Vegan Banana Cake with a Chocolate Ganache
This vegan banana cake is a super simple and easy cake for any occasion! Banana and chocolate are the perfect pairings, and you can’t get better than a moist, sweet, rich banana cake that’s laced with chocolate chunks and a velvety chocolate ganache.
Vegan or not, everyone will enjoy this cake. So don’t be afraid to make it for those that usually wouldn’t pick a plant-based cake if on the menu.
It’s a super simple, fuss-free cake that doesn’t require any fancy kitchen equipment! Just your basics.
Kitchen tools needed to make this vegan banana cake
- 8inch cake tin
- Unbleached parchment paper
- Scales
- Measuring spoons
- Fine mesh strainer (for sifting dry ingredients)
- Large bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Wire rack (for cooling the cake)
- Silicone spatula or palette knife/offset spatula (for spreading the chocolate ganache)
The chocolate ganache
The chocolate ganache that I used in this recipe is a simple, quick and easy recipe that only requires two ingredients!
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I decided to use this ganache in this recipe because it compliments the banana cake with the chocolate chunks perfectly. It adds that extra element of chocolate without overpowering the cake itself.
This lovely thick, smooth and creamy chocolate ganache is perfect as an all-round frosting and spreading over all your favourite desserts. For some more tips and how to make this ganache, I’ve written a separate post on it.
I have also tested this cake with my vegan cream cheese frosting, and it’s delicious!
Tips for making this eggless banana cake
This is going to be one of the easiest cakes you’ll ever make. All you have to do is mash the bananas, add the wet ingredients, sift in the dry, mix well and fold in the chocolate. That’s it! Your cake batter is ready for the oven. Here are some tips to help you get the best results.
- It’s important to sift the ingredients to avoid any lumps in your batter. Since we’re using coconut sugar, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder, they are all ingredients that can lump quite easily.
- To get a nice even bake, use the middle rack in your oven. If baking two cakes, place them side by side. If your oven is too small for that, bake them individually.
- This cake is best made ahead of time, as you want it to completely cool on your benchtop, then transfer it to either an airtight container or cling wrap and then to the fridge. I usually make mine the morning of when I want it for that evening or the day before.
- Let the cake cool completely and sit in the fridge for an hour or two before spreading the ganache. You’ll avoid the ganache sticking to the cake crumb or it being too thin. It needs that time in the fridge to set a little to make it thick and spreadable.
- Mash your bananas well so that you don’t have any large lumps of banana in your batter. Make sure to use ripe bananas for this recipe—the ones that have brown spots on them. It will also add a sweeter, deeper flavour to the cake.
How to make this as a layer cake
This recipe is for one layer of the cake pictured. If you’d like to make it exactly as pictured, you’ll need to double the cake and chocolate ganache recipes.
If you have 2x 8inch cake tins at home, this won’t take that much more time for you to make, as you can bake them at the same time (if your oven fits two tins side-by-side). If not, just bake them one at a time.
The chocolate ganache recipe doubled will give you plenty of ganache to use so don’t be afraid to lather it on!
This vegan banana chocolate chip cake will easily feed a large group of people. It will make 12 generous slices if doubled, and about 10 smaller pieces if made as a single cake.
It’s perfect for any celebration, or simply just because you feel like cake! Beautifully balanced flavours that are a match made in food heaven.
Don’t worry if you’re not a massive fan of banana cake, the flavour isn’t overpowering.
You’ll love this cake because it’s:
- Fluffy and light
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Vegan-friendly
- Moist
- Delicious
- Indulgent
- Super easy to make
Some other cake recipes you’ll love:
- Classic Vegan Chocolate Cake
- No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Easy Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Vanilla Cake with Coconut Cream and Berries
- Vegan Chocolate and Pear Loaf Cake
- Chocolate Orange Cake (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
If you try this recipe, let me know! I would love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram, or share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest.Â
Vegan Banana Cake with a Chocolate Ganache
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 inch cake – 10 slices
Description
This vegan banana cake is moist, decadent and insanely easy to eat. If you’re looking for a simple dairy-free and eggless banana cake recipe, this is the one for you!
Ingredients
- 4 medium / 300g /Â 10.58 ounces ripe bananas
Wet ingredients:
- ½ cup / 110ml neutral oil (I use rice bran oil)
- ¼ cup / 60ml plant milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
- 1½ cups / 210g plain flour
- 2/3 cup / 100g coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarb soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Additional:
- 70g / 2.46 ounces vegan chocolate, chopped into chunks
- Chocolate ganache
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (355 degrees Fahrenheit) and place the oven rack in the middle. Line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides for easy removal from the pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas until you have a nice puree.
- Add in the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Place a sieve over the large bowl with the wet ingredient mix, and sift through the dry ingredients.
- Mix well until everything is just incorporated. Don’t overmix.
- Fold in the chocolate.
- Pour batter into the prepared tin and place in the oven to bake for 50 to 70 minutes. Bake until the skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.
- If you’re glazing with the chocolate ganache, make it while the cake is in the oven and put in the fridge to set.
- Once the cake is done, let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before carefully removing it and letting it completely cool on a wire rack.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, refrigerate for at least an hour.
- When you’re ready to add the chocolate ganache, remove the cake and ganache from the fridge and spread it generously on top and the sides.
- The cake will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days without the frosting or in the fridge for 4 days with the ganache.
Notes
Please note: This recipe is for one layer of the banana cake pictured. If you would like the full two-layered cake, double the recipe and bake two evenly distributed batters in two cake pans for the same amount of time. Make sure also to double the ganache recipe.
I strongly encourage you to use scales for this recipe for the best result.
- Diet: Vegan
This cake series is just what I’ve been looking for. You are filling all the gaps for cake recipes I used to make prior to going vegan plus they aren’t full of weird ingredients like protein powder.
May I ask why you use unbleached flour and coconut sugar?
Thanks again.
Hi Orla! So glad to hear 🙂 Yes, I try and keep the ingredients on the healthier side as well as accessible. I hope that answers your question.