This Vegan Hummingbird Cake has become one of my favorite desserts ever! Every bite has beautiful layers of fruity, nutty, warm, and sweet flavors while the cream cheese frosting on top perfectly complements the wide range of complexities. If you love carrot cake, then you may just love hummingbird cake even more. Four key ingredients set this popular Southern cake apart from carrot cake and other spice cakes. They are:
Warm spices, like nutmeg and cinnamon Toasted pecans Pineapple chunks and their juices Ripe bananas
Altogether, they infuse this cake with gorgeous tropical flavors that beautifully contrast the warming spices. Plus, with its moist and fluffy crumb, you’ll have a hard time stopping after only one slice!
Why is it called hummingbird cake?
The original recipe for hummingbird cake comes from Jamaica, where it’s known as the Doctor Bird Cake. It gets this name from its national bird, the swallow tail hummingbird. Eventually, the recipe became popular throughout the Southern United States, where it was re-named “hummingbird cake”. Some say the name comes from the sweet flavors attracting hummingbirds or that it’s so good, you’ll want to hover around the cake until you get a slice (just like a hummingbird). The true reason, however, is up for debate.
How to make vegan hummingbird cake
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below. Start by whisking the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Next, add the oil, crushed pineapple, mashed bananas, almond milk, vanilla, and pecans to the same bowl as the dry mix. Mix until just combined and no dry flour streaks remain. Pour the cake batter into two prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set them aside to cool while you make the icing. Once the cake layers are completely cool, add some frosting in between each layer before frosting the sides and tops. Sprinkle more pecans on the outside for decoration, then slice and enjoy!
Decoration ideas
Hummingbird cake is traditionally decorated with cream cheese frosting. It’s also very nice with the lemon frosting from my Vegan Lemon Cake and Vegan Buttercream. Chopped pecans are a must-have hummingbird cake decoration, although you can also add toasted coconut, dried fruit, or other types of crushed nuts on top.
Vegan hummingbird cupcakes
You can use this recipe to make cupcakes by making the batter as normal, then pouring it into a lined muffin tin until each cup is ¾ full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Tips for success
Always use toasted pecans! They’re 10 times as flavorful as raw pecans and will give your cake an added layer of warmth. Either buy pre-toasted pecans or toast them yourself in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Overmixing the cake batter will lead to a dense cake. I like to combine the wet and dry ingredients by hand (with a wooden spoon) to avoid overmixing. You’ll know the cakes are ready to come out of the oven when the tops are set, the edges are turning golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (some crumbs stuck to the toothpick are ok). If you’re short on time, place the baked cake layers in the fridge to help them cool down faster. Only do this after they were left to cool in the pans for 15 minutes. This recipe makes enough batter for a two-layer cake. If you want to make a four-layer cake like in the photos, slice each cake layer in half lengthwise with a serrated knife.
Frequently asked questions
Want more incredible vegan cake recipes?
Pumpkin Coffee Cake Vegan Banana Cake 1 Bowl Apple Cake Vegan Yellow Cake German Chocolate Cake
