Vegan Hummingbird Cake

If you love hummingbird cupcakes, but hate the non-vegan ingredients, well I have a surprise for you. Yes, I am presenting to you an amazing vegan hummingbird cake recipe that will have you stunned there is no dairy in it.

While you can use this recipe to make a regular cake, I opted for cupcakes, because they are just so cute! This recipe is adapted from Boulder Locavore and makes 12 cupcakes.

While there is a bit of controversy as to its name, all I know is that this Hummingbird Cake is a favorite with many of my vegan friends.

Vegan Hummingbird Cake Recipe

There are a lot of ingredients going into this, but if you are a vegan you probably already have most lying around the house. You will need ingredients for the cake as well as the frosting, which is also vegan of course!

Cupcake Ingredients

  • 1 cup roasted bananas, mashed (approximately 2 large bananas with peel left on, roasting instructions are below)
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup vegan refined sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup grape seed oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, crushed
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

When it comes to the pineapple, fresh is the winner here! Canned pineapple has too much water and will change the texture – and flavor of the cupcake.

Preparation

Alright, now the fun begins. Let’s get all those ingredients together and make something amazing!

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Step 2

Place bananas (with peel on) on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until peels are black.

Step 3

Remove bananas from oven and once cooled peel and mash them in a bowl.

Step 4

In a small bowl add ground flax seed and water and whisk together.

Step 5

In a large bowl add flour, cinnamon, baking soda and sea salt and whisk thoroughly.

Step 6

In another bowl ad sugars, applesauce, grape seed oil, and vanilla. Add flax seed mixture from above and blend well. Add ingredients from step 5 and stir until well mixed.

Step 7

Place pineapple in a small bowl and mash well.

Step 8

Add pineapple, bananas, and chopped pecans to mixture of other ingredients and stir until well combined.

Step 9

Prepare a cupcake pan and spoon batter into cupcake liners. Bake for 12-15 minutes or when toothpick is clean after insertion.

Vegan Frosting Recipe

This icing is a perfect pairing for our hummingbird cake, and of course it is 100% vegan!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter substitute, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients (except for the pecans) with a mixer on medium speed until fully combined.

When everything is done, add frosting to each cupcake and top with a few pecans. Perfection!

You can also use it without the frosting and eat it as a bread which will be equally awesome.

hummingbird cupcakes

Vegan Hummingbird Cake

Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

You will never know this amazing hummingbird cupcake is vegan.

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

  • 1 cup roasted bananas, mashed (approximately 2 large bananas with peel left on, roasting instructions are below)
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup vegan refined sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup grape seed oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, crushed
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Frosting Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter substitute, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Cake Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Place bananas (with peel on) on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until peels are black.
  3. Remove bananas from oven and once cooled peel and mash them in a bowl.
  4. In a small bowl add ground flax seed and water and whisk together.
  5. In a large bowl add flour, cinnamon, baking soda and sea salt and whisk thoroughly.
  6. In another bowl ad sugars, applesauce, grape seed oil, and vanilla. Add
    flax seed mixture from above and blend well. Add ingredients from step 5 and stir until well mixed.
  7. Place pineapple in a small bowl and mash well.
  8. Add pineapple, bananas, and chopped pecans to mixture of other ingredients and stir until well combined.
  9. Prepare a cupcake pan and spoon batter into cupcake liners. Bake for 12-15 minutes or when toothpick is clean after insertion.

Frosting Instructions

Mix all the ingredients (except for the pecans) with a mixer on medium speed until fully combined.

Notes

For a different option, skip the frosting and use it as a bread fro brunch or breakfast.

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