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.
I’ve tried this cake. It came out well..We all liked it very much.. Its a healthy one.. I would like to know whether it will work if i double this recipe..
Thanks Loise. You have to give a try. I never tried it.
This is literally the BEST Banana Cake I have ever had. I made it for breakfast and it was gone in about 15 min. Then again for a party and gone in 10. I’ve been making 2 of them at least twice a week, all month. Lol
thank you jessica for this ‘best’ tag on the banana cake. much appreciated. glad to know you are baking the cake at least twice a month 🙂
Hello mam,
Thanks for ur all lovely receipes. I must say they all are so simple n fuss free n yet so delicious. I hv tried many of ur cakes, rice n paneer receipes n each time they came out perfectly .As i m a vegetarian, ur eggless cakes receipes are like a boon for me. Thanks again.
I have a query regarding buying microwave with convection and an otg. For one interesting in baking which one is a good option. And also could you please suggest any brand with specifications.
thanks a lot aparna. i always suggest an OTG rather than a microwave for baking. just because i find the baking quality in an OTG better than microwave as far as even baking is concerned. i am using bajaj 35 litre oven and so far it is good. previously i was using philips 18 litre oven which was also good.
Hi Dassana,
i have a query. Are baking soda and cooking soda same? If not, where can i find it? I caanot find them in local shops. Thanks.
they are same. both baking soda and cooking soda are just different names of the same ingredient – sodium bicarbonate. you can buy online, if you are not getting the baking soda locally.
Hi dassana,
I googled the cut n fold technique mentioned here to mix the batter. Just a small query.. Is it okay if a whole wheat cake batter has a lot of lumps? Like half an inch thick? Because if one will try to mix/mash them then it will become full blown rigorous mixing.
Or mixing with a whisk with hand is preferable?
Thanks
ruchi, tiny lumps are fine, but not big lumps. half an inch thick lumps are not fine. they are slightly larger lumps. if lumps happen, then sift the flour once to twice and then add the wet ingredients to it. when using mixing technique, there can be lumps, but when you fold using the cut & fold technique, lumps will not be there. since when cutting the lumps are also broken. when mixing its always better to use wired whisk. for folding its better to use a spatula. can be wooden or silicon spatula.
Can jaggery be used instead of sugar?
you can add jaggery instead of sugar.
Dear Dasanna, I am baking the cake as I write. I have used butter in place of oil and would like to know if I can use Virgin coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.All the recipes tried by me from your blog have turned out great and won me appreciation in the family. Thank you so much for it.
thanks a lot dipti. you can use virgin coconut oil. i have also made a few cakes and eggless banana bread with coconut oil.
Hi dassana .. as sujatha said in above comment, v have to see scroll up for ur reply to our comment. No notification for ur reply.. pls do check abt it.. even I have sent many comments but I don’t know on which recipe I sent n I don’t get notification for ur reply.. it’s useful if v ask u some question n waiting for ur reply.. thhankss a lot for ur recipe. This cake is on way to ready;) yummy I have confidence on all ur recipes dat it’s will defineltly come out super..
pooni, the older comments coming on top is in the app. but on the website its the newer comments showing on top. i will see what can be done in the app regarding this issue. with regard the notification, i had enabled it some time back. but many readers started complaining that they get mails whenever any person comments on the post. so i have disabled the notification now.
thanks pooni and i hope the cake turns out good and you like it.
Can I use this recipe to make the cake in pressure cooker?
you can. some readers have tried it successfully.
Thanks a lot for recipe. It turned out yummy with nice texture.
thanks pallavi for this feedback. welcome 🙂
Hi,
What if I want to use eggs??
with eggs this recipe will change along with its ingredients. so since i add tried and tested recipes, i am unable to tell you what changes need to be made with eggs.
hi,my cake turned out really beautiful.
thank you for the recipe
nice to know poonam. thanks for sharing.
Thanks a lot, Dassana! Your recipes are amazing! This is my default site that i come when i have to check for whole wheat and eggless baking. Thanks for all your efforts. I am just now baking banana cake and i hope i have followed your recipe to the T. 🙂
Am also looking to make wholewheat eggless croissant. Do you think it is possible?
thanks a lot sukanya. i hope the cake turns out good. wholewheat eggless croissant is possible. though i have never made at home, but i used to have whole wheat croissants at times, during breakfasts in one of the hotels i stayed for some days. if they can make it, then so can us. and theirs used to be all whole wheat. no maida at all.
Thanks, Dassana… My cake turned out a bit too soft, not sure if i put a bit more water or something else. But the taste is incredible.
Can you help put a recipe for eggless wholewheat croissant sometime in future? Am so addicted to your step by step pics.. 🙂
welcome sukanya. try baking for some more time, if this happens in the future. sure, i will try to add whole wheat croissants in some time.
Hii..
Thank you for all the lovely recipes…
can you please suggest some cake recipes for microwave, I don’t have an oven…
Sheetal.
welcome sheetal. i have stopped adding microwave recipes for health reasons.
Thanks Dassana for your quick response,since two days I am sending message I don’t know what went wrong.ok .I really love your recipes .the way you narrate the step is really helpful for beginners,more over feel confident myself that I can cook. Cooking is my passion ,I do try north Indian dishes ,I even try baking as I told you in earlier post .can I buy small size OTG ,is it helpful I usually bake cookies as i have succeeded in convection oven for cookies,but l want to bake cakes that too egg less.everytime I see your eggless cake recipes I feel tempted,start immediately bake but not satisfied with results in convection oven.please please help in temperature settings in convection oven.guide me buying OTG .sooory for such a long post.
You won’t believe me ,I have asked these queries for so many others ,but failed to get results,sure you help me.
welcome poornashri. you can buy an 18 to 22 litre oven. i had an 18 litre oven and it was a small oven. i have done a lot of baking in this oven. currently i am having a 35 litre bajaj OTG and this one is also good. the 18 litre oven was from philips, but now philips have stopped manufacturing it.
for convection mode, always bake at 15 to 20 degrees less temperature. as baking is faster in a convection oven than a regular OTG. also while baking any cake, cookies or muffins, preheat the oven at the temp mentioned in the recipe for atleast 15 minutes. keep the pan after 15 minutes and bake. do not open the door of the oven, till 3/4th of the baking is done. this is especially true for cakes as then the cake can sink or fall flat in the oven.
let me know if you have any queries.
Thanks Dassana ,I have IFB where I can set the temp for preheating but can’t set time for preheat ,its automatic.i will try placing foil or butter paper inbtn baking next time..is baking soda different from cooking soda bcoz I used cooking soda these for baking wherever needed.thanks a lot for your reply.
okay. in the ifb oven i have, i can set the time manually. baking soda and cooking soda are same.
Thank you