This Gluten Free Banana Cake is easy to make, tender, flavorful, and impossible to resist! The cake is delicious on its own, but the cream cheese frosting takes it to another level. If you like banana bread, you have to try this tasty cake.
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Recently, Jim and I were at my parent’s house helping out with some yard work. When we were done working for the day, we shared a meal that was capped off by a wonderful banana cake my mom had made. Instead of frosting the cake, she added finely chopped walnuts to the top to give it a little crunch.
My mom mentioned she thought the cake would also be good with frosting in place of the nuts. Her suggestion turned into this recipe for banana cake with cream cheese frosting.
The cake is moist, tender, and filled with banana flavor. When topped with the cream cheese frosting, the cake is over-the-top delicious.
This recipe is quick and easy and doesn’t require any fancy equipment to make. The tools to prepare it are probably in your kitchen cupboards.
Why this Recipe Works
- Using fresh bananas instead of extract gives the cake a natural banana flavor that’s hard to beat.
- The oil adds moisture and tenderness to the cake.
- Using whipped cream cheese frosting to top the cake adds sweetness without being overly sweet.
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten free flour blend - I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour in this cake recipe. If you don’t have a problem with gluten, you can use all-purpose flour.
- Baking soda and baking powder - The baking soda and baking powder give lift to the cake. Be sure to check the expiration dates on the containers.
- Salt - Table salt.
- Oil - I use vegetable oil, but canola oil will also work.
- Sugar - White granulated sugar.
- Eggs - Large eggs, at room temperature.
- Lemon juice - I use bottled lemon juice in this recipe.
- Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract.
- Bananas - Use very ripe bananas to give moisture and sweetness to the cake.
- Cream cheese - Brick-style cream cheese, softened.
- Butter - Unsalted butter. I normally use unsalted butter in my baking to control the amount of salt.
- Powdered sugar - Also known as confectioner’s sugar, the powdered sugar gives the frosting a silky consistency.
How to Make Gluten Free Banana Cake
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the oil, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Stir in the mashed bananas until fully incorporated.
- Transfer the batter to a greased 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350° F for 30 minutes.
- Make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and butter together.
- Stir in the vanilla and powdered sugar.
- Frost the cooled cake, serve, and enjoy!
Step by Step Instructions
(For ingredient amounts see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the oil, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla and stir until combined.
Stir the mashed bananas into the batter making sure the bananas are incorporated throughout the mixture.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and butter together until combined (about 3 minutes).
Stir in the vanilla, then stir in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. You'll need at least 3 cups of powdered sugar, but you may need more depending on how thick you want the frosting.
Once the cake is completely cool, add the cream cheese frosting and enjoy!
What Type of Gluten Free Flour Should I Use?
To get the best results, use a good quality all-purpose gluten free flour blend when making this gluten free cake. I like to use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 which contains xanthan gum.
Xanthan gum works to hold the baked goods together. The gluten in all-purpose flour acts as the binding agent in traditional baking. Gluten free baking requires a substitute for the binding agent and that’s the role of xanthan gum.
Your results may be different depending on the type of gluten free flour you use. I haven’t tried using coconut flour or almond flour in this banana cake recipe.
Remember to use the “spoon and level” method when measuring your gluten free flour. Simply use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then use the back of a table knife to level off the top. Using the measuring cup to scoop the flour directly from the bag or canister can give you more flour than needed in the recipe.
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake
- Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- Easy Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Grease the bottom and the sides of the baking pan. You don’t want to leave behind any cake that’s stuck to the pan.
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour blend for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding ½ teaspoon to the recipe. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- When adding the mashed bananas, be sure to thoroughly mix them into the batter. The bananas add flavor and moisture, and you want the entire cake to be filled with flavor.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting. If you add the frosting too soon, the frosting will be runny.
Banana bread is firmer and denser while banana cake is lighter and more tender. Banana cake is usually sweeter than banana bread.
Store the frosted cake, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t usually store baked goods in the fridge, but in this case the cream cheese frosted cake should be refrigerated.
The cake can be frozen prior to adding the cream cheese frosting. I don’t recommend freezing the frosted cake.
This easy recipe is a great way to use up your overripe bananas. If you like banana bread, you’ll love this amazing banana cake.
More Delicious Gluten Free Banana Recipes
- Mary's Homemade Banana Bread
- Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
- Chocolate Chip and Walnut Banana Bread
- Healthy Quinoa Banana and Strawberry Muffins
- Caramelized Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
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Recipe
Gluten Free Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup oil, vegetable or canola
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups mashed bananas (about 3 medium)
For the frosting:
- 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350° F and grease a 9"x13" baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add in the oil, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla and stir until combined.
- Stir the mashed bananas into the batter making sure the bananas are incorporated throughout the mixture.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and butter together until combined (about 3 minutes).
- Stir in the vanilla, then stir in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. You'll need at least 3 cups of powdered sugar, but you may need more depending on how thick you want the frosting.
- Once the cake is completely cool, add the cream cheese frosting and enjoy!
Notes
- Grease the bottom and the sides of the baking pan. You don’t want to leave behind any cake that’s stuck to the pan.
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour mix for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding ½ teaspoon to the recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which contains xanthan gum.
- When adding the mashed bananas, be sure to thoroughly mix them into the batter. The bananas add flavor and moisture and you want the entire cake to be filled with flavor.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting. If you add the frosting too soon, the frosting will be runny.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on products and brands you use. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the ingredients you are using with your preferred nutrition calculator.
This post was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2020 with a tweak to the recipe. It was republished in 2022 with updated images, additional text, and FAQs.
Julie says
This cake is delicious! I have made this quite a few times!
Flavor Walk says
Hi Julie,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I'm happy to hear you enjoy the recipe.
Christine Boisvert says
Made this today for a Mothers Day brunch........everyone loved it!!!! I put chocolate frosting on top!
Flavor Walk says
Hi Christine,
Thanks for taking time to leave a comment. I haven't used chocolate frosting before, but it sounds delicious!
Sharon Sopczynski says
Can you make this recipe if you don't have xanthan gum and can you use almond oil walnut oil or olive, grapeseed it seem to be what I have available and can Organic all purpose arrowhead flour be used thank you
Flavor Walk says
Hi Sharon,
If you don't have xanthan gum, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground flax seed mixed with 1/2 teaspoon water. I haven't used almond, walnut, or grapeseed oil, but you could use olive oil. If the oil has a strong flavor, it can overpower the flavor of the cake. Arrowhead all-purpose certified gluten free flour should work with this recipe. Thanks for stopping by and taking time to leave a comment.
Sharon Sopczynski says
Would putting vanilla pudding in cake still be gluten free the cake I normally make you poke holes in cake after cool and put vanilla pudding into them
Flavor Walk says
Make sure you read the label of the vanilla pudding you want to use. Not all puddings are gluten free.
Lisa Vickers says
This is my go-to gluten free banana cake recipe. i've made it 4x in the last few months, and everyone is crazy over it. I add chia seeds into the batter, and sprinkle cinnamon on top, and it seems it helps to add 1/2 cup almond (or other plant based) milk to it, maybe because of the altitude where I live. Thank you!!
Flavor Walk says
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe. I'm so glad you enjoy it. I like your idea of sprinkling cinnamon on top.
Nicole Burrell says
I am new to Gluten Free and have had a few failures along the way which was not only costly but also confidence destroying especially after being a capable kitchen cook.
But this is a no fail - delicious and easy recipe. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely cake.
Nicole
Flavor Walk says
Hi Nicole,
Thank you for taking time to leave a comment. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
denise says
Awesome! only used 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/4 brown sugar.... perfectly moist and sweet! My family loved it.
Madelyn Thomas says
If using Pamelas baking mix maybe mention not to add baking soda, there is already some in the mix. My cake exploded
Flavor Walk says
Hi Madelyn,
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Katie says
Hi! Excited to make this tonight for company. Curious what GF flour you recommend for this recipe? We have GF all purpose flour and also GF 1 to 1 baking flour as well and I am not sure which one to use. Which do you use when making this cake?
Flavor Walk says
Hi Katie,
I get the best results when I use a GF 1 to 1 baking flour. Check the ingredients of the one you use for xanthan gum. If the GF flour already has it, you'll want to omit it from the recipe.
Sarah Valarik says
Made this with cup4cup and omitted xanthan gum as the mix has it. Wow this was great. Really fresh bannana taste! Over all not to sweet. We really like it! Great recipe.
Flavor Walk says
Hi Sarah,
I'm really happy to hear you enjoyed the cake. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
Philip says
This is a great recipe. I make a GF flour mix using most of the usual flours & starches the exception being chestnut flour, which is about half the mix. I've tried baking a few sweet treats such as GF donuts but they tasted more cake-like than donut batter. However, this banana cake recipe is the closest in texture and taste to traditional wheat flour recipes. I use a little less sugar, but add choc chips, walnuts & freeze dried maple flakes. Really fantastic. Thank you
Flavor Walk says
Hi Philip,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for taking time to leave a comment.
Patti Papenfuss says
Wow! Wow! This is an amazing recipe. I do sub psyllium husk for guar gum and virgin olive oil light for canola oil. I have never had a more moist cake than this one. Thank you for the recipe.
Flavor Walk says
Hi Patti,
Thank you for taking time to leave a comment and share your substitutions. I'm happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Celeste says
This cake is super delicious. Moist easy and the frosting is creamy and tasty. Thank you for this recipe this is my second time making it. It's hard to find good GF recipes.
Flavor Walk says
Thank you for the 5-star rating, Celeste. I'm happy to hear you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment.
Jennifer Kretz says
I saw a comment about adding the Xanthum gum but I do not see anywhere in the recipe where it calls for ?
Flavor Walk says
Hi Jennifer,
I use a cup for cup gluten free flour blend that already contains xanthan gum, so I don't add any additional gum. If the gluten free flour you use doesn't already contain xanthan gum, you'll want to add 1/2 teaspoon to the recipe.
Bethany says
I made this today and it was so simple and very delicious! I used Bob’s 1-for-1 blend GF flour.
Flavor Walk says
Hi Bethany,
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the cake. And thank you for the 5-star rating.
Mary says
Great fool proof recipe. I made this into cupcakes and added walnuts on top of the frosting, everyone raved about them!
Flavor Walk says
Hi Mary,
Thank you for sharing how you used the recipe. Adding walnuts on top of the frosting is a great idea. Thank you for the 5-star rating.
Melissa says
This cake was absolutely delicious! It is even wonderful without the frosting. I will make this often!!!!
Kristy says
Really good light fluffy banana cake recipe. Banana bread/muffins always gives me heartburn. This did not. I topped with dairy-free whipping cream.
Like another reviewer said, I had to add 1/2 cup almond milk to make my batter look like the photos (altitude perhaps? I’m close to Vancouver BC) and had to cook it for almost an hour at 350, covering it with tinfoil half way through as it was browning quickly but the Centre wouldn’t set. Will definitely become a staple. Looking forward to trying a few healthier swaps in future recipes (coconut sugar, coconut or avocado oil etc) thank you!!!
Flavor Walk says
Hi Kristy,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for sharing the adjustments you made. And thank you for the 5-star rating.
Tracey says
I made this today for a family dinner. I am the one who is celiac and wanted a dessert option I could enjoy. Everyone enjoyed it, several commented they couldn’t tell it was gluten free. I made it as the recipe stated using Bob’s 1 to 1. Thank you for sharing!
Flavor Walk says
Hi Tracey,
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Barbara Alteen says
Can you bake this cake in two 8in layers I want to try it week
Flavor Walk says
Hi Barbara,
I haven't tried baking the cake in 2 8-inch rounds, but it should work. You may need a little more baking time and a pick inserted into the middle of each round should come out clean.