Hummingbird Cupcakes Recipe - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

Hummingbird Cupcakes with Sour Cream Frosting –Moist and tender, this is a classic southern favorite loaded with bananas, pineapple, coconut, and nuts.

You Know You’re A Southern Cook If…

• Baking a ham is doneon a weekly basis, instead of an annual basis. (Preferably on Sundays.)
• You know how to season a cast iron skillet and keep it seasoned.
• You aren’t afraid to cook with butter. In fact, the more the better.
• You’ve got a hand-written grandma-approved Hummingbird Cake Recipe in your kitchendiary. (Ahem… and you know what akitchen diaryis.)

Hummingbird Cake Recipe

Don’t worry… If these things don’t apply to you, and you live in the south, I can help you check the latter twooff your list here and now.

(I can also help with seasoning cast iron and baked hams, but you’ll have to jump over to another post.)

Ifyou aren’t a southerner, that’s ok too. Just know, there are a few things you’ve probably been missing out on.

LikeHummingbird Cake.

What Is Hummingbird Cake?

Have no fear. There are no birds in the recipe, only chunky ingredients like:

• Ripe bananas
• Pineapple
• Coconut
• Pecans

It’s sort of like a carrot cake… Minus the carrots, add fruit. A banana pineapple cupcake, if you will.

Although I’ve heard several theories on how this moist decadent cake got its name, the one I like best came from a granny I met when we first moved to North Carolina.

She told me, “It’s called hummingbird cake, Sugar, because it’s as sweet as nectar. It’s a southern thang!”

Butter Instead Of Oil

Well, I love southern thangs. Truly.

So I’ve taken a classic hummingbird cake recipe and altered it ever so slightly, to make“Hummingbird Cake” Cupcakes with Sour Cream Frosting.

The first change I made was to use butter instead of oil.

Here in the south, hummingbird cake is usually thought of as an oil “ol” cake.

However, when you shrink it down to cupcake size, with frosting on top, instead of sandwiched between multiple layers, butter greatly improves the flavor and overall golden color.

Less Sugar

I also reduced the sugar a bit.

Believe it or not, the original granny-given recipe called for a lot more. Yet, I prefer less sweetness in the cake when you’re piling frosting on top.

Hummingbird cupcakes already have a lot of natural sweetness in them due to the bananas and pineapple, so it will still be nice and sweet!

Sour Cream Frosting

Finally, I made a sour cream based frosting instead of a cream cheese frosting like most traditional recipes.

Don’t get me wrong, I adore cream cheese frosting.

Yet, this sour cream frosting provides a bit more tang and is ultrasoft and silky. It’s the perfect compliment to the Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes.

Hummingbird Cupcakes

You are going to love these Hummingbird Cupcakes with Sour Cream Frosting!

And you’ll feel like a real Southerner making and eating them, whether you are one or not.

And that, my friends, is a good thang.

Tips & Tricks

• Don’t over-mix the batter! For tender and moist cupcakes, make sure not to overmix the batter once you add the flour! Over-mixing will result in dense and tough cupcakes.
• Use room temperature butter! The butter has to be very soft in both the cupcake batter and the sour cream frosting! Make sure to plan ahead to have room temperature butter.
• Don’t have a piping bag? No problem! You can still make beautiful hummingbird cake cupcakes by using an offset spatula to simple spread the frosting on the top!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze these hummingbird cupcakes?

Definitely! Freeze the cupcakes unfrosted by wrapping them in plastic wrap and placing them in a freezer safe zip bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend frosting them after thawing them in the fridge!

See Also

Root Beer Chocolate Cake

What does hummingbird cake taste like?

Hummingbird cake is similar to a spiced banana cake or even a carrot cake. It has banana, pineapple, cinnamon, with a slightly tropical take with the coconut. It usually has a creamy and sweet frosting that ties everything together!

See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make Hummingbird Cupcakes. Enjoy!

Other Southern Recipes You Might Like:

• Southern Orangeade Recipe
• Southern Chicken Berry Salad
• Easy Cinnamon Drop Biscuits
• Fluffy Southern Cat Head Biscuits
• Baked Mac and Cheese from Oh Sweet Basil