is moist or has crumbs, bake for a couple more minutes at a time.

Allow the hummingbird cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

RELATED: Butter Pecan Cake

How to Make Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting

These hummingbird cupcakes are iced with a pineapple cream cheese frosting. The juices leftover from the crushed pineapple is beat into the cream cheese frosting to create a flavorful delicious frosting for these hummingbird cake cupcakes.

Beat the butter and cream cheese together- Room temperature unsalted butter is beaten together with softened cream cheese until it is smooth.

Beat in the other ingredients- the salt and confectioner's sugar is beat into the mixture a little at a time.

If the frosting is too thick to pipe or frost the cake or cupcakes with, add milk 1-2 tablespoons at a time to create a smooth and pipeable frosting.

A piping bag and piping tip make frosting cupcakes quick and easy.

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