Print

VEGAN BANANA CAKE

slice of vegan banana cake with a slice on a fork resting on a small black plate.

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

Moist, tender, and perfectly sweet, with just the right amount of banana flavor and topped with a dreamy coconut cashew buttercream frosting, this vegan banana cake is perfect for snacking and sharing!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 flax eggs (3 tablespoons flaxmeal + 6 tablespoons water)
  • 3 cups flour (spelt, white whole wheat or all-purpose)
  • 1 cup organic pure cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of mineral salt
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 cup light flavored olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 bananas, mashed

Cashew Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, pref. soaked (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup coconut cream
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 lemon, juice of

Instructions

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make your flax eggs in a small bowl, let set for at least 10 minutes to thicken while oven in heating, stir occasionally. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan with oil.

Measure: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. Measure the milk, oil and vanilla, you can easily combine these in a 2 cup measuring cup.

Combine: Add the plant milk, oil, vanilla, and flax eggs to the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Stir in the mashed bananas.

Pour: Once mixed, pour batter into a 9 x 13 baking dish. If needed, spread the batter evenly using a spatula or back of a spoon.

Bake: Bake for 45 – 55 minutes. If top starts to brown, top with foil.

Cool: Once done, let cool completely. If you’d like to cool it faster, after 30 minutes of cooling on the counter, you can put the dish in the refrigerator to finish cooling.

Frosting: While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Add the soaked cashews, maple syrup, coconut cream, lemon juice and pinch of salt to a high speed blender. Blend until creamy smooth.

Assemble: Once completely cooled, spread the cashew buttercream frosting over top and enjoy often!

Store covered in the refrigerator if you prefer it chilled, or keep it on the counter and serve at room temperature.

Notes

Feel free to substitute organic pure cane sugar with pure maple syrup, using anywhere from 1/2 to 1 cup.

To make oil-free, substitute the olive oil for unsweetened applesauce. Cake may be a little denser but it will still be delicious!

Frosting notes:

Quick soak cashews: To soak your cashews quickly, cover them with 1 inch of hot water (not boiling) and let set for 5 – 10 minutes. Drain cashews and use accordingly.

Regular soak for cashews: Cover with an inch of cool water, let soak for 2 – 3 hours. Cashews don’t need any longer than 3 hours, but will be ok if soaked longer.

You may also like to replace the frosting in the recipe with this Cashew Sweet Cream, which uses dates, for variation – it’s delicious too!

Feel free to use almond milk or water, in place of coconut cream to keep the fat content down.

If you can’t find raw cashews, replace them with an 8-ounce tub of vegan cream cheese. I recommend Miyoko’s brand, just know it’s very tangy! For a less tangy cream cheese try Tofutti or Kite Hill.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: I love my NutriBullet (affiliate link) for making the cashew frosting and this Rectangular Baker.