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square image of a piece of cake with frosting and walnuts on top
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4.96 stars (23 ratings)

Best Vegan Banana Cake

This is the Best Vegan Banana Cake ever! It's incredibly moist and fluffy and topped with a simple vegan cream cheese frosting. If you have a few overripe bananas, make this easy cake!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 434kcal
Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

  • 3 large ripe bananas (1 1/2 cups mashed)

Vegan Buttermilk + Flax

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup vegan butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • chopped walnuts, optional for topping
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉ and grease a 9x13 inch pan.
  • Mash the bananas in a medium bowl and set aside. I just use my stand mixer for this, then set them aside in a bowl.
  • In a large measuring cup, add the soy milk, apple cider vinegar and ground flaxseeds. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
  • In medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the vegan butter for about a minute until creamy. Now add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes until combined. Add the vanilla and mashed bananas and mix in.
  • Alternate adding the milk/flaxseed mixture and the dry ingredients, in about three additions, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.  Do not over mix.
  • Transfer the cake batter to the pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven and let cool in a wire rack. Let it cool completely before frosting. I usually stick it in the refrigerator to speed this up.

Make the frosting

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer using a whisk attachment or a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the vegan cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat, starting on low speed and increasing to high, for about 2 minutes.
  • Frost the cooled cake, sprinkle with chopped walnuts or sliced bananas if desired and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Gluten free? Try a gluten free all purpose mix, like Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour or King Arthur brand.
  2. May use another milk, such as almond, cashew, oat or coconut.
  3. You could likely substitute coconut oil for the vegan butter, or perhaps another oil if desired. 
  4. You can fold some chopped walnuts or other nuts into the cake if you'd like, I would suggest 1 cup chopped nuts.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 16 servings | Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 754IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg