Vegan Hummingbird Cake

Bananas, pineapple, and pecans come together in this easy one-bowl Vegan Hummingbird Cake! It’s a moist and warmly spiced dessert that’s bursting with bright, tropical flavors.

This Vegan Hummingbird Cake has become one of my favorite desserts ever! Every bite has beautiful layers of fruity, nutty, warm, and sweet flavors while the cream cheese frosting on top perfectly complements the wide range of complexities. If you love carrot cake, then you may just love hummingbird cake even more.

Four key ingredients set this popular Southern cake apart from carrot cake and other spice cakes. They are:

Warm spices, like nutmeg and cinnamon
Toasted pecans
Pineapple chunks and their juices
Ripe bananas

Altogether, they infuse this cake with gorgeous tropical flavors that beautifully contrast the warming spices. Plus, with its moist and fluffy crumb, you’ll have a hard time stopping after only one slice!

a cream cheese frosted-vegan hummingbird cake with a slice being removed.

Why is it called hummingbird cake?

The original recipe for hummingbird cake comes from Jamaica, where it’s known as the Doctor Bird Cake. It gets this name from its national bird, the swallow tail hummingbird.

Eventually, the recipe became popular throughout the Southern United States, where it was re-named “hummingbird cake”. Some say the name comes from the sweet flavors attracting hummingbirds or that it’s so good, you’ll want to hover around the cake until you get a slice (just like a hummingbird). The true reason, however, is up for debate.

How to make vegan hummingbird cake

Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

Start by whisking the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl.

whisking flour, sugar, and spices together in a large white bowl.

Next, add the oil, crushed pineapple, mashed bananas, almond milk, vanilla, and pecans to the same bowl as the dry mix. Mix until just combined and no dry flour streaks remain.

using a wooden spoon to stir hummingbird cake ingredients together in a large white bowl.

Pour the cake batter into two prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set them aside to cool while you make the icing.

Once the cake layers are completely cool, add some frosting in between each layer before frosting the sides and tops. Sprinkle more pecans on the outside for decoration, then slice and enjoy!

Decoration ideas

Hummingbird cake is traditionally decorated with cream cheese frosting. It’s also very nice with the lemon frosting from my Vegan Lemon Cake and Vegan Buttercream.

Chopped pecans are a must-have hummingbird cake decoration, although you can also add toasted coconut, dried fruit, or other types of crushed nuts on top.

hummingbird cake batter in a large white bowl.

Vegan hummingbird cupcakes

You can use this recipe to make cupcakes by making the batter as normal, then pouring it into a lined muffin tin until each cup is ¾ full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Tips for success

Always use toasted pecans! They’re 10 times as flavorful as raw pecans and will give your cake an added layer of warmth. Either buy pre-toasted pecans or toast them yourself in a dry skillet over medium-low heat.
Overmixing the cake batter will lead to a dense cake. I like to combine the wet and dry ingredients by hand (with a wooden spoon) to avoid overmixing.
You’ll know the cakes are ready to come out of the oven when the tops are set, the edges are turning golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (some crumbs stuck to the toothpick are ok).
If you’re short on time, place the baked cake layers in the fridge to help them cool down faster. Only do this after they were left to cool in the pans for 15 minutes.
This recipe makes enough batter for a two-layer cake. If you want to make a four-layer cake like in the photos, slice each cake layer in half lengthwise with a serrated knife.

2 layers of hummingbird cake on a wire rack.

Frequently asked questions

I have a nut allergy. What can I use instead of the pecans?

You can make a nut free hummingbird cake by omitting the pecans and using soy milk or oat milk instead of almond milk. Alternatively, replace the nuts with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. The flavor will be slightly different but the crunch will still be there.

Can it be made gluten free?

I haven’t tried making a vegan gluten free hummingbird cake, but a good quality gluten free flour mix, like Better Batter, may work in place of the all purpose flour.

Can it be made oil free?

Old-fashioned hummingbird cake recipes, like the original printed in the 1978 copy of Southern Living, were made with a generous amount of vegetable oil to achieve a decadent and moist crumb. While there isn’t as much oil in my version, it’s still crucial and should not be replaced. Even melted vegan butter shouldn’t be used as a substitute because it doesn’t provide the same amount of moisture.

How far in advance can you make the cake/frosting?

The cake layers will stay moist and fresh for up to 1 week ahead of serving. Wrap them in a layer of plastic and keep them in the fridge, or in the freezer for longer.

Vegan buttercream or cream cheese frosting can also be made 2 to 3 days in advance. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge until it’s time to decorate the cake.

using a fork to take a bite from a slice of vegan hummingbird cake.

Want more incredible vegan cake recipes?

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Read my full disclosure here.

About Nora