Vegan Hummingbird Cake

Vegan hummingbird cake is filled with warming spices, natural sweetness from bananas and pineapples, and toasted pecans. Get ready to fall in love with this moist and sweet southern staple!

What is hummingbird cake?

Fear not, no birds were harmed in the making of this cake. Hummingbird cake is a classic Southern spice cake made extra sweet with bananas and pineapples. It was originally published in Southern Living in 1978, and since then it's been a classic Southern dessert staple.

Hummingbird cake tastes like banana bread with a touch of pineapple, a hint of nuttiness, and a balance of warming spices. This vegan hummingbird cake is adapted from the original Southern Living recipe. The original cake base is dairy-free as-is, so this vegan version is just like the original, but egg-free!

In short, it's delicious and a must-try Southern recipe. If you're looking for Southern dishes, I have a lot more vegetarian and vegan Southern recipes!

Recipe features

• Easy to make: This cake is made in just one bowl. No hand mixer or stand mixer required!
• Moist and dense: Hummingbird cake is made with oil instead of butter. It is very moist from the fruit and fruit juices.
• Fruit-filled: Made with pineapple tidbits, pineapple juice, and banana.
• Nutty: Topped and filled with toasted pecans for a great hint of nuttiness.
• Frosting: We're using a homemade vegan cashew cream cheese frosting to top this cake.

Main ingredients

• All-purpose flour: We are keeping things simple with this cake and using regular all-purpose flour, just like the original recipe.
• Pineapple: I have made vegan hummingbird cake with pineapple tidbits and crushed pineapples and it turned out the same. Choose an 8 ounce can of pineapple with fruit juice because we will be using the juice in the cake. The pineapple flavor isn't super strong in this cake.
• Banana: Choose very ripe bananas, the kind you would use for banana muffins. The browner the peel the more ripe the banana. I recommend mashing the banana with a fork then measuring it out into cups.
• Pecans: Choose toasted pecans if available. If not, raw pecans will work and you can toast them yourself.
• Cashews: Choose raw, unsalted cashews. You can soak them overnight or soak for 15 minutes in very hot water to soften them enough to blend.
• Agave syrup or maple syrup work in the frosting. Honey also works depending on dietary preferences.
• Oil: Canola or vegetable oil are my go-to's for this cake, but you can use olive oil if you prefer. I recommend using a light olive oil so that the flavor doesn't overpower the cake.

Step by step instructions

Equipment: You will need a large two 9" cake pans, a mixing bowl, a whisk, and a mixing spoon. Hummingbird cake doesn't require a hand mixer or stand mixer!

However, the cashew cream cheese frosting requires a food processor or high-powered blender.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Mash bananas and measure out two cups. Make flaxseed eggs by combining ground flax and water.

1. Combine dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. Stir in wet ingredients: Mix in the wet ingredients until just combined. Careful not to overmix. It will be a lumpy mixture because of the pineapple and mashed banana. Fold in the pecans.
3. Transfer to a cake pan: Lightly spray two 9" cake pans with cooking oil. Divide the cake batter between the two pans, smoothing as needed.
4. Bake the cake: Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cashew cream cheese frosting

Cashew cream cheese frosting is a healthier, lighter alternative to the classic cream cheese frosting that usually comes with a hummingbird cake. It's made using a similar method to cashew cream and cashew cheese.

Cashews are a great complement to the flavor of the pecans, and they create a wonderfully smooth and spreadable frosting.

To make the frosting, simply add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth. Add extra oat or soy milk 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to make a spreadable consistency. Adjust for sweetness.

Tips for success

While vegan hummingbird cake is one of the easiest cakes to make, I still have a few tips to make sure your cake comes out perfect every time.

• Spoon and level flour: Always spoon and level flour into a measuring cup for the most accurate measurements. To do this, spoon flour into the measuring cup until overflowing. Use the back of a knife to wipe off excess flour. Don’t shake or pat flour down.
• Preheat the oven: Always preheat the oven and bake the cake on the middle oven rack. I recommend using an over thermometer to confirm the oven temp.
• Frosting: Don't frost the cake until it is completely room temperature. Frosting a warm cake causes frosting to drip off of the cake.
• How to tell it's done: The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. This means there should be no more than a couple of crumbs clinging to the toothpick. The center of the cake should be slightly puffed up, but it will deflate a little when removed from the oven.
• Cool the cake: Always let cake cool in its pan for at least 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool. Cake is technically still baking when it is removed from the oven, so it needs to extra time in the cake pan to settle.

Storage and freezing

• How to store leftovers: You can store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or cover and refrigerate for up to a week. Because hummingbird cake is very moist and dense, it won't dry out too much in the fridge.
• Freezing instructions: Freeze the entire cake or individual slices in a freezer-safe container. Let frozen cake thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat individual slices in the microwave.

Recipe FAQ

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This recipe was originally posted on April 3, 2018. The post was updated with new photos, a video, and more tips on February 5th, 2021. The recipe remains the same.