Cooking and Serving: 44 minutes | 9 slices, frosted
Ingredients
How to make gluten free banana cake | Ingredient substitutions
Description
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 24 minutes | Total Time: 44 minutes | Servings: 9 slices, frosted
Ingredients
How to make gluten free banana cake
Expert tips
Ingredient substitutions
Notes
* How to make gluten free banana cake
* Ingredient substitutions
* Gluten Free Banana Cake Recipe
* Storage instructions
This banana cake is softer and more tender than my recipe for the perfect one
bowl gluten free banana bread
open, fluffy crumb, but it’s not fragile and makes the best snacking cake.
It’s made with super ripe bananas, a blend of white and brown sugars, and plenty
of vanilla extract, so it’s packed with banana flavor.
A thin layer of the simplest cream cheese frosting with some vanilla bean seeds
just enough extra sweetness to this perfectly balanced banana cake.
ingredients for gluten free banana cake in small bowls with white block letters
spelling out the name of each ingredient
for gluten free banana cake in small bowls with white block letters spelling out
the name of each ingredient
* Gluten free flour: Any high quality all purpose gluten free flour blend
should work here. Make sure it’s made with finely ground rice flour so your
* Baking powder/soda: Add rise and help the cake brown in the oven.
* Salt: Brightens the other flavors and balances the sweetness.
* Sugars: A mixture of white and light brown sugars adds moisture, tenderness,
and a bit more sweetness.
* Butter: Only 6 tablespoons of butter in the cake and another 2 in the
frosting add moisture, tenderness and flavor.
* Bananas: Very ripe bananas have well-developed sugars in them that tenderize
and sweetens the cake, plus add tons of flavor.
* Eggs: Add structure and help the cake rise.
* Milk: Adds moisture and flavor, and brings the cake batter together. Avoid
* Vanilla: Adds depth of flavor.
* Cream cheese: Adds tons of creamy flavor to the frosting, with a subtle tang.
* Confectioners’ sugar: Adds sweetness and structure to the frosting.
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE BANANA CAKE
Whisk together gluten free flour including xanthan gum, baking powder and soda,
and salt. In a separate large bowl, beat 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter with
white and light brown sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Using a spoon or spatula, mix in vanilla and mashed bananas, then milk, and
finally the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
large round metal mixing bowl with white flour and a large metal wire whisk
round metal mixing bowl with white flour and a large metal wire whisk
white handheld mixer with light brown butter and brown sugar beaten into choppy
light brown mixture in large round mixing bowl
handheld mixer with light brown butter and brown sugar beaten into choppy light
brown mixture in large round mixing bowl
same mixture with eggs beaten in to a soft light yellow mixture
mixture with eggs beaten in to a soft light yellow mixture
same mixture now darker yellow after mashed bananas were added, with a white
spatula with a black handle
mixture now darker yellow after mashed bananas were added, with a white spatula
same mixture now lighter yellow in color after milk added
mixture now lighter yellow in color after milk added
soft light yellow cake batter with dry ingredients now mixed in, still with
white spatula in the bowl
light yellow cake batter with dry ingredients now mixed in, still with white
Transfer the soft banana cake batter to a prepared 9-inch square baking dish,
and smooth the top. Bake until the top springs back when pressed in the center,
light yellow batter in square baking pan lined with white parchment paper
yellow batter in square baking pan lined with white parchment paper
same square metal pan with light yellow cake baked
square metal pan with light yellow cake baked
Beat softened cream cheese, butter, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar together
until smooth. Frost the cooled cake, slice, and serve.
large round metal mixing bowl with whipped white cream cheese frosting with
black flecks from vanilla seeds
round metal mixing bowl with whipped white cream cheese frosting with black
flecks from vanilla seeds
square banana cake with top covered in white cream cheese frosting with 3
squares cut, all on white paper
banana cake with top covered in white cream cheese frosting with 3 squares cut,
I always have bananas for baking in my house, just in the freezer. When bananas
reach peak ripeness, I peel them, chop them into large chunks, and freeze the
chunks. For baking, just defrost as much as you need in the microwave, or at
room temperature. Add the bananas and their liquid to the batter when you bake.
You can replace the milk with light sour cream, 1 of the 2 eggs with 2 egg
whites, and reduce the butter to 5 tablespoons. Replace the cream cheese in the
frosting with light cream cheese, or just skip the frosting.
After the cake is done baking, don’t let it sit in the pan for more than 10
minutes before placing the cake on its own on a wire rack to finish cooling. If
you leave it in the pan for too long, the outside of the cake steams in the warm
air and can become a bit chewy.
Banana cake baked cooling
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
To make this cake dairy free, replace the milk with your favorite unsweetened
unflavored nondairy milk (I like almond milk or Ripple milk). Replace the butter
with Melt or Miyoko’s Creamery vegan butter. If your nondairy butter is salted,
use only 1/8 teaspoon of salt or omit it altogether. For the frosting, either
use a nondairy cream cheese if you have one you really like, or just omit it.
You can try using one “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds mixed with 1
tablespoon lukewarm water until it gels) per whole egg, and 25 grams of aquafaba
If you like banana cake, but don’t want too much banana flavor, you can use less
ripe bananas. I would also add another 2 to 4 tablespoons more granulated sugar
so the cake is still sweet and tender enough, though. You can also try replacing
up to 50 grams of the mashed bananas with smooth applesauce.
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GLUTEN FREE BANANA CAKE RECIPE
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 24 minutes mins
Yield: 9 slices, frosted
gold fork piercing yellow square of cake with white frosting on small white
fork piercing yellow square of cake with white frosting on small white plate
This gluten free banana cake is super tender and moist without a lot of added
sugar, plus a sweet cream cheese frosting.
* Hand mixer (or stand mixer)
* 2 cups (280 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend
* ½ teaspoon xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* ½ teaspoon baking powder
* ½ teaspoon kosher salt
* 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 6 tablespoons (72 g) granulated sugar
* ¼ cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar
* 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup (200 g) mashed VERY ripe bananas, (about 2 medium-sized bananas,
* ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature
* 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
* 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup (115 g) confectioners’ sugar
FOR A LIGHTER VERSION OF THE CAKE
* 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, in place of 6 tablespoons
* 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg, in place of eggs
* 2 (50 g) egg whites, in place of eggs
* ½ cup (120 g) light sour cream, in place of 1/2 cup milk
FOR A LIGHTER VERSION OF THE FROSTING
* 6 ounces light cream cheese, at room temperature, in place of cream cheese
* ¾ cup (86 g) confectioners’ sugar
* Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease or line a 9-inch square baking dish and
* In a small bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking
powder and salt, and whisk to combine well. Set the bowl aside.
* In a large bowl, place the 6 tablespoons of (5 if the lighter version)
butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar, and beat well with a hand mixer
until smooth and light.
* Add the eggs (or egg and egg whites in the lighter version), and beat until
* Add the vanilla and mashed bananas and mix with a spoon or spatula until just
* Add the milk, and mix until just combined.
* Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, and mix until just combined. The
batter will be thick but not stiff.
* Scrape the cake batter into the prepared pan, and smooth into an even layer
* Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 22 to 24
minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the center.
* Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before
transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
* Place all the frosting ingredients in a large bowl (or the clean bowl of your
stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) and beat with a hand mixer
until smooth (about 3 minutes).
* Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake, then slice the cake with a
sharp knife into 9 equal pieces. Serve immediately.
My favorite gluten free flour blends are Better Batter’s original blend gluten
free flour and Nicole’s Best
multipurpose blend . Bob’s Red
Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour should also work,
but you’ll need to add an additional 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum to the cake dry
ingredients or it will be crumbly.
Cup4Cup changed its formula and doesn’t seem to work as well as it has in the
past, so I don’t recommend it. To make your own blend using one of my “mock”
recipes, please see the all purpose gluten free flour blends
Nutrition information.
Nutritional information is for the “regular” version of the cake, not the
Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 397mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber:
2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 740IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron:
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
The unfrosted cake will stay fresh at room temperature, wrapped tightly, for up
to 3 days. After you frost it, you don’t want the frosting to spoil, so it’s
best to refrigerate it, still wrapped tightly, for up to another 2 days. After
that, it may begin to dry out.
For longer storage, wrap individual squares tightly in freezer-safe wrap and
freeze. Defrost at room temperature. If the cake hasn’t been frosted, you can
microwave frozen slices for about 20 seconds to defrost. Do not microwave
frosted cake slices or the frosting will melt.
Forkful of banana cake with frosting
of banana cake with frosting