These delightful Hummingbird Cupcakes are adapted from the classic southern layer cake. They feature banana, pineapple, and a myriad of warm spices. Decadent, tangy cream cheese frosting is topped with a finish of chopped pecans, the cherry on this figurative sundae. If you've never had hummingbird cupcakes before, now is the time to change your life!

A hummingbird cupcake with a yellow wrapper, cream cheese frosting, and chopped pecans on top.

(This post was originally published in June 2014 as a two-layer hummingbird cake, but was adapted to cupcakes and updated with new photos and content in 2024. You can still find instructions on baking and assembling a hummingbird layer cake below.).

The key components of southern hummingbird cupcakes include banana, pineapple, and pecans with a luscious cream cheese frosting. Spiced with warm cinnamon, these cupcakes are reminiscent of both banana bread and carrot cake. Somehow the ingredients combine to yield a carrot cake-esque creation, but without all the tedious grating of the carrots.

You've got the sweet and tangy frosting and the crunch of the nuts. Don't forget the tart bits of pineapple which are almost citrusy. Add a lot of mashed banana and you have a moist, decadent, sweet but not too sweet treat.

They're impressive enough for entertaining, and delicious enough for any family gathering. A shower of chopped pecans on top adds a rustic touch. These hummingbird cupcakes are as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside.

A hummingbird cupcake with a bite taken out of it to show the fluffy interior.

A history of hummingbird cake

The origins of hummingbird cake are very interesting indeed. Although it's definitely a classic southern staple, the earliest evidence of this fruity and spicy cake unsurprisingly comes from Jamaica where it was called Doctor bird cake, a reference to the island's national bird, the scissors-tail hummingbird (locally known as the Doctor bird).

The original Doctor bird cake is described as more of a tube cake without frosting, but of course featured the crushed pineapple and banana that is still included in today's version. In 1968, the Jamaica Tourist Board sent media press kits to the United States, which included the recipe for hummingbird cake. Their aim was to create interest in visiting the island among American consumers.

Fast forward to 1978 when Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina submitted a recipe for hummingbird cake to Southern Living magazine. It immediately gained popularity. Her version was much closer to what we see today, a layered cake sandwiched with sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting.

Taking it one step further, you can easily adapt this classic cake into individual hummingbird cupcakes. They bake faster and are easier to decorate. No need to level, fill and frost a layer cake when you can just add a quick, decorative swirl of cream cheese frosting atop each one.

Ingredient notes

Ingredients for hummingbird cupcakes on a beige background.

Bananas: You'll need 2 cups of mashed very ripe bananas for this recipe. Approximately 4 to 5 bananas should yield this volume, but measure it just in case.
Crushed Pineapple: No need to cut up a fresh pineapple. Use one 8-ounce can of drained crushed pineapple. Easy peasy!
Pecans: Chopped pecans are added both to the cupcake batter, but also used as decoration on top. Store leftover nuts in freezer bags in the freezer for longevity.
Cream Cheese: Use full fat cream cheese. Neufchâtel cheese (the lower fat alternative to regular cream cheese) is too soft for the frosting and will not yield the best results (as me how I know).
Spices: The main spices in these old fashioned hummingbird cupcakes are ground cinnamon and ground mace. Mace actually comes from the same fruit as nutmeg. Nutmeg comes from the pit inside the fruit, while mace is a red webbed looking covering on the outside of the pit. When it dries it turns more of an orangey-brown color, and can be ground and used as a spice such as in this cake. When I visited Grenada years ago I got to learn all about these spices, and brought some home with me too!

Hummingbird cupcakes topped with chopped pecans arranged on a rectangular white platter.

How to make them

Preheat the to 350°F. Line two (12-cup) standard-size muffin pans with paper liners.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, mace, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat white and brown sugars with oil until smooth.

White and brown sugars with oil in a metal mixing bowl.

White and brown sugars beaten with oil in a metal mixing bowl.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract, mashed bananas, and pineapple, mixing until just combined.

A mixture of white and brown sugars, oil, and eggs in a mixing bowl.

Adding mashed bananas, crushed pineapple, and vanilla extract to a mixture in a bowl.

On low speed, add the flour mixture in thirds, beating until combined. Finally, fold in chopped pecans.

Adding chopped pecans to a batter in a metal mixing bowl.

Finished batter for hummingbird cupcakes in a metal mixing bowl.

Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan cups. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 22 to 24 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pans to a wire rack and cool completely.

Batter divided into yellow paper liners in a standard muffin pan.

A dozen cupcakes baked in a standard muffin pan.

Next, make the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat soft butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

Two blocks of cream cheese, a stick of butter, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.

Cream cheese frosting whipped in a metal mixing bowl until creamy and smooth.

Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip of your choice (I use a large French star tip in these photos). Frost the hummingbird cupcakes as desired, and then sprinkle chopped pecans over the top.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

A cupcake topped with white frosting using a French star tip, and finished with chopped pecans.

Expert tips

Hummingbird cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve at room temperature to allow the frosting to soften.

Depending on how hot your kitchen is, you may need/want to chill your cream cheese frosting for a bit before piping it onto your cupcakes.

Although I top my hummingbird cupcakes with a sprinkle of chopped pecans, you could also garnish each one with a single pecan half or a dehydrated pineapple slice.

A hummingbird cupcake with its yellow paper wrapper peeled off to show the cake portion.

To make this recipe as a layer cake

This was originally a recipe for a traditional hummingbird layer cake, but I have since adapted it into cupcakes. You can still use this recipe to make a cake! Here's how.

Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment and butter it as well. Lightly dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess. Follow the recipe to make the batter and divide it between the two prepared pans.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes, then remove the layers from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Make half the amount of frosting. You won't need as much to frost a two layer cake as you will to frost two dozen cupcakes.

If the cakes have domed, level the tops of the layers with a serrated knife so they are flat. Place one layer on a serving plate. Using an offset spatula, spread the top of the layer with a dollop of frosting. Place the second cake layer on top, and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Decorate the sides of the cake with 1 cup chopped pecans or pecan pieces.

A slice of cake with white frosting and pecans served on a plate.

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