Southern Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes

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

Southern Cookin’

You Know You’re A Southern Cook If…

• Baking a ham is done on 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 kitchen diary. (Ahem… and you know what a kitchen diary is.)

Hummingbird Cake

Don’t worry… If these things don’t apply to you, and you live in the south, I can help you check the latter two off 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.)

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

Like Hummingbird 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.

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.

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 ultra soft and silky. It’s the perfect compliment to the Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes.

Hummingbird Cupcakes

You are going to love these Hummingbird Cake 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.

 

See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make My Hummingbird Cake 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

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Southern Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

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

Servings: 32 cupcakes

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

For the Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 large bananas (smashed)
• 1 cup canned crushed pineapple (in juices)
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans

For the Sour Cream Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups softened butter (3 sticks)
• 1 cup sour cream (strained, no extra liquid on top)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 8-10 cups powdered sugar
• pinch salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. Then mix the first four dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Then turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the eggs and vanilla. Scrape the bowl and beat on low, while slowly adding the flour mixture. Keep the mixer on low and mix in the mashed bananas, pineapple with juices, coconut, and pecans.
• Using a cookie scoop, divide the batter between 32 cupcake liners. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the tops are golden and bounce back when you touch them. Place on the counter and cool completely, before proceeding.
• Take the cupcakes out of the pan. Make the Sour Cream Frosting or classic Cream Cheese Frosting for the tops. For the Sour Cream Frosting: Beat the butter until very soft, then turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the sour cream. Scrape the bowl and beat until completely smooth. Beat in the vanilla, lemon juice, and salt. Then slowly add the powdered sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
• Scoop the sour cream frosting into a large piping bag with a wide tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, then sprinkle with golden sugar sprinkles if desired. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to “set” the frosting. Then cover and store in the fridge or at room temperature, for up to several days. (I like them at room temperature best!)

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 387kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 221mg, Potassium: 83mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 520IU, Vitamin C: 0.7mg, Calcium: 29mg, Iron: 0.8mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

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