Hummingbird cupcakes are a twist on the original hummingbird cake, with tropical fruits, a splash of rum and the edible flowers the birds so love.
What Makes Hummingbird Cupcakes Special?
Some desserts are so delightful they feel like they carry sunshine in every bite. Hummingbird cakes, better served up in a cupcake, are one of those. Moist, tropical, and irresistibly sweet, this cake has a history as rich as its flavor.
Every summer, the hummingbirds arrive in my garden, hovering gracefully as they sip nectar from blossoms and dip their beaks into the tiny holes of my sugar-water feeders.
Their visits feel like fleeting treasures, and as the season draws to an end, I love to honor their delicate beauty with a dessert that captures their tropical spirit, and so I created hummingbird cupcakes, a twist on the original cake.
Tropical Flavors
These light and moist cupcakes are inspired by the beloved Southern classic, Hummingbird Cake, a dessert known for its rich combination of bananas, pineapple, warm spices, and cream cheese frosting.
My version takes on a tropical twist with the addition of a splash of rum for depth, and a garnish of vibrant edible flowers that bring a burst of color, flavor, and a nod to the hummingbirds themselves.
History Of Hummingbird Cake
It first fluttered onto the scene in Jamaica, where it was called the Doctor Bird Cake, named after the island’s national bird, a type of hummingbird with long, streaming tail feathers. Much like the tiny bird that darts from flower to flower in search of nectar, this cake is brimming with natural sweetness from ripe bananas and crushed pineapple.
When the recipe made its way to the American South, it landed in the pages of Southern Living magazine in 1978 and quickly became a favorite at church socials, weddings, and family gatherings.
To this day, Hummingbird Cake remains a Southern classic, so why not cupcakes with the hummingbird’s favorite flowers on top for a taste and appearance that ignites a celebration of sunshine, sweetness, and tradition!
Edible Flowers As Ornamental Toppings
To honor the hummingbirds’ love of blossoms, I finish these hummingbird cupcakes with a flourish of edible flowers. They’re more than just decoration, they add color, charm, and sometimes a whisper of flavor that ties the whole cupcake together.
And, since I grow specific edible flowers for both cooking and for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds, I knew my petals needed to be the adornment on the tops of these cupcakes, rather than just a heap of overly sweet cream cheese frosting, as the original cake is known for.
Best Edible Flowers For Cupcakes
- Pansies & Violas – Delicate, colorful, and lightly sweet, they look like nature’s confetti.
- Nasturtiums – Bright and bold with a peppery kick, a dramatic contrast against the cream frosting.
- Marigold Petals – Citrus-like in flavor, their sunny yellow hue makes the cupcakes pop.
- Zinnias – Soft and floral, perfect for a subtle, romantic touch.
- Rose Petals – Having cooked with rose water and rose petals nearly all my life, I had to add their beautiful scent and appearance to these fun cupcakes.
How To Use Edible Flowers Safely
- Always choose organic, food-safe flowers, preferably grown at home, but definitely grown without pesticides.
- Gently rinse and pat dry before using.
- Use whole blossoms for a bold statement or scatter petals for a delicate, whimsical look.
- Once rinsed and dried, the petals can be ‘sugared’ to last for several weeks.
Presentation Tip
After frosting the cupcakes, place a single blossom or a scattering of petals on each one. The creamy white frosting makes the perfect canvas for the flower’s bright colors, giving your cupcakes a garden-to-table elegance.
With the flowers perched on top, these Hummingbird Cupcakes become more than a dessert, they’re a celebration of the season, a tribute to the hummingbirds, and a feast for both the eyes and taste buds.
How To Make Hummingbird Cupcakes
- Mix the wet ingredients. Mash bananas, add crushed pineapple, sugar, eggs, and rum.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Flour, crushed pecans, baking soda, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
- Blend and bake. Fold the dry into the wet until just combined, then bake until golden and springy.
- Frost generously. Once cooled, swirl or pipe with cream cheese frosting.
- Decorate. Sprinkle with edible flower petals, when ready to serve, for a garden-inspired finish.
Serving and Storage
These cupcakes are best served the day they’re decorated, as edible flowers are most vibrant when fresh.
Store cupcakes or leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but bring them to room temperature before enjoying for the best texture.
Final Thoughts On These Whimsical Cupcakes
Hummingbird Cupcakes with edible flowers are more than just a dessert, they’re a celebration of summer’s fleeting beauty, tropical flavors, and the magical visits of hummingbirds.
Whether you’re hosting a summer gathering, planning a garden-inspired bridal shower, or simply craving something fruity and sweet, these cupcakes will brighten the table and your taste buds.
Cupcake Batter Ingredients
- Eggs – add structure and help bind the tropical fruits with the flour, creating a tender and moist cupcake.
- Raw Sugar or Brown Sugar – Brown sugar deepens the flavor with subtle molasses notes, while raw sugar keeps the sweetness bright and clean. Either way, the cupcakes get a natural caramelized sweetness.
- Coconut Oil, melted – Coconut oil adds moisture and a faint tropical aroma, complementing the banana and pineapple. (Note: you can also use a light oil like canola if preferred.)
- Rum – Just a splash enhances the tropical profile, giving the cupcakes a subtle warmth that pairs beautifully with the fruit.
- Bananas, pureed – Ripe bananas are the soul of hummingbird cupcakes. They add sweetness, moisture, and that creamy texture banana bread lovers adore.
- Pineapple, crushed – Pineapple brightens the batter with a tangy, juicy sweetness that balances the banana.
- All-purpose or Bread Flour – A sturdy base that holds all that fruit and oil together while keeping the cupcakes soft.
- Pecans, crushed – Toasty, nutty pecans add texture and crunch, making each bite interesting and flavorful.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – The leavening duo ensures the cupcakes rise light and fluffy despite the dense fruit.
- Salt – A small but mighty ingredient that sharpens the sweetness and balances the richness.
Frosting Ingredients
- Mascarpone or Cream Cheese, softened – Mascarpone gives the frosting a lighter, silkier taste, while cream cheese provides a tangy richness. Either makes a perfect topping for these tropical cupcakes.
- Unsalted Butter, softened – Butter brings structure and creaminess, helping the frosting whip up fluffy and spreadable.
- Powdered Sugar – This sweetens and thickens the frosting, creating that classic cloud-like texture.
- Rum – A little extra island spirit, the rum rounds out the frosting with a gentle warmth that keeps it from being overly sweet.
Together, these ingredients create a cupcake that is moist, flavorful, and layered with tropical charm. The bananas and pineapple make it fruity, the rum adds intrigue, and the mascarpone frosting crowned with edible flowers makes it a centerpiece dessert worthy of a garden celebration.
More Edible Flower Recipes To Love
If you are new to the concept of using flowers in your cooking recipes, I’ve got some fantastic Edible Flower recipes, both sweet and savory, that are sure to captivate your taste for flowers.
Dandelion Bread – early spring’s first flowers, the dandelion, lends its color and flavor to this dandelion bread with lemon and banana.
Nasturtium Leaf Scones – nasturtium leaf, similar to the flavor of arugula or watercress, makes for a delicious savory scone served with the adornment of their beautifully bright flowers.
Rose Petal Baklava Tarts – a twist on the traditional baklava, the syrup poured over these baklava tarts is made with rosewater and served with a chiffonade of fresh rose petals.
Edible Flower Shortbread Cookies – buttery rich shortbread cookies with a sprinkle of cardamom and an adornment of your favorite garden edible flowers.
Hummingbird Inspired Floral Sips Adults
While these lovely, dare I say whimsical birds love to sip on sweet nectar, us adults sometimes do so also.
Naturally, I am delighted to share some of my favorite floral cocktail recipes with you!
- Pink Peony Colada Cocktail – made with homemade peony syrup, rum and coconut milk, ornamented with peony blossoms ice cubes.
- Cherry Blossom Cocktail – made with cherry blossom honey, Sake and Prosecco is the perfect signature drink for spring brides; and let’s not forget Mother’s Day.
Hummingbird Cupcake Recipe
Equipment
- 2 cupcake pans large cups
- Food processor or blender
- piping bag and tip
Ingredients
- Cake Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Raw or brown sugar
- 1 cup Coconut oil melted, cooled
- 1 tbsp Rum
- 3 Bananas pureed
- 1 1/2 cup Pineapple pureed
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Pecans crushed
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon powder
- Frosting Ingredients
- 8 oz Mascarpone of cream cheese softened
- 8 tbsp Unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups Powdered sugar
- 2 tsp Rum
- Edible Flower petals *see notes topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Muffin pan preparation options: prepare with non-stick spray and a dusting of flour, place cupcake baking papers in the muffin pans, or use silicone muffin pans which do not require non-stick and place them on a baking tray.Â
- Whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and well blended. Slowly pour in the coconut oil while whisking until creamy. Add the rum, pureed bananas and crushed pineapple and blend well.Â
- Add the dry ingredients and blend well. Transfer the batter to the prepared cupcake pan/pans. Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool before icing.
- Whisk the ingredients for the frosting until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a tip of your choice. Pipe the frosting across the tops of each cupcake. Place edible flowers in decorative ways, just before serving.
- Cupcakes, once frosted, keep best in the fridge without the flower petals. When ready to serve, add the petals at that time.
Video
Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.