Hummingbird Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Our modern twist on the iconic Southern dessert features the same banana-pineapple spice cake flavor in cupcake form instead of towering layer cake. Decorate with a lamb or bunny face for Easter or pipe on a simple swirl at other times of year.
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Hummingbird Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line eighteen 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside.
- In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and cloves.
- In a medium bowl stir together bananas, pineapple, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add banana mixture to flour mixture; stir to combine. Fold in walnuts. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups; fill about three-quarters full.
- Bake 20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove from pans. Let cool completely on racks.
- Frost and decorate using White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting.
From the Test Kitchen
For a bunny face:
For the bunny ears: Pipe two dots using a piping bag with a large round tip. Using an offset spatula, pull frosting down; add a second pink layer on top of the white one.
For the face: Pipe a circle using a large round tip for face; add eyes, nose, and mouth using a small round tip. Press in white sprinkle whiskers.
For a lamb face:
Frost the top and add a woolly trim: Use a piping bag and star tip to make a ruffly border around the edge. If you don't have a star tip, make curly loops using a small open tip or plastic bag.
Finish the face: For the ears, pipe pink icing onto a mini marshmallow cut in half and press into the frosting. Use a small round tip to pipe on the eyes and nose.
For a basic frosting:
Halve the frosting recipe if you won't be decorating the cupcakes.
Piping Bag Hack
You don't have to use a pastry bag for these frosting finishes. In a pinch, a resealable plastic bag stands in. Snip off a corner -- large or small, depending on the tip you're replacing.
White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting
Directions
- In a very large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds or until smooth. Beat in white chocolate and vanilla. Gradually beat in 4 cups powdered sugar. Beat in milk. Gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar. If needed, beat in additional milk, 1 tsp. at a time, to make frosting spreading consistency. For pink frosting, tint 2 cups frosting with 2 drops red liquid food coloring. For brown icing, tint 1/2 cup frosting with 1 oz. melted chocolate.
Nutrition Facts (White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting)
- Per serving:
- 191 kcal ,
- 8 g fat
- ( 5 g sat. fat ,
- 0 g polyunsaturated fat ,
- 2 g monounsaturated fat ),
- 17 mg chol. ,
- 52 mg sodium ,
- 31 g carb. ,
- 0 g fiber ,
- 30 g sugar ,
- 1 g pro.
Nutrition Facts (Hummingbird Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting )
- Per serving:
- 450 kcal ,
- 19 g fat
- (7 g sat. fat ,
- 6 g polyunsaturated fat ,
- 4 g monounsaturated fat ),
- 43 mg chol. ,
- 201 mg sodium ,
- 68 g carb. ,
- 1 g fiber ,
- 55 g sugar ,
- 4 g pro.