Gluten-Free Hummingbird Cake

There is something incredibly special about The Hummingbird Cake. It feels like an occasion cake, joyous with tropical fruits and spices and indulgent with your favourite cream cheese buttercream. This gluten-free version has bags of personality thanks to a unique blend of sweet rice flour, oat flour and almond flour.

🎂What is Hummingbird Cake?

Hummingbird Cake is a lightly spiced banana cake loaded with fruity crushed pineapple chunks and pecans. It is moist, packed with flavour and traditionally layered with a dreamy cream cheese buttercream.

Although it is best known as a classic Southern cake from America this delicious cake actually originated in Jamaica, hence the tropical vibe, and the original recipe was named after their island's national bird - a Doctor Bird Cake.

If you are a carrot cake fan or you love banana bread and then you’ll fall head over heels for this perfect Gluten-Free Hummingbird Cake.

Ingredients needed

For the cake

Bananas. Try to avoid bananas that aren't ripe yet as they don't have enough sweetness for the cake and they are harder to combine with the other ingredients.

Olive oil. This is my preferred oil in cakes rather than vegetable oil. But to avoid a strong flavour use a flavourless mild and light olive oil. You could use coconut oil instead.

Caster sugar. A fine white sugar which gives lightness. You can substitute for granulated white sugar.

Brown sugar. Adds a gentle flavour and lends a fudgy texture.

Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell).

Vanilla extract. Use a good quality extract, I like Nilsen Massey.

Sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour). This starchy flour is used here for neutral flavour and sticky nature which mimics the binding properties of gluten and gives the cake lovely bounce. 

Oat flour. This wholegrain flour is used here for its toasty flavour and light airy texture which makes the cake fluffy. Make sure it is certified gluten-free.

Almond flour. You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>>Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds.

Bicarbonate of soda. Also known as baking soda, this is a white crystalline powder that is commonly used as a leavening agent in baking.

Spices. This recipe uses cinnamon and allspice for a warm deep flavour.

Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.

Pecans. Make sure they are from a freshly opened packet for the best flavour.

Fresh pineapple. You can use tinned pineapple but the flavour isn't as sparky.

Dried banana chips. Optional for decoration

For the buttercream

Butter. Unsalted is the best choice here. Make sure it is at room temperature.

Icing sugar. (powdered sugar). Icing sugar is preferred over white sugar in buttercream because it dissolves more easily, resulting in a smoother and less grainy texture, while also contributing to the desired consistency and sweetness of the buttercream.

Sea salt. This really elevates the flavour of the buttercream and should not be missed out.

Vanilla. Again, use a good quality extract here.

Cream Cheese. Use full fat cream cheese. Philadelphia is my preferred brand. In the UK you need to use the cream cheese directly from the fridge as the warmer it gets the looser the buttercream becomes. US bakers won’t have this problem.

How To Make Gluten-Free Hummingbird Cake

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post. 

Beat mashed bananas with olive oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl or standing mixer on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined.

Whisk sweet rice flour, oat flour and almond flour together in a separate bowl with bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Stir in 275g of the diced pineapple and pecans until evenly dispersed.

Divide the cake batter between the three 8 inch round cake tins lined with parchment paper and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from tins and cool completely before decorating with buttercream

The Best Cream Cheese Buttercream

This Cream Cheese Buttercream is incredibly quick and easy to make with deep vanilla flavour.

1. Cream the butter and icing sugar and mix for about 10 minutes until very light and fluffy.
2. Add the cream cheese, salt and vanilla and mix again until just combined.

Expert tips

• Use the cream cheese directly from the freezer as cream cheese becomes too loose if warm and you won’t have much control when covering the cake.
• Decorate the cake as soon as you have made the buttercream then store the cake in the fridge immediately to avoid the buttercream becoming too floppy.
• For more tips visit my post on making the best cream cheese buttercream.

Should you refrigerate Hummingbird Cake?

Yes, this cake should be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I normally advocate that cakes should be taken out of the fridge and served at room temperature and there is nothing wrong with doing that here. Except that for some reason I have taken a particular liking for this cake cold from the fridge. Wow, what a treat, especially on a warmer day.