Say hello to some intensely tropical cupcakes! There’s coconut, pineapple, banana and a dreamy-creamy cream cheese frosting. Crunchy pecans for extra texture and really, I dare you to stop at one. To make them even cuter, they’re actually called Hummingbird cupcakes and here’s apparently why

This recipe is adapted from a layer cake I saw on the Wood and Spoon blog but I didn’t want a large cake at home so I scaled it down quite a bit and made them as cupcakes. I recently updated the photos and made some small changes to the recipe too. I’d originally used almonds, but pecans are traditional so I brought them back this time!

The cupcakes are tender, light and while the dominant taste is banana, both the pineapple and coconut do make their presence felt. The flavours sneak up on you in the best possible way! Oil keeps the cupcakes super duper soft and moist and the welcome crunch from the pecans is irresistible.

The batter is lightly spiced with cinnamon and that cream cheese frosting just goes so wonderfully with all of these flavours. It’s tangy and creamy but perfectly sweet and light all at once. I pretty much wanted to eat it straight out of the bowl, cupcakes forgotten!

They actually taste better on day two because all of the flavours intensify so these are great to make ahead for any gatherings! I hope you love them as much as I do 🙂

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Hummingbird Cupcakes

Moist and fruity banana, pineapple and coconut cupcakes with pecans and cream cheese frosting!

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Makes: 9 cupcakes

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Ingredients

For the cupcakes

1/3 cup pecans (traditional, but walnuts or almonds work well too)
3 slices tinned pineapple (or 1/3 cup crushed tinned pineapple if you have it)
1 large banana
1/3 cup vegetable oil (80 ml)
1/3 cup caster sugar (60 gms)
1 egg (see notes)
1/2 tsp vanilla extra
1/3 cup grated unsweetened coconut (20 gms)
1 cup all-purpose flour (120 gms)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon powder

For the frosting

150 gms cream cheese, at room temperature
75 gms unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup icing sugar, sifted (40 gms)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Grease or line 9 cupcake moulds and preheat the oven to 175 C.
Spread the pecans out on un-greased baking tray and bake for 5 minutes, or until they smell toasty and fragrant. Set aside to cool, then chop them coarsely. Mash the banana well (about 1/4 cup after mashing) and set aside as well.
If you're using pre-crushed tinned pineapple, proceed with the next step. If using tinned pineapple slices, first blend them into a puree-like texture in a blender or small food processor.
Now make the batter. In a mixing bowl, whisk the oil and sugar till well-blended. Then add the egg and vanilla and beat again till thoroughly combined. I did this by hand with a balloon whisk but you can use a hand mixer too.
Add the banana, crushed pineapple and coconut and mix well. Sift in the flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Fold to combine into a thick batter, then stir in the chopped toasted pecans (reserve about 2 tablespoons of the pecans to decorate the cupcakes later.)
Divide the batter equally into the cupcake moulds and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely at room temperature.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Beat the butter and cream together with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and sift in the icing sugar. Beat again to combine into a light and fluffy frosting. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.
Spread the frosting on top of the cupcakes (or use a piping bag if you prefer), decorate with the reserved pecans and pineapple pieces if desired. Dig in! Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days, allowing them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so the frosting softens a little. You can also freeze cupcakes. Happy baking!