Gluten-Free Banana Cake Recipe - Gluten-Free Baking (2024)

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This easy gluten-free banana cake is moist and tender. It’s a great way to use overripe bananas. Made with gluten-free flour, brown sugar, and melted butter. (Dairy-free variation included.)

Let’s talk about gluten-free banana cake. The first thing you need to know is that it’s not banana bread. Think of it more like a buttery yellow cake with a lovely banana flavor. It’s moist, flavorful, and best of all, really easy to make.

Gluten-Free Banana Cake: Ingredients and Substitutions.

• Ripe Bananas. The most important ingredient in this cake is the bananas. Ripe bananas to be exact. The riper the banana, the more flavor in the cake. Use bananas that are deep brown or very spotted.
• Gluten-Free Flour. A flour blend makes this batter easy to make. I tested the recipe with Bob’s Red Mill’s 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Other flour blends might work, however, I haven’t tried them. If you use a different blend, that doesn’t contain xanthan or guar gum, whisk a ½ teaspoon into the flour before using it. Without it, the cake won’t rise correctly.
• Granulated and Brown Sugar. A combination of granulated and brown sugar sweetens the cake and keeps it light. Blending the two adds the perfect amount of flavor from the brown sugar and gives you a nice light texture.
• Butter or Oil. Butter brings a nice richness and flavor to the cake. After melting the butter, cool it for a minute or two before adding it to the batter. This prevents the heat from cooking the eggs.For a dairy-free substitute, use dairy-free butter or neutral oil, like canola or soy
• Eggs. Three eggs give this cake lift and flavor. Use room-temperature eggs for the best results. I haven’t tested the recipe with an egg replacer. So I can’t say if one works.
• Milk. A little milk helps make the batter smooth. Use traditional (cow’s) milk or your favorite dairy-free milk. Full-fat coconut milk is not recommended. It’s too rich for this recipe.
• Vanilla Extract. Two teaspoons of vanilla extract adds a nice flavor.
• Baking Powder and Salt. The baking powder helps the cake to rise and gives it a nice “cakey” texture. Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.

Variations: Adding Nuts, Chocolate, and Other Good Things.

This cake tastes great as-is. It’s also wonderful with nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit added to the batter. Here’s what to add.

• Gluten-Free Banana Nut Cake: add ¾ cup chopped walnuts to the batter.
• Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cake: Stir 1 cup chocolate chips into the batter.
• Gluten-Free Banana Cake with Raisins or Dried Cranberries: Stir ¾ cup raisins or dried cranberries into the batter.
• Gluten-Free Banana Nut-Chocolate Chip Cake: Add ½ cup chopped walnuts and ½ cup chocolate chips.
• Spiced Gluten-Free Banana Cake: Add two teaspoons of pie spice to the batter.

How to Make a Gluten-Free Banana Cake.

1. Preheat your oven. Cakes rise best when baked in a preheated (hot) oven. Most ovens take about 20 minutes to reach the required temperature. I like to turn my oven on and then measure and mix the batter. This way, the oven is ready to go once I’m done mixing.
   
2. Make the Batter. You need two mixing bowls for this recipe. A small one to whisk together the dry ingredients and a large bowl to mash the bananas and make the batter. Whisking the dry ingredients together before adding them to the batter helps to distribute the baking powder evenly throughout the flour, giving you a cake that rises evenly.
   
3. Bake. Spread the batter into a greased 9×13-inch cake pan. Since the batter is thick, use the back of a spoon or a small spatula to get the batter into the corners of the pan. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
   
4. Cool and Frost. You can let this cake cool right in the pan. If you prefer removing it from the pan, let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Once the cake is completely cool, frost it. If you frost a warm cake, the frosting melts and runs off the cake.

Storage Tips.

If you frost this cake with cream cheese frosting, store the cake in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Freeze the cake for up to three months. You can frost it before or after freezing. The cake freezes great frosted. Be sure to let the cake cool before freezing.

Recipe Questions and Answers.

Can I use a different gluten-free flour blend?

All gluten-free flour blends behave differently, which can be frustrating. The recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Be sure to use a blend that contains xanthan or guar gum.

Can I use frozen bananas?

If you freeze your overripe bananas, this gluten-free banana cake is a perfect way to use them. When you’re ready to bake, thaw the bananas at room temperature and drain any excess liquid. Then follow the recipe as written.

Can I make these into muffins?

I want to make a layer cake. Can I use this recipe?

Yes! Bake the batter in two 8-inch greased round cake pans.