Spring has sprung with these gluten free mini hummingbird bundt cakes! Pineapple, banana, and toasted pecans find harmony with cream cheese icing.
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What is Hummingbird Cake?
I had never had hummingbird cake until I made these mini bundts. After years of pinning several recipes, I finally decided to give it a try and I’m so glad I did. Hummingbird cake is a staple in the south and for good reason. It’s a lightly spiced super moist pineapple banana cake. Throw in some chopped toasted pecans for crunch and add some cream cheese frosting and you are in southern cake heaven! Think carrot cake style, but with tropical flavors.
Making Gluten Free Mini Hummingbird Bundt Cakes
When I first started looking through all my pinned recipes for hummingbird cake, I saw a few variations. But the majority of them had the main ingredients pretty much the same:
- Bananas–I know everyone says to use the brownest, mushiest bananas ever for making banana bread and cakes, but I’m here to tell ya that it isn’t necessary. I never cared for banana bread much because it was soooo dense and, dare I say, “rubbery”. If you’ve tried my gluten free banana bread, you know what I’m talking about. It’s the absolute BEST banana bread and I don’t use overripe bananas!
- Pineapple–crushed, undrained pineapple seems to be the common consensus for this cake, although there was one recipe that called for completely drained pineapple but more of it.
- Vegetable or canola oil–One recipe used all butter and I tried it, but it was a little on the dry side. Oil is where it’s at when making super moist cakes!
- Spices and salt–the usual cinnamon was found in one, whereas others had cinnamon, nutmeg, and even allspice or cloves. I actually decided to go with just cinnamon. I really wanted the flavors of the banana and pineapple to shine through.
- Flour–of course I used my own blend (Kim’s gluten free all purpose flour blend), but I think any store bought blend would work okay in this recipe. Try to use a high quality one, such as Cup4Cup or King Arthur Flour (affiliate links).
- Sugar–all the recipes I found used white sugar and I’m sticking with that.
- Eggs–a couple recipes called for 3 eggs and one for 2. I tried both ways and I liked the one using 2 better.
- Baking soda
- Chopped pecans–I made one recipe with untoasted, but ultimately decided toasted was so much tastier!
Blood Orange Cream Cheese Icing
In testing the recipes for the perfect blend of what I wanted, some of them called for freshly squeezed orange juice. But I had already gone to the store and didn’t feel like going back. So I checked in my fridge and just happened to have a few blood oranges. What could be better? Flavor AND color all in one!!!
Since I wanted to make mini bundt cakes using these pans (affiliate link), I wanted to decorate them similar to a cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes. If you’ve never had or seen a Nothing Bundt Cakes cake, they’re really cute and simply decorated with a thinner cream cheese icing that ribbons down the sides of the bundt. This cream cheese icing isn’t as stiff as the regular cream cheese frosting found in all of the recipes I researched. Those are for making a hummingbird layer cake, not a bundt cake.
I Don’t Have Mini Bundt Pans. Can I Make This as a Large Bundt Cake?
Yes, you can!! Just grease a large bundt pan and pour the batter in. Bake it for 65-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
You need to try these gluten free mini hummingbird bundt cakes. Serve them for Easter or just for a nice springtime dessert that’s all your own!
Gluten Free Mini Hummingbird Bundt Cakes
Equipment
- 4-inch Mini bundt cake pans
Ingredients
- 3 cups (420 g) Kim's gluten free flour blend
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups (about 4) chopped ripe bananas (not overly ripe)
- 1 cup drained crushed pineapple
- 1 cup (240 ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, beaten and at room temperature
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups (144 g) chopped toasted pecans**
Cream Cheese Icing
- 8 ounces (226 g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (57 g) butter, softened
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- juice from 2 blood oranges (or any other medium oranges)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° F. Grease 4-inch bundt pans and set aside. *
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, pineapple, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
- Pour the wet into the dry and fold to combine. Do not beat and do not overmix. Gently stir in 1 cup of the toasted pecans.
- Using a cookie scoop, place about two scoops of batter into each pan (which should reach about ¾ full). Bake cakes for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in between the middle and edge comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Cream Cheese Icing
- In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add the orange juice and continue beating until well incorporated.
- Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip (or ziptop bag with a corner cut out) with the icing. Pipe ribbons of the icing down the sides of the bundt cakes, beginning in the middle and ending ¾ of the way down the sides. Sprinkle the middle with the leftover toasted pecans.
- Store in the refrigerator, well covered (a cake or cupcake taker works great for this) and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Will keep in the fridge for a few days. The cakes can also be frozen without the icing. Frost after thawed.
Notes
Adapted from Chef Art Smith’s Hummingbird Cake
Hi Kim – I’m going to make these. What is your preferred way of greasing cake pans? Do you use shortening, or spray? And do you flour them in addition? I’ve read a lot of different theories on what works best.