Tender and lightly sweet, this gluten free hummingbird cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting gives carrot cake a run for its money.
Reminiscent of carrot cake, hummingbird cake swaps the shredded carrots for mashed banana and crushed pineapple.
The end result: a spiced banana cake studded with toasted pecans and topped with rich, creamy frosting. A perfect springtime or summer treat - you'd never know it's gluten free!
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Why is it called hummingbird cake?
Like the roots of many "classic" recipes, there doesn't seem to be a unified consensus on where the name "hummingbird cake" came from.
However, everyone seems to agree this cake is Jamaican in origin, and came to the US via tourism marketing before becoming more or less viral in the South. You can read more about it in this Epicurious article!
Ingredients needed for gluten free hummingbird cake
Hummingbird cake's unique ingredients, banana and pineapple, are of note here; however, I've also included notes for the gluten free four I used and how it can be substituted.
- BANANAS: Mashed bananas are essential for gluten free hummingbird cake! Choose bananas that are ripe (yellow) or a little past ripe, showing brown spots. The more overripe the bananas, the more dense the cake will be. For the lightest cake, choose yellow bananas.
- CRUSHED PINEAPPLE: Opt for canned crushed pineapple that's in its own juice, not sweetened. You won't have to drain the pineapple for this recipe, but you don't want to use ALL juice, either.
- GLUTEN FREE FLOUR: I had best results using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour. I tried a couple other flours, including cassava flour and Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour, but I didn't quite get as tender of a crumb with those.
Choose a gluten free flour with xanthan gum already in the blend or at ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum per cup of flour.
- OLIVE OIL/BUTTER: I use a blend of olive oil and melted butter for this recipe, but the most traditional hummingbird cakes use only olive oil. Feel free to use 1 cup olive oil if you'd like!
Tips for tender gluten free cake
This gluten free hummingbird cake recipe doesn't contain anything too surprising.
You'll mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately, then incorporate the two before finally stirring in the pecans.
However, I have a couple tips for making a delicious two-tier gluten free cake!
Toast the pecans beforehand
One of my favorite baking tips! When using nuts, pre-toast the nuts in the oven before chopping and adding to the recipe.
You'll get SO MUCH MORE nutty flavor this way.
My favorite way to toast nuts:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Then let the nuts cool before chopping and adding to the recipe.
Let the batter rest
Gluten free cakes don't have gluten to help with stability, and gluten free flours are often dry. Therefore, many gluten free baking recipes benefit from letting the batter rest for 15-30 minutes before baking.
I picked this tip up from a cookbook and utilize it whenever I can! Letting the batter rest allows the wet ingredients to permeate the dry ingredients and usually results in a better texture.
Bake in two (or three) cake pans
This hummingbird cake recipe is meant to create two or three cakes for a layer cake. Don't try to make just one cake - it definitely won't bake through without drastically overcooking the edges.
I used two 9" cake pans for a two-tier layer cake. If you'd like a three tier cake, use 8" pans and adjust the cook times as necessary. Cakes made in 8" pans may bake more slowly since there is less surface area.
Before frosting, be sure to let the cake cool completely!
How to make incredible cream cheese frosting
Making cream cheese buttercream frosting is easier than you think!
The key is starting with room temperature cream cheese and butter. If the cream cheese or butter aren't soft and spreadable, the frosting will end up clumpy.
Usually, I take the cream cheese and butter out of the fridge the morning of, or at the very least before I start the cake.
When you're ready to make the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Blend on medium until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt, then gradually add in the powdered sugar.
Increase the speed to high and keep mixing for a few minutes until the frosting has increased in size and is nicely spreadable. It shouldn't be runny or soupy.
FAQs
Hummingbird cake and carrot cake are similar, with just a couple key ingredients different. So why not combine the two?
While I haven't personally tested it out, if you want to try out a gluten free hummingbird carrot cake, you can reduce the banana by ½ cup and add 2 cups shredded carrots when you stir in the pecans.
If you try it out, let me know how it works out. If I give it a try, I'll report back!
I had best results using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour. I tried a couple other flours, including cassava flour and Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour, but I didn't quite get as tender of a crumb with those.
Cassava flour is always a little more dense than gluten free flour blends, so if you opt for cassava, I'd recommend using 2 ½ cups plus ½ cup tapioca flour.
Choose a gluten free flour with xanthan gum already in the blend. If you try another gluten free flour blend and it works well, let me know in the comments so I can add it to the list!
Surea can! Simply omit the pecans. No need to substitute for anything else. While I love the flavor and crunch the pecans add, it'll be okay to go without for a nut free version!
Make sure the gluten free flour blend you're using is nut free. If you'd like, you can use the cassava flour + tapioca flour substitution mentioned above.
More gluten free cake and dessert recipes
- Love the flavor profile? Try the classic: Gluten Free Carrot Cake!
- For more warm spices, make this Apple Walnut Bundt Cake.
- Apple Pecan Streusal Muffins are a must in the fall.
- Can't beat Bakery-style Chocolate Chip Muffins that are also gluten free!
Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Hummingbird Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Tender and lightly sweet, this gluten free hummingbird cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting gives carrot cake a run for its money.
Ingredients
For the Hummingbird Cake:
- ¾ cups dark brown sugar
- ¾ cups cane sugar
- ½ cup melted butter OR olive oil
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups coarsely mashed ripe bananas (from 4 to 6 bananas)
- 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained (about ⅔ cup)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups 1:1 gluten free baking flour (spooned and leveled)(I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 ½ cups pecans, divided
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz full fat cream cheese
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- For the Cakes: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans out on the baking sheet, then bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Roughly chop the pecans. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans with a circle of parchment paper (this isn't required, but does wonders to prevent sticking!). Grease the parchment paper and sides of the cake pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cane sugar, melted butter, olive oil, eggs, bananas, crushed pineapple, and vanilla extract until relatively smooth (some banana pieces are fine).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Fold in 2 cups toasted pecans (reserve ½ cup pecans for garnish).
- Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack in the cake pans. The cakes have to be completely cool before assembling and frosting.
- For the Frosting: While the cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the confectioner's sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, then gradually increase to high speed. Continue beating on high speed for 3 minutes until the frosting has increased in volume and is creamy. The frosting should be soft and spreadable, not runny.
- To Assemble: Finally, assemble and frost the cakes. Remove the cooled cakes from the cake pans. Use a large serrated knife or cake level to slice off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Place the first cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Carefully place the second layer on top. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle with reserved pecans. Before serving, refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to help the cake hold its shape when you cut!
sarah says
is there a dairy free option?
Chelsea Joy says
Hi Sarah! If you use all olive oil instead of butter and olive oil, the cake should be dairy free. I did not test a dairy free version of the cream cheese buttercream frosting, so I am not sure how dairy free alternatives would work, but you can try using dairy free cream cheese, vegan (dairy free) butter, or make a coconut cream frosting as an alternative.
Julie Skennerton says
Hi, I love the idea of this cake but I'm also egg free. Have you tried your recipe without eggs?
I was thinking of trying the 'flaxseed egg' option. I'll let you know how i go
cheers
Julz
Chelsea Joy says
Hi Julie, unfortunately I haven't tried it without eggs. If you'd like to give it a try, you could try a gelatin egg replacement (https://thecuriouscoconut.com/blog/how-to-use-gelatin-as-a-gut-friendly-egg-replacer for a how-to), try the flax egg method (https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-a-flax-egg/), or try an egg replacer product like Bob's Red Mill's Egg Replacer!