This Banana Cake is a delicious, one-bowl vegan recipe made from mashed ripe bananas, walnuts and whole wheat flour. Tasty and a bit healthier than traditional Cakes, this quick and easy eggless Banana Cake recipe is refreshingly light, pillowy soft and incredibly moist.
Table of Contents
More on This Eggless Banana Cake
Everyone in my family enjoys this delicious, moist banana cake – especially my brother-in-law, who compares it to those he had at the well-known Vienna Bakery in Mumbai.
So if you have some ripe bananas laying around at home, then get mashing and make this quick and easy cake.
This banana cake recipe has been adapted from my very popular, tried and tested Banana Bread.
By increasing the amount of oil and bananas in that recipe, I was able to make a light and soft cake. I also reduced the amount of baking soda and added in chopped walnuts for an extra crunch.
Ingredients You Need
- Bananas: The star of the cake, you’ll need approximately 4 ripe or overripe bananas.
- Flour: Though my recipe is made with whole wheat flour, you can use all-purpose flour or pastry flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- Leavening ingredients: The recipe has both baking powder and baking soda. For best results, I suggest to use both. Make sure that they are fresh and active.
- Oil: A neutral tasting oil works great. But you can use olive oil and coconut oil. You can also use melted butter. I have made the cake with sunflower oil.
- Nuts: While walnuts are traditionally mixed into the batter, any halved or crushed nuts can be used. Feel free to use almonds, pecans or cashews.
- Dry Fruits: Raisins, cherries, or other dried fruits add extra sweetness to the cake.
- Flavorings: My recipes simply has vanilla extract as the key flavoring ingredient. You can add ground spices for warming flavors. Ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice or pumpkin spice make the cake have a lovely aroma.
- Optional Ingredients: Coconut flakes, chocolate and other ingredients can be delicious additions to this cake recipe; however, make sure not to overload your banana bread with too many extras.
How to Make Banana Cake Recipe
Make Banana Puree
1. Mash 4 medium to large ripe or over-ripe bananas with a fork to a smooth consistency. I have used over-ripe bananas for this recipe.
TIP: The consistency should be smooth without any chunks, so if needed you can also use a blender to mash the bananas.
2. Add ½ cup of sugar, ⅔ cup of any neutral flavored oil and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the mashed bananas.
3. Stir well so the oil mixes with the banana puree and the sugar dissolves completely.
Make Batter
4. Sieve 1½ cups of whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda and a pinch of salt directly in the bowl.
TIP: If you do not have a sieve, you can use a fine mesh strainer or whisk.
5. Fold the dry ingredients thoroughly into the wet ingredients. Fold using the cut and fold method.
Check my video above or in the recipe card below to see how to form the batter with the cut and fold method.
TIP: Do not mix! If the batter looks too thick, add some water, almond milk or lite coconut milk.
The amount of water to be added depends on the quality and texture of the whole wheat flour and the consistency of the batter. Only add in the extra liquids if the batter looks very thick.
6. Add 10 halved walnuts that have been finely chopped and fold again. Prep and chop the walnuts before to add to the batter.
Tip: In addition to walnuts, you can also add raisins, pistachios or any nuts and dry fruits of your choice.
Bake Eggless Banana Cake
7. Pour the batter into a greased or lined loaf pan ( 7.5 x 4 x 2.5 inches) or round cake pan (7.5 x 2 inches).
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. The timing varies from oven to oven, so keep a note of this.
Tip: If the top of the cake starts browning too much, cover the top with aluminum foil or parchment paper while baking.
Suggestion: If you do not have an oven, then bake the cake in a stove-top pressure cooker. Follow the method listed in this detailed post of Pressure Cooker Cake to make this banana cake.
Note: The orange-yellowish color in the image is due to incandescent lighting in my kitchen.
9. When warm or cooled, slice and serve Eggless Banana Cake plain with your tea or coffee.
Serving Suggestions
- Delicious all on its own with an evening cup of tea or coffee or as a sweet dessert.
- Top with homemade whipped cream
- Frost the cake with butter or cream icing, or even chocolate icing.
Storage
At room temperature, the cake stays well for 2 to 3 days. Wrap the cake in a cling film or store in an air-tight box and refrigerate. It keeps well for about 2 weeks when refrigerated. The cake also freezes well for a couple of months.
Expert Tips for Best Banana Cake
- Batter: This eggless banana cake batter has a medium-thick consistency. Depending on the quality or texture of whole wheat flour, you may require to add liquids like water or almond milk or lite coconut milk if the batter looks very thick.
- Flour: Though whole wheat flour forms the base of this cake, you can sub it with all-purpose flour in the same proportion as of whole wheat flour. Both atta (that is whole wheat flour used to make roti) as well as the whole wheat flour available in the US, Europe and other countries work well in the recipe.
- Folding: Form the batter using the cut and fold method. Do not use a whisk and mix the ingredients.
- Baking: Depending on the temperature in your oven and the size of your pan, the cake might take less or more time to bake. As the temperature varies from oven to oven so keep a note of this. The benchmark is that a tooth pick or skewer inserted in the vegan banana cake should come out clean.
- Oil: For the oils, a neutral tasting oil works best. So you can add sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil. You can even make the cake with olive oil or coconut oil.
- Vegetarian option: Instead of oil use butter. Melt butter and use in the same proportion as that of oil.
- Flavorings: Chocolate chips or cocoa powder or cacao nibs can be included. Chopped nuts like pistachios, pecans, pine nuts, almonds and seeds like sunflower seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), flax seeds and sunflower seeds can be added. Lightly toast the seeds in a skillet prior to adding.
- Spices: If you like spiced cakes, then add about ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon or ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg or 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice mix.
FAQs
Because the ingredients for this vegan banana cake recipe are so easy to customize, you can simply withhold adding in sweeter items, such as sweetened coconut flakes, chocolate, or dried fruits.
Instead of oil you can use butter to make this recipe vegetarian. Simply melt the butter and use in the same proportion as that of the oil.
Your banana cake should last 2 to 3 days if properly stored. Wrap your cake in plastic wrap and leave on the counter. If you plan to store in the fridge, then place it an air-tight box or wrap tightly in a cling film so that the cake does not dry out.
Whisking disturbs the the combined ingredients and causes the batter to lose air that helps it to rise. When using the folding method instead, you preserve more of the volume and will have a fuller vegan banana cake.
More Cake Recipes to Try
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Easy Banana Cake Recipe (Eggless, Vegan & Whole Wheat)
Ingredients
- 4 bananas (medium to large ripe or overripe) – 300 grams
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour or 180 grams whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup regular sugar or organic unrefined cane sugar or 100 grams sugar
- ⅔ cup any neutral flavored oil (I used sunflower oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 halved walnuts – finely chopped or any dry fruits or nuts of your choice (optional)
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). If using a regular oven, heat both the top and bottom elements. For a microwave convection oven, just preheat the oven.
Making cake batter
- Peel and chop the bananas. Add them to a bowl and mash them with a fork. You can also use a blender to mash the bananas.
- Add sugar, oil and vanilla extract.
- Mix thoroughly so that the oil mixes evenly with the banana puree and the sugar dissolves.
- Sieve whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt directly in the bowl. You can also sieve these separately and then add them to the wet ingredients.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients very well.
- Add the chopped walnuts and fold again. Apart from walnuts, you can also add raisins, pistachios or any nuts and dry fruits of your choice.
- Pour the batter in a greased or lined loaf pan ( 7.5 x 4 x 2.5 inches) or round cake pan (7.5 x 2 inches).
Baking banana cake
- Gently tap and shake the pan. Place the pan in the center rack if using a regular oven or otg.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 45 to 50 mins or until a wooden skewer or tooth pick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
- If the top of the cake starts browning then cover the top with an aluminium foil or parchment paper while baking.
- When warm or cooled, gently remove the cake from the pan. Slice and serve banana cake as is with tea or coffee.
Video
Notes
- Batter: This banana cake batter has a medium-thick consistency. Depending on the quality or texture of flour, you may require to add liquids like water or almond milk or lite coconut milk if the batter looks very thick.
- Flour: In place of whole wheat flour, you can easily use all-purpose flour in the same quantity as that of whole wheat flour. Both atta (that is whole wheat flour used to make roti) as well as whole wheat flour available in the US and Europe, work well in the recipe.
- Folding: Use the cut and fold method to make the batter. Do not use a whisk and mix the ingredients.
- Baking: Depending on the temperature in your oven and the size of your pan, the cake might take less or more time to bake. As the temperature varies from oven to oven so keep a note of this. The benchmark is that a tooth pick inserted in the banana cake should come out clean.
- Oil: You can add sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil. You can even add olive oil or coconut oil.
- Vegetarian option: Instead of oil you can use butter. Melt the butter and use in the same proportion as that of the oil.
- Flavorings: Chocolate chips or cocoa powder or cacao nibs can be added. Chopped nuts like pistachios, pecans, pine nuts, almonds and seeds like sunflower seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), flax seeds and sunflower seeds can also be added. Lightly toast the seeds in a pan before adding them to the batter.
- Spices: If you like spiced cakes, you can add about ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon or ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg or 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice mix.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Banana Cake recipe post from the archives first published in May 2014 has been republished and updated on 26 January 2022.
Hi Dassana, i made this cake today. It tasted heaven but wat quite dense and under cooked from inside, though it looked perfectly baked from outside.. What could be the reason?
the denseness could be due to over folding or mixing of the batter. usually if the batter gets over done, the cake will look done from outside, but the inside will be dense and there will be no lightness or porousness in the cake. just fold lightly.
Hi, baked this again today, initially it seemed like it rose well, but when cooled, it sunk and felt like it did not rise at all. What could be the reason?
sheetal, what pan size you are using. and also when baking, its better not to open the door many times. doing this can sunk the cake, once removed from the oven or cooled.
Hi ,
When I pre heat my OTG should I keep empty cake pan also for pre heating.
Want to try it tomorrow so kindly let me know ar your earliest.
You are superb in every recipe.
Thank you
no need to keep empty cake pan while pre heating. thanks nanditha.
hi , so the measuring cup given here is 250 ml which is same as 250 grams if im not mistaken.. but for atta the quantity you have mentioned is 180 grams which is supposed to be 2/3 cup (whereas you have mentioned it as 1.5 cups) .could you please clarify. because i realised it only after mixing the atta ( 1.5 cups ) with other ingredients and it ended up being like we do for roti . then i added curd to get cake consistency . But it did come out well.
250 ml is not 250 grams. in cups the volume is measured in milliliter for liquids. for solids, the same volume gives different weight measurements. eg 1 cup rice is 200 grams and 1 cup all purpose flour is 125 grams. 1 cup atta is 120 grams in weight, so 2/3 cup will be less and not 180 grams. the batter must have become too thick due to the quality of atta. sometimes atta absorbs a lot of water or liquids, depending on its quality and type. so in this case more liquids can be added.
Hi Dassana, could I use butter instead of sunflower oil?
yes you can.
Hi Dassana,
I have baked this cake many times and it had always turned out delicious. However, could I omit the sugar or is there a sugar substitute such as dates, applesauce or increase the number of bananas etc? Please advise. Thank you.
thanks selvi. i would suggest you to add pureed dates or apple sauce. if you increase bananas, the texture becomes more like a halwa. don’t add honey as honey becomes toxic when heated.
Dear Dassana…today I baked a banana cake using your very recipe. I substituted sugar with applesauce( same amount) and reduced olive oil( yes, I use olive oil for my cakes) by a quarter cup. My, my…it was divine:-).Thank you for your advice and for all your delicious cake recipes. Please continue with your talent and skills…:-)
pleased to know this selvi 🙂 glad you liked banana cake recipe. thankyou for your positive words and you are always welcome.
Hi Dassana,
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe, I made it 2 days ago it was awesome, I added little milk in it to make It soft dropping consistency.
you are welcome and thankyou neelambari 🙂
Hello Ms. Dassana,
thanks for the nice recipe. I tried it yesterday. Taste wise its good, cooked very well. But one thing was very weird. The cake texture was very crumbly. I could not cut piece of it, it was like big bread crumbs. I used 3 big bananas instead of 4 medium. Rest of the things were as per your recipe. Please tell me that what went wrong.
Thanks.
Anupam
hello anupam, did you use the microwave oven or baked the banana bread in a regular oven or OTG. crumbly could also be due to uneven folding or mixing or the batter has got too much mixed. the batter has to have volume while folding and should not fall flat.
Thanks for replying. Actually, i baked it on gas. I usually bake cakes on gas, obviously with some other recipes. With baking on gas, all my cakes turn out awesome with perfect taste & texture. I think, i should try this cake in microwave. I am having Samsung CE1041DFB/XTL 28 L Convection Microwave Oven, it has convection, microwave & combination cooking features. Also, i want to know that what do mean by uneven folding or too much mixing? We should mix the batter until all the ingredients get mixed properly, is’nt it?
fine. cakes can be made on gas too. some readers have tried this cake in a pressure cooker on gas. if you are baking in the microwave, only use the convection mode and not the microwave or combination mode. the ingredients in this recipe have to be folded and not mixed. folding is a different technique than mixing. in this method, the batter is cut and folded. the mixture is cut from the center with a spatula and while moving around the circumference, the batter is folded. i am sharing a youtube link as with words or pics it difficult to understand. here is the link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXe-kTlTv8I
Hi Dassana,
I have with me 4 very ripe bananas..But I don’t have time right away to make the cake. Is it possible to store the pulp for later use? Should it be put in freezer and for how long can I store?
Thanks.
yes you can do that, but just drizzle some lemon juice on the mashed pulp, so that they don’t get darkened. you can keep in the freezer for 2 to 3 days.
Hi ,
I just want to say you are someone I love. Every receipe I tried from this site comes out so nice, so perfect description….so easy and I am running out of homely adjectives. Yesterday I have made banana cake for my 21 month son who always nag when its banana…
Thanks
Can you share some whole fruit recipe, like shake or anything where whole fruit nutrients will be there..
thank you much deepabali. i have posted some fruit beverages and you can have a look at them – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/recipes/beverages/
Hey,
I have 3 words for you.You are splendid :). My friend Janu introduced me to this site.i have never baked a cake in my life and it turned out like the one we buy in Starbucks. I am raking in all the praises for the cake and I wanted to pass them where they are due.
Thanks a million. Way to go:)
we are very pleased to know this geetha 🙂 please thank your friend on our behalf. god bless you and thankyou.
Hi dear….I have tried many recipes from your site..paneer recipes, cakes etc .EVERY TIME PERFECT?.now i just visit your site instead of googling ….thank u…..just one doubt…can I add chocolate chips in this cake …I have bananas so planning on making this cake…but my son requested me to add chocolate chips…..if yes…then how much should I add and when?
Thanks in advance
And keep up the good work.☺
thanks a ton for the feedback on recipes, meeta. yes you can add chocolate chips. even i add them. 2 to 3 tbsp is fine.
Hi Dassana,
I love all your recipes….Have tried few recipes as well..
Just wanted to know whether we can add jaggery inspite of sugar..Taste will slightly differ but just want to know ….
thanks sudha. yes you can add jaggery. i also add jaggery on occasions and the taste is similar to south indian banana appams made with jaggery.
hi Dassana,
I tried this recipe yesterday only with multi grain atta. It was yummy but it was very hard like cake rusk. I baked in microwave convection.
pls suggest changes..
it should not be hard like cake rusk. i do not consider the multi grain atta to be a problem. i think its either the baking soda or baking powder that was not fresh. also fold the batter and do not mix.
HI,
Many many thanx for the reply first n correcting me with baking powder n baking soda differentiation. The results were truly amazing. Have tried lot banana cake recipes but results came out really good with ur recipe. I will be regular follower after this recipe n really going to recommend ur blog to more people.?
Please let me know if u have any recipes for whole wheat pizza without yeast . Thanx in advance
thank you very much shanu. generally baking soda should never be substituted with baking powder in any recipe. baking powder can be replaced with baking soda but not the other way round. i did try making whole wheat pizza without yeast, but i did not like the texture of the pizza. so i did not add the recipe. i will have to try a couple of more time to get the right texture. then i will add the recipe.
Thanx again !!! Will wait fr the recipe. Let me know the cookie recipe with whole wheat if u have one .?
welcome shanu. you can check this category link below. most of the cookies are made with whole wheat flour.
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/eggless-cakes-recipes/
Hi Dassana….
Today I prepared ur banana cake recipe with cooker….. The result is awesome but at base it burnt little bit… But the taste is awesome…
And I’m also prepared ur bhature recipe and posted a positive comments….
Hats Off to ur interest, effort and passion…. Particularly ur health conscious ingredients, step by step pictures and exact measurements inspires me to do this recipe and not only this recipe… all the recipe…. Daily i am checking ur recipe in this site….
And Now I am waiting for ur special SWEET recipe for Diwali….
we ae quite pleased to know this gayathri you liked the eggless banana cake recipe 🙂 thnakyou so much for your kind words and trying chole bhature too. god bless you.