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An Ode to Summer: Hummingbird Cupcakes



Hummingbird Cupcakes are packed with fruity goodness; you'll be all a-flutter with excitement after one bite of this scrumptious fruity summer concoction!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 32 cupcakes
Author Valerie Lugonja

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes:

  • 375 g or 3 cups flour
  • 10 g or 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 5 g or 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5 g or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 300 g or 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 225 g or 1 cup softened butter
  • 4 large eggs
  • 15 g or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 15 g or 1 tablespoon coconut extract (not traditional, but delicious)
  • 3 large bananas , smashed (about 120g each)
  • 1 540 mL 19 oz can crushed pineapple with juice
  • 1 cup pecans , toasted and chopped which I replaced with 1 1/2 cup or 150g sweet shredded coconut

Ingredients for the Hummingbird Frosting:

  • 1 1/2 cups softened butter (3 sticks)
  • 1 cup sour cream , strained to thicken
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 8-10 cups powdered sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • good few drops of coconut flavouring (not traditional)

Garnishes

  • Pineapple Flowers
  • Edible Hummingbirds

Instructions

Instructions for the Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F; line muffin pans with 32 paper liners
  2. Sift the first four dry ingredients into a medium bowl; set aside
  3. Place butter and sugar into electric mixer bowl; cream until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes)
  4. With mixer on low, slowly add eggs and extracts; scrape down sides of bowl
  5. Continuing with mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients until just incorporated; gently incorporate bananas, pineapple with juice, coconut, and pecans
  6. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to divide batter between 32 cupcake liners
  7. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until tops are golden and bounce back when touched; cool on counter completely before proceeding frosting (better to err on side of doneness to avoid soggy dense middle)

Instructions for the Hummingbird Frosting:

  1. Beat butter until very soft; turn mixer on low to incorporate sour cream
  2. Scrape down sides of bowl; beat until completely smooth (like velvet)
  3. Add vanilla, lemon juice, coconut flavouring, and salt, continuing to beat; slowly add powdered sugar until frosting reaches desired consistency (thick or thin)
  4. Scoop sour cream frosting into large piping bag with a wide tip circular (clip at the tip end to avoid spillage until ready to frost); pipe onto each cupcake
  5. Decorate with pineapple flowers and edible hummingbirds
  6. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes for frosting to "set"; cover and store in fridge or at room temperature, for several days. (They are more flavourful at room temperature)

Instructions for the Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes: in the Thermomix:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F; line muffin pans with 32 paper liners
  2. Weigh first four dry ingredients into a medium bowl on top of Thermomix; set aside
  3. Weigh butter and sugar into TM bowl; cream for 2 minutes on speed 4
  4. Scrape down sides of TM bowl: cream for 2 more minutes on speed 4 until light and fluffy
  5. Set time for 1 minute and speed at 4; add eggs and extracts through hole in lid
  6. Scrape down sides of bowl; sift pre-weighed flour mixture into another bowl and pour sifted ingredients into TM bowl
  7. Set time to 15 seconds on speed at 3.5 and watch through the hole in the lid for the dry ingredients to be pulled thought the wet ingredients, turning speed slowly to 6
  8. Pour ingredients into fruit mixture that has been pre-weighed and set aside; combine gently by hand
  9. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to divide batter between 32 cupcake liners
  10. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until tops are golden and bounce back when touched; cool on counter completely before frosting

Instructions for the Hummingbird Frosting in the Thermomix

  1. Weigh total amount of sugar in a bowl on top of TM bowl; set aside (pulverize, if not using powdered sugar)
  2. Weigh butter into TM bowl; whip for 2 minutes on speed 4 (or longer, depending upon temperature of butter) until very soft
  3. Weigh sour cream into TM bowl; combine for 30 seconds at speed 3.5, or until completely incorporated and velvety
  4. Weigh vanilla, coconut flavouring, lemon juice and salt into TM bowl; set time to 3 minutes and speed at 4
  5. Slowly add set aside powdered sugar through hole in lid until frosting reaches desired consistency (thick or thin)
  6. Scoop sour cream frosting into large piping bag with a wide tip circular (clip at the tip end to avoid spillage until ready to frost); pipe onto each cupcake
  7. Decorate with sprinkles and edible hummingbirds
  8. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes for frosting to "set"; cover and store in fridge or at room temperature, for several days. (They are more flavourful at room temperature)