Gluten Free Hummingbird Cake -

A close up of a slice of hummingbird cake with the cake in the background.

5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free Hummingbird Cake

This amazing recipe for gluten-free hummingbird cake makes a dense, moist, fruit-infused cake that's topped with tangy cream cheese icing and sprinkled with toasted walnuts.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 665kcal

Author: Nicole Spiridakis

Ingredients

Cake

2 ½ cups gluten-free oat flour (300 grams)
1 ¼ cup almond flour (150 grams)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups mashed bananas , about 4 medium-small very ripe bananas
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple
3 large eggs
⅔ cup oil (like melted coconut oil, vegetable or canola oil, or avocado oil)
1 cup light or dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups walnuts , toasted and chopped

Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar , sifted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch pans and line with parchment paper rounds.
In a large bowl, whisk the 2 ½ cups gluten-free oat flour, 1 ¼ cup almond flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon allspice, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt together.
In a medium bowl, stir the 2 cups mashed bananas, 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, 3 large eggs, ⅔ cup oil, 1 cup light or dark brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until completely combined. Stir in 1 cup of the 1 ½ cups walnuts.
Divide the batter evenly between the two pans, place in the oven, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a tester inserted comes out clean. Check at 30 minutes and bake a little longer if needed.
Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely.

Make the Frosting

Now make the frosting. In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer, cream the 6 ounces cream cheese until fluffy, then beat in the ¾ cup heavy cream and 1 cup powdered sugar until soft peaks form. The frosting should be firm but not stiff.
Use the frosting to fill and frost the cake. Sprinkle the remaining toasted walnuts over the top of the cake.

Notes

Use very ripe bananas. The riper the bananas, the more sweetness they'll give to the cake!
Let the batter rest while the oven heats. Always rest your gluten-free cake batters! This allows the flour to hydrate, making for a better crumb. Make the batter, put it in the pans, and let it rest while the oven preheats to 350°F, or for about 15-20 minutes.
Try reducing the sugar. If your bananas are very sweet, or you prefer a slightly less sweet cake, you can cut the sugar by ½ cup. Use very ripe bananas and ½ cup of brown sugar + ½ cup of granulated sugar.
Refrigerate the cake. If possible, make the cake a day ahead and keep it, wrapped or covered, in the fridge. The layers are initially a bit delicate, and refrigerating will help them to firm up. And, the flavors will develop even more after sitting overnight.
No need to bring the cream cheese to room temperature before using. This is contrary to many recipes, but because the heavy cream is also cold, it's not necessary. The frosting is not a buttercream, but more of a stabilized whipped cream - and it's delicious.
Sift the powdered sugar. Always! This will help ensure a smooth frosting. Sift the powdered sugar into the frosting mixture to eliminate any lumps.
Add more sugar to the frosting if needed. If you like a sweeter frosting, taste and add a bit more powdered sugar if you wish. Beat it in a tablespoon at a time, tasting for sweetness as you go.

Nutrition