Gluten-Free Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist gluten-free banana cake with homemade healthy cream cheese frosting.

Gluten-Free Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This one-bowl gluten-free banana cake takes 10 minutes of prep and comes out soft, moist, and fluffy every time. It's finished with my original maple cream cheese yogurt frosting that's lighter and tangier than traditional buttercream.

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Serving servings

Ingredients

Banana Cake:

1 cup oat milk, room temperature
¼ cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt, I used 2%
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 ½ cup gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose baking flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana, about 3 large spotty bananas, but mesure in cups (browner the better)
5 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup coconut sugar, or packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz block of cream cheese, (regular or neufchatel) softened to room temperature
¼ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
¼ cup real maple syrup, or honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For thinner frosting: 1 - 2 tablespoon of almond or oat milk

Instructions

Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Make the buttermilk: Whisk together oat milk, yogurt, and lemon juice. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars: In a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter on high for 1 minute until smooth. Add both sugars, beat on high for 2 more minutes until creamed. Scrape down the sides.
Add eggs and banana: Beat in eggs and vanilla on medium until combined (about 30 seconds). Scrape sides, then beat in mashed banana until just combined.
Combine wet and dry: With the mixer on low, add dry ingredients in three parts alternating with the oat milk mixture. Mix until just incorporated — do not overmix.
Pour the batter: Transfer batter into the lined baking dish and spread evenly.
Bake: Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
Cool completely: Let the cake cool completely before frosting. Refrigerate to speed up the process.
Make the frosting: While the cake cools, combine all frosting ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium for 1-2 minutes until fluffy and smooth. A stand mixer with the paddle attachment works too.
Frost and serve: Spread frosting over the cooled cake and enjoy!

Notes

Flour: I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour. I've tested other brands, including Trader Joe's, and the crumb wasn't the same. Spoon and level — don't scoop from the bag.

Bananas: Measure 1½ cups mashed, not by number of bananas. Sizes vary and too much banana will throw off the texture.

Oat Milk: Any milk works — almond, cashew, skim, or 2% cow's milk.Cream Cheese: Regular or reduced-fat Neufchatel both work. Use block-style, not tubs.

Maple Syrup: Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Honey works as a substitute.

Make It Dairy-Free: Use coconut oil or dairy-free butter (I recommend Earth Balance sticks), dairy-free yogurt, and dairy-free cream cheese. Or swap the frosting entirely for my dairy-free chocolate frosting.

Pan Size: Recipe is written for 9x13. For a 9x9, reduce bake time by about 10 minutes. For cupcakes, start checking at 20-22 minutes.

Make Ahead: This cake tastes even better the next day. Bake up to 2 days in advance, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Frost when ready to serve.

Storing: Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Freezing: Freeze before frosting. Wrap cooled cake in plastic wrap, then foil. Freezes for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then frost.

Nutrition

Course Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a comment and star rating on this post and tag @HealthfulBlondie on Instagram & hashtag it #healthfulblondie!