This vegan banana cake is moist with a tender crumb, completely gluten free and finished with a delicious buttercream frosting. This vegan gluten free cake is perfect for any occasion and is so easy to make!
Finally another vegan gluten free cake recipe! This vegan banana cake is moist, fluffy, tender, full of delicious banana flavor and of course gluten free.
Vegan cakes differ from regular cakes largely because they do not have eggs or dairy. But this cake also has no gluten! Promise you won’t be able to tell!
I opted to top mine off with a chocolate buttercream, but vanilla is also delicious. You can also use a cream cheese frosting if you prefer.
This cake serves about 16 people, but if you want to make a small batch, just halve the recipe and bake in an 8 inch square baking pan for a snack or just make one layer! Try my strawberry cake or pumpkin cake next!
Key ingredients and substitutions
Banana. You’ll about 5 or so very ripe and spotty bananas for this vegan banana cake. We’ll be pureeing the banana, then adding it to the rest of the batter. Using spotty bananas ensures they’re nice and sweet so we don’t need too much added sugar.
Sugar. I opted to use all white granulated sugar, but you should be just fine using coconut sugar. However, the cake will be much darker and a bit more dense because the coconut sugar contains more moisture.
Flours. You need a mix of gluten free all purpose flour, almond flour and oat flour. I do not recommend changing out the oat or almond flours, but you can swap the gluten free all purpose for regular all purpose if you are not gluten free.
Oil. I used vegetable oil, but any neutral oil such as refined avocado will be fine. I do not recommend butter or coconut oil as they will create a more dense cake.
Non-dairy milk. I like using soy milk because the higher protein content helps the cake get a bit more fluffy since we are not using eggs.
How to make vegan banana cake
Preheat and line pans. Preheat the oven to 350 and line two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. I like to spray them with oil and line them to really ensure no sticking!
Puree the banana. Pureeing instead of mashing the banana will ensure the cake is light and fluffy and doesn’t have dense pockets. Be sure to use ripe bananas for the best flavor.
Whisk all wet ingredients. This includes the banana puree, oil, sugar, milk, vanilla and vinegar. Whisk everything under well combined.
Whisk dry ingredients. Whisk them into the same bowl, making sure to spoon and level the flours so you don’t end up with too much.
Add to pans. Add to your prepared pans and bake for about 45 minutes.
Let cool & frost! Let them cool completely, then top with vegan buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Banana cake vs. loaf
The main difference between a vegan banana cake and banana bread or loaf is the density. Banana bread is much more dense than a banana cake.
Cakes are generally lighter and fluffier than loaves, but banana cake tends to be a bit of a denser cake than most.
Storage tips
Once prepared and frosted, this cake will keep at room temperature for about 3 days. However, because of the nature of bananas as well as buttercream, it can get a bit too moist if left in an even slightly warm environment.
For that reason, I recommend keeping it covered and storing it in the fridge. That way, it will keep for up to 5 days.
Frequently asked questions
How to keep vegan cake moist
The star of this cake is obviously the banana, and that will work to keep the cake incredibly moist. Along with some oil, milk and sugar, I promise this cake is SO moist.
Can I freeze it?
Yes! I don’t recommend freezing it once it’s frosted, but you can freeze the layers once they are cooked and before you frost them.
Just allow them to cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place in a ziplock bag and freeze until you’re ready to frost.
Why did my cake sink?
This can happen for a few reasons. One is too much leavening. This recipe has been very carefully developed so we shouldn’t have any issues there.
A second reason is if you underbake your cake. If there is not enough time in the oven, the structure won’t be able to set and the cake can collapse in the middle.
The top of the cake should be fairly well browned (promise it’s not burned!) and a toothpick will come out clean.
Try these vegan dessert recipes next!
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Vegan Banana Cake
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Wet
- 2 cups pureed banana from ripe banana
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Dry
- 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour see notes
- 1 ⅔ cup oat flour
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper liners and set aside.
- Puree the banana in a blender and measure out 2 cups worth.
- Add to a large mixing bowl with all wet ingredients.
- Whisk together until well combined.
- Add in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flours, don't scoop from the bag. Whisk until combined.
- Transfer to the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 40-48 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Let cool completely, then frost with my vegan buttercream. Either vanilla or chocolate is delicious here!
Lakshmi says
Hey Claire ! Tried this recipe for my uncle and aunt’s birthday 🥳 (they have birthdays in the same week) This is my first time trying a gluten free recipe and we made it without eggs ! ( I used extra banana instead ) The cake was so flavourful and nice ! The recipe turned out great ❤️🙏🏻⭐️🥳🥂🌸✨Thank you so much
Claire Cary says
Amazing, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!