Vegan Hummingbird Cake
This irresistibly moist vegan hummingbird cake is an easy tropical dessert made with bananas, pineapple and toasted pecans! Brown sugar and warm spices like cinnamon add a cozy depth of flavor. The cake is completely egg-free and dairy-free, and doesn’t require any fancy ingredients!
Why you’ll love this cake
Hummingbird cake is an indulgent and sweet cake! Imagine a richer version of banana cake, but with crushed pineapple and pecans. Its texture is most similar to carrot cake (but coarser) and it has the tropical hints of a pineapple upside-down cake!
You don’t need eggs or dairy for a delicious cake! The bananas and pineapple provide moisture and structure to the cake and having just enough raising agents ensures the cake rises and bakes through.
Simple ingredients you’ll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Overripe bananas are best for this recipe. They’re higher in natural sugar which doesn’t only add sweetness but results in a moister and softer cake! You can use frozen and thawed bananas too and there’s no need to drain their liquid (I’ve tested this and the cake still bakes perfectly).
Canned crushed pineapple in juice, not syrup. Include the juice in the cake batter as this adds extra flavor and moisture! The natural acidity in pineapple juice also disrupts the formation of gluten in the flour which makes this vegan hummingbird cake extra tender (that means, we don’t need any apple cider vinegar in the recipe).
TIP: Try to get a can of crushed pineapple that has some liquid in it. Shake the can of pineapple and if you can hear liquid swishing around, it’s good for this recipe! Some pineapple cans don’t have much liquid, and while they’ll work, your cake will be denser.
Light brown sugar for depth of flavor and moisture. Granulated sugar to ensure the cake isn’t too heavy.
Non-dairy milk. I prefer using unsweetened soy milk as its higher protein results in a more tender cake. Other varieties like oat milk or almond milk will still work!
Neutral oil. Adding a lot of fruit to cakes can make them stodgy and even slightly chewy or muffin-like. The slightly higher amount of oil in this hummingbird cake balances out the fruit to ensure it is still cakey and moist, but not stodgy!
Salt adds depth of flavor and balances the sweetness in this hummingbird cake, especially as there’s so much fruit!
How to make hummingbird cake
First, add the banana to a large bowl and mash well. To the mashed banana, add the pineapple, both sugars, oil, milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. This step ensures the sugars are adequately dissolved which helps the cake to rise more evenly!
In another large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, raising agents, spices and mix until well combined. Try to make sure the raising agents are evenly dispersed because no one likes chunks of baking soda in their cake!
Then, pour the wet ingredients onto your flour mixture and mix until just combined. Finally, add your chopped pecans and fold through!
Most of my cake recipes use one bowl, but I recommend using two bowls for this vegan hummingbird cake. The high amount of fruit and nuts results in a very chunky batter and can mislead you to undermix or overmix the batter. Using two mixing bowls ensures the ingredients are evenly combined, without the risk of overmixing!
Baking hummingbird cake
The cakes take around 32-37 minutes to bake, depending on how hot your oven runs. Please avoid opening the oven door too early as your cakes may sink.
The cakes are ready when their surfaces are evenly golden brown. And if you gently press the middle of the cake, it should bounce back (rather than feel soft and wobbly underneath).
Decorating this cake
My cake layers usually bake flat, but if your layers have domes, make sure you slice them off with a serrated knife. Flatter layers are easier to stack!
I decorated my cake with vegan cream cheese frosting, chopped pecans and dried pineapple slices. You can also decorate your cake with:
- Extra shredded coconut
- Dried pineapple chips
- Edible flowers
Customizing this recipe
Yes, definitely! If omitting, you don’t need to make any other changes to the recipe.
Alternatively, you can replace the pecans with the same quantity of walnuts or the same weight of finely shredded coconut.
Yes, this cake will also work well in a 9 x 13-inch sheet pan without any changes to the quantities. Bake the sheet cake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
I have only tested the recipe the way it’s written. From experience, other granulated sugars such as coconut sugar or erythritol will work but produce slightly different results.
I don’t recommend using a liquid sweetener instead of granulated sugar as it’ll add too much moisture to the recipe. Alternatively, check out my maple banana bread if you want a maple-sweetened dessert.
More classic vegan cake recipes
Follow Rainbow Nourishments on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest, and subscribe via email to receive all of our latest recipes!
Vegan Hummingbird Cake
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (340g) mashed overripe bananas, (about 3-4 large bananas)
- 8 ounce (225g) can crushed pineapple, in juice not syrup (do not drain)
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- ⅔ cup (150g) dairy-free milk, room temperature
- ⅔ cup (145g) neutral flavored oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose plain flour, spooned and leveled (note 1)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice, or 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt, do not omit
- 1 cup (120g) chopped pecans, toasted if desired, optional (note 2)
Vegan cream cheese frosting (see note 3 for alternatives)
- ¾ cup (170g) vegan block butter, room temperature
- 3-4 cups (300-400g) powdered sugar / icing sugar, to taste and as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz (240g) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
To decorate (optional)
- chopped pecans
- dried pineapple slices
Instructions
Make the hummingbird cake:
- Add the bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash until it forms a thick lumpy paste. Add the crushed pineapple (including the juice), both sugars, oil, milk and vanilla extract and stir until well combined.
- In a separate large bowl, add all the dry ingredients (except the pecans) and whisk until well combined. Pour in the wet mixture and mix until just before it's combined. Add the pecans and fold until there are no more pockets of flour. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter between your prepared cake pans and smooth the top with a spoon.
- Bake the cakes in your preheated oven for 32-37 minutes. The cakes are ready when you can insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean. If you gently press the top of the cakes, they should bounce back.
- Cool the cakes in their pans for 20 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely.
Make the cream cheese frosting:
- Add the vegan butter to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until it's pale and light in color. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat until you have a light and fluffy buttercream. Add the vegan cream cheese and beat until all the ingredients are well combined. Avoid overmixing the frosting otherwise it'll become too soft. For a firmer frosting, mix in more powdered sugar.
- Chill the frosting until needed.
Assemble the hummingbird cake:
- When the cakes have completely cooled, place one layer on a serving plate.
- Spread or pipe around ¾ cup of frosting on the cake and place the remaining cake on top.
- Spread the remaining frosting on the cake. If you have excess frosting, use a piping bag with a star nozzle to pipe the remaining frosting on top of the cake. Decorate the cake as desired.
- Store the frosted hummingbird cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow the cake to come to room temperature for 1 hour before serving. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 1 month.
Notes
- Make sure you measure the flour accurately otherwise, your cake will be dry and dense. If you’re using measuring cups, use the spoon and level method where you fluff up the flour in the bag, use a spoon to add flour to a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. I don’t recommend using the measuring cup to scoop flour out of your container as too much flour will result in a dense cake. Alternatively, use digital kitchen scale and the grams measurements.
- Toasting the pecans gives them lovely nutty flavor. To toast the pecans, preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F). Spread the pecans on a lined baking sheet and toast for around 8 minutes until they smell fragrant.
- If you don’t have vegan cream cheese, I recommend making lemon buttercream frosting from my vegan lemon cake recipe.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
I made this cake over the weekend for my family and we all loved it! Just the right sweetness level and just like the hummingbird cakes I grew up with. It was so moist and delicious! Thanks for all your recipes x
Hi Zara, I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed this cake and you found the flavor and texture on point!! Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback ❤️
Hello Anthea,interesting recipe and the name. Just wanted to ask if can replace the oil with unsalted butter and also can I reduce the amount of the baking powder as my Mother has IBS.Please let me know
Thank you so much for your kind message and interest in the hummingbird cake! The cake originated in Jamaica where it was known as Doctor Bird Cake. It became popular in the Southern U.S. where it was then renamed after the island’s national bird!
Regarding your questions — we haven’t tested this cake with unsalted butter, but generally, swapping oil for vegan butter tends to make the crumb a little denser. You’re very welcome to give it a go, though we can’t guarantee the same results.
As for the baking powder, the recipe has been carefully balanced to give the best rise and texture, so reducing it may result in a denser cake. That said, we absolutely understand that dietary needs can vary, especially when accommodating something like IBS. If you do decide to experiment, we’d love to hear how it turns out for you and your mum.
Hope that helps, and happy baking! ☺️
Hi Anthea,
I made this cake and I just have to say it is way too sweet. I used no sugar added crushed pineapple in juice so that didn’t contribute to the sweetness of the cake. There’s just too much sugar in it. The frosting was especially sweet. I used 3 cups of powdered sugar and had to add an extra 8 oz. of cream cheese. It was still too sweet. I’ve used your dessert recipes a lot and the are usually really good.
Thanks,
Lorrie
Hi Lorrie, thanks for your feedback! I’m sorry you found this cake too sweet. Hummingbird cakes tend to be sweet (hence their name) and I found that the sweetness is balanced out if you add the salt and use salted butter (as most vegan butter is salted). However, I understand that everyone has a different sweetness preference – you may prefer my non-frosted cake and muffin recipes. Thanks!
I’ve not made it yet but I’m sure I’ll love it
I hope you enjoy it!
Yum! Looks delicious. Could I make this in a single tin? I don’t love lots of frosting so would do just a scraping.
Hi Miriam, I can’t see why not however I haven’t tried it myself so the following numbers are an informed guestimate. Try baking it in a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan for a few extra minutes. Enjoy!