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!
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 (160g) 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
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line 2 x 8-inch (20cm) cake pans with parchment paper.
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.