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.
Made this today (added ginger and Jamaican allspice). Came out great! A little flatter because I didn’t have baking soda though. Love it.
thats nice to know. thanks and welcome 🙂
Made it today and came out really nice… M happy… Thanks a lot
welcome tina
Tried this recipe today and my oh my it turned out to be heavenly. Added a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg powder also raisins. Thank you for inspiring me to bake.
thanks a lot.
Hi,
How do I store this cake? In an air tight container? outside or in fridge? deep freeze for longer storage? Please let me know.
also I substituted sugar with stevia to make it diabetic friendly… perhaps why the texture is different from yours.. could you give a few diabetic friendly or sugar free desserts? love your website x
Thank you.
welcome surabhi. usually i wrap the cake in aluminium foil and keep in the fridge. you can also keep in an covered box or container in a fridge. i won’t suggest to freeze. there are many recipes on the website on which you can easily substitute sugar with stevia or any other sweetener.
can i substitute baking soda to baking powder for pressure cooker eggless chocolate cake
no. its the baking soda that helps in aerating the batter in that cake recipe.
Hi Dassana,
Can I use melted butter instead of oil?
Please let me know..Thanks 🙂
welcome sargam, yes you can.
Hi Dassana,,
I made this cake yesterday, and it came out perfect..just like in your picture.. It take only 24 mins to cook.. I just bake it further for crusty top for 5 mins.. And all loved it.. I have never used whole wheat flour for cake,,as I thought it tends to get tough..but the folding method really helps.. I have tried your so many recipes,, and always they came out perfect!!
Thanks.
thanks a lot deepam for your feedback. usually i make cakes with whole wheat flour and if mixed or folded properly, then they have a good texture.
Hi
my cake remained uncooked from the middle I used pressure cooker and steamed cooked instead of oven though the taste was too good!!
if using pressure cooker, then its better not to steam cook. the recipe is meant for dry cooking and in the oven. what you can do next time is for baking any cake in the pressure cooker, place some sand in the cooker. then place the cake tin or pan. close the cooker tightly. remove the whistle/vent weight and bake on a low flame.
Tried this and love it. My friend at work is vegan . Im not … but still love it. I used regular all purpose flour still the same. Nice n moist and a cheaper version too. Will be baking another one today .thank u!
thanks cherry for your feedback. welcome 🙂
HI DASSANA,
I HAVE TRIED YOUR CAKE RECIPE AND IT WAS VERY GOOD. BUT THE ONLY PROBLEM I NOTICED WAS THAT ALL THE NUTS I MIXED GOT SETTLED IN THE BOTTM OF THE CAKE.
HOW SHOULD I CORRECT THIS.
thanks. to correct this, you have to lightly mix the nuts with a bit of flour and then add them to the batter. they won’t settle down.
Hi ,
I tried baking with this recipe, but nothing turned out fine. the cake was much drier than usual, did not fluff, lost its inner texture …didn’t turn out well at all. Although I am not new to baking, I haven’t been very good with eggless cakes. I normally whisk my batter (no folding) when adding flour as well, and so followed the same this time. Have seen my mom do so for eggless cakes and it still turns out fine. Wonder whats the catch here?? Plz suggest …
i think its the whisking that has made the cake have this texture. usually in eggless cakes, the batter just need to be folded or lightly mixed. personally, i have had many eggless cakes disasters where i have whisked or mixed the batter too much. too much mixing forms gluten strands which gives a dense hard texture to the cake. in this cake, folding works. thats the catch for this recipe. if you mix also lightly, its fine. but i would suggest the folding method.
I tried it last week for my brother-in-law who is vegan and it came out awesome!! My first attempt to healthy cake.. I loved it.. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this recipe.
welcome chandni. glad to know that you liked the cake.
Just made this but used 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 cup cashew meal, added some dates. Nice and moist! Great for a vegan like me, I could eat the whole cake. But being the nice person that I am I will share. This recipe is one to keep in your recipe box and no need for any icing or topping, the walnuts give it that touch of crunch, it’s great just as it is with a cuppa tea.
thanks sue chef for your positive feedback and inputs.
I tried it today…just awesome..i was so glad to c it came out so perfect as i made it in cooker..thanku so much for sharing it :))
welcome ashu.
Hi let me know cake of milkmaid & I don’t have otg please give solution for the same
i don’t have any recipe of a cake made with condensed milk or milkmaid. i will have to try it out and then update the recipe on the blog. if you don’t have OTG, then you can bake the cake in a pressure cooker. sprinkle some sand on the base of the cooker. place the cake pan. remove the whistle/vent weight from the lid. close the cooker tightly with its lid and on a low flame allow the cake to bake in the cooker. the problem with this method is that the base weakens and the cooker won’t be of any use for pressure cooking. so its better to keep a separate cooker for baking. another option is to bake the cake in the convection mode of a microwave oven
I tried this recipe ..it turned out awesomely good..my 1.8 year old son loved it :). I added milk and oil 50:50.
Thanks a ton for the reiepe.
welcome srividya. thanks for your positive feedback and inputs.