Easy Banana Cake

This easy banana cake is made in one bowl with basic ingredients. Topped with a creamy frosting, it’s like banana bread, but better! Vegan friendly with gluten free and refined sugar free options included! 

It’s Cinco de Mayo, and I had every intention of posting a Mexican inspired treat. I thought about churros, tres leches, Mexican brownies, etc., but I didn’t have all of the ingredients to make any of them. If it were any other time and catching Covid-19 wasn’t a threat every time I left the house, I would’ve ran to the store to grab them, but these days, I try to make do with what I have on hand.

And that’s why I’m sharing this simple frosted banana cake with you today! Not necessarily Mexican inspired, but delicious nonetheless! 

If you like banana bread, then you need this cake in your life. It has everything one loves about banana bread—banana flavor, moist crumb, fluffy texture—but it’s also topped with yummy frosting, which you could totally omit if you’re not a big frosting fan, but why would you? And the better question is, who is not a fan of frosting anyways?? 

But seriously, this cake is delicious either way. I even included two different frosting options, a naturally sweetened maple cream cheese frosting and a more traditional vanilla buttercream. A simple dusting of powdered sugar or drizzle of honey would also suffice, in lieu of the frosting, if in a pinch for time.

 This makes a single layer cake, perfect for snacking, but you can easily double the recipe if you want to make a pretty triple layer cake for a special occasion. Just divide the batter among three baking pans! 

Enjoy!

Easy Banana Cake

 

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This simple banana cake is made in one bowl with basic ingredients. Topped with a creamy frosting, it's like banana bread, but better! Vegan friendly with a gluten free and refined sugar free option included!

Author: Joscelyn Abreu

Recipe type: Dessert, Cake, Vegan

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

Banana Cake: (gf version below)

• 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup pure cane sugar or coconut sugar (use ⅔ cup sugar if bananas aren't really sweet)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• ⅔ cup milk of choice or water
• 3 tablespoons oil of choice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

Gluten-Free Banana Cake:

• ¾ cup gluten-free multi-purpose flour blend
• ½ cup almond flour
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• ½ cup pure cane sugar or coconut sugar (use ⅔ cup sugar if bananas aren't really sweet)
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• ⅔ cup milk of choice or water
• 1 regular egg or flax egg (flax egg: 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, let sit for 10-15 mins)
• 2 tablespoons oil of choice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
• Butter or shortening for greasing pan

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting: (alternate frosting recipe below)

• 6 oz. regular or dairy-free cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons softened butter or margarine.
• 3–4 tablespoons maple syrup, use more or less to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream:

• ½ cup softened unsalted butter, dairy-free butter, or vegetable shortening
• 1½ cups powdered sugar (can use up to ½ cup more if you want it sweeter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-3 teaspoons milk of choice or water, if needed

Instructions

Banana Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Generously grease an 8" or 9” baking pan. I like to line the bottom with a sheet of parchment so the cake doesn’t stick, but that is optional. Set pan aside
2. In a large mixing bowl, blend together flour(s), sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add mashed banana, milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Stir just until well combined.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 30–40 minutes, or just until center of cake is set. Bake time will vary depending on pan you use. Begin checking on cake after 25 minutes.
4. Cover cake well and store at a cool room temperature for 2–3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
5. If kitchen is warm, cake will be best refrigerated. It can spoil easily if left out in a warm kitchen for more than a day or so.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Beat together cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Taste and add additional sweetener if needed. If frosting is too thick, can beat in a splash of milk or water until it's smooth and spreadable.

Vanilla Buttercream:

1. In a medium bowl, beat softened butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, blending until well combined. Beat in vanilla extract, and 1-3 teaspoons milk/water, if buttercream is too stiff.

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