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.
Hello Dassana, Thank you very much for the recipe.. 🙂 i just love
the way you present it step by step with images of the dishes.. It
is very helpful for the beginners like me.. If the beginners can’t
understand what to do next, your recipes with images helps to move
forward.. I just love it..
Well Thank You once again for all the recipes and come up with new-
new recipes..
Hope there is nothing in this comment which hurts you…
Thank You Very Much..
~Mitali
thanks a lot mitali. there is nothing in your comment which is hurtful. not sure why you say so 🙂 i will be adding more recipes.
Hi Dassana. Tried your banana cake today .Came out well.Thanks for sharing 🙂
welcome vidya
I used two tablespoons of flaxseed powder additionally in your recipe. I thought it turned out pretty good! Thanks for the instructions
welcome ashwini. flaxseed powder works a a good egg replacement for eggless cakes.
I m a great fan of your recipes…It reflects your love and passion!! Hats off!! My question is whether I can make this cake in cooker? If yes, pl let me know the procedure. Thank you and keep your good work going!!
thanks jaya. i feel you can try this cake in the cooker. just spread some sand in the cooker. if sand is not available then add salt. heat the cooker for some minutes, about 5 to 8 minutes. then place the cake pan in the cooker. close the lid tightly and remove the whistle/vent weight. keep the flame on the lowest. then bake for about 35 to 45 minutes or more. check with a toothpick for the doneness. the toothpick should come out clean.
Hey that’s very nice recipe, I luv making cake with vegetable oil instead of butter, it comes out more light to eat I feel. Thanx
Dr Renu tiwari
Welcome Dr Renu
Hi I dassana
Can I bake cakes in Pyrex glassware
yes you can, if the pyrex glass ware is oven proof.
Hii dassana
If I use parchtment paper do I have to still grease the paper. If yes pls tell me how to grease and what shall I use to grease.
Grishma
grishma, just spread some oil or softened butter on the parchtment paper. to make the paper stick to the pan, you can just spread bit of oil on the cake pan.
Can I use all purpose flour for this recipe? And can we add buttermilk or yogurt since no eggs usedd?
yes you can add all purpose flour. no need of adding buttermilk or yogurt.
sorry dassana… i mean can I use self raising flour?
fine 🙂 you can. then cut down on the baking powder to 1/2 tsp.
I tried this banana cake recipe n it was successful,i want to post pic of that for your approval n suggestions
thanks bharti for the feedback. you can send me the pics via message on our fb page – https://www.facebook.com/vegrecipesofindia or send email to vegrecipesofindia(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Hello Dassana,
First of all, many thanks to you for all the hard work you put in…
i’m a big fan of your blog !!
Tried the chocolate-walnut cake last week and it turned out to be very good.
Today, I tried my hands on banana cake… it was not bad but was very dry and sticky in the mouth… Actually, to be honest – it was pathetic !
Is it because it’s a whole wheat flour cake and no all purpose flour (maida) was used ??
The cake raise well and the flavor of banana was also good… followed the recipe exactly as it is – the oven was preheated at 190C and before taking it out from the oven, inserted the knife into it to make sure it’s baked properly. The knife came out clean…
Is this sticky thing normal with all wheat flour cake or did something went wrong?
Can we add ‘Maida’ or some milk to it. If yes, then in what proportion?
Also, instead of refined oil, can we add Desi Ghee or clarified butter to it? What difference will it make?
Thanks once again…
-Harsh
thanks harsh. its not due to the flour type. stickiness is not normal with whole wheat cakes. since i prepare cakes with whole wheat flour pretty often and i know the texture is soft. it can be slightly dense, but not sticky. i think the batter has got over mixed or over folded. when making cake batter, the batter has to be mixed or folded very lightly. if you over do, then the lightness in the batter goes off track and even gluten strands are formed. this makes the cake sticky and doughy. you can make the same recipe with ‘maida’ and add milk also. a few tbsp of milk is fine. if adding milk, then reduce the quantity of oil. you can also add desi ghee or butter. but the taste and the flavors change with ghee or butter.
Hi Amit,
Can you please tell how should I bake in microwave oven? What temperature?
you can bake in the convection mode of your microwave oven. bake at 180 degrees celsius. but first preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius for 10 to 12 minutes and then bake.
Thanks Dassana 🙂
Also, can I use glass container for baking?
yes you can use an oven safe glass pan or bowl. but the baking timing may vary.
What will be the timing then? And will the temperature remain same (180) while we use glass bowl?
same temperature of 180 and baking time will vary. generally its more when baking in glass ware.
What should be the baking time then? and will the temp remain same if we use glass bowl?
baking time is same as mentioned in the recipe. the time might increase. so i cannot tell how long. you will have to keep a check.
hi,
I tried this recipe but it did not turn out good, actually it has not become fluffy and not even looked like cooked though i had put it in oven for two hours. only the upper and lower parts cooked but middle part still uncooked. not sure what I made mistake but I wanted to say I had used mixer for mashing and mixing the sugar and oil. I had followed all the ingredients properly but I added two extra bananas, I dont think that would spoil the cake but I am disappointed after seeing my cake it did not raise at all :(.
two hours is a long time in the oven. did you preheat the oven and at what temperature you baked. its better to use a spatula while folding. since the mixer can spoil the consistency of the batter due to its speed. extra bananas can also spoil the texture. telling this from experience. once i baked a cake with too much bananas and the whole thing was a flop.
I made banana cake…it was sponge…but tasteless..middle portion atta khaye jaisa lag raha tha…pls suggest
Either you have over folded the batter or from the center the cake has not got baked. Just lightly fold the batter. Folding is different than mixing. You can check on google how to fold cake batter and you will get pics on how its done.
thank you very much for banana cake recipe. i got 3rd prize in cooking competition. recipe really rocked ..thanks once again.
thanks monali. congrats 🙂
Many thank you! Baked for the first time and it turned out well! The top got browned a little,but absolutely clean and tastes yumm!
thanks vidhya.
I didn’t try my hand at cakes for long because of use of “maida” in most of them. Just loved your whole-wheat recipe. Now i can bake it for my kids and feel good about it 🙂
The cake came out yummy. i added a spoon of Bournvita for richer color… and some pieces of “not so dark” chocolate… once even chocos… Thanks to you 🙂
I also tried the upside down apple cake… very tasty, very simple, and very healthy …
i used brown sugar and also replaced water with milk… and again added a spoonful of bournvita…. I wasn’t able to leave a feedback on this cake recipe on its page….so writing here…
Already baked these cakes for friends as well… and they are a big hit… thx 😀
welcome shilpi. there is nothing like a wholesome & healthy home baked cake for the family. agree on the maida and thats why i hardly bake with maida, unless making a cake with icings. the variation you have mentioned would equally work well. water can be easily replaced by milk and vice versa too. good to know and thanks for sharing your experience.