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A top shot of a slice of vegan banana cake with peanut butter frosting on a white plate with a fork and the full cake on a cake stand in the back
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5 from 13 votes

Vegan Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

A tender and delicious and actually healthy vegan banana cake with vegan peanut butter frosting. The cake is made with whole wheat flour and has the goodness of bananas and applesauce baked in. On top goes a yummy peanut butter vanilla frosting that's to die for.

Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Cake/Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan Desserts
Servings: 20 slices
Calories: 333kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

Ingredients

For the cake (makes two tiers):

  • 3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (all-purpose flour is a good substitute-- it makes for an even more tender cake. Or you can use half whole wheat and half all purpose)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • 4 large bananas (very ripe, mashed)
  • ¾ cup nondairy milk
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

For the peanut butter frosting:

  • 1 cup peanut butter (smooth)
  • 8 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)

Instructions

Make the vegan banana cake:

  • Mix the nondairy milk with the apple cider vinegar and set aside for a minute.
  • Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
  • Beat together the oil and sugar with a handheld mixer or in a stand mixer or with a whisk for about two minutes.
  • Add the nondairy milk and beat until just mixed.
  • Add the mashed bananas and applesauce and beat in. Make sure there are no big lumps.
  • Add the flour to the sugar-banana mixture in two batches, mixing well after each addition until the mixture is smooth. Don't overdo it.
  • Line the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment or wax paper. Oil and flour the pans.
  • Divide the batter equally between the two pans and bake 25-30 minutes in a 350-degree oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
  • Place on a rack to cool, about 10 minutes. Unmold, peel off the parchment paper, and leave on the rack to cool thoroughly before frosting.

Make the vegan peanut butter frosting:

  • Have the peanut butter and vegan butter at room temperature. Place them in a bowl and mix with a handheld or stand mixer or whisk until everything's combined and smooth.
  • Add the sugar ½ cup at a time, beating in well after each addition. Confectioner's sugar can lump up sometimes, in that case pass the sugar through a sieve. If the frosting feels stiff, add in some nondairy milk, a tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition, until you have a smooth, frosting-like consistency

Assemble the cake:

  • Place one cake on a cake stand or flat dish. Put about ⅓rd of the frosting (recipe follows) in the center of the cake and using a spatula spread it evenly across the surface.
  • Carefully place the second cake on top of the first one. Put the remaining icing in the center of the cake and evenly frost the top and sides.
  • Garnish with chopped, roasted peanuts.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 266IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg