By Wendy Stoltz / Last Modified On January 15, 2023

A cross between a delicious, lightly spiced banana bread and a fluffy, tender vanilla cake, this Gluten Free Banana Cake is easy to make and does not require any special decorating skills.

We'll top this banana cake with a creamy, tangy, cream cheese frosting for maximum enjoyment. 

I love serving a simple cake like this at family dinners or taking it to a casual party at a friend's house.

GLUTEN FREE BANANA CAKE RECIPE

If you're anything like me, you might know the mental drama that happens when you've accidentally let a whole bunch of bananas get too ripe.

At my house, it's usually a story of the kids asking me to buy bananas, but then they don't actually eat them, so I'm left with bananas that need to be used up, and quick! 

I have many banana recipes here for you to try, like my Gluten Free Banana Bread, Gluten Free Blueberry Banana Muffins, and many varieties of Smoothies, but today we're turning ripe bananas into a decadent, tender, delicious cake that is simple to make, but perfect for impressing your friends and family. 

INGREDIENTS IN GLUTEN FREE BANANA CAKE

Gluten Free Flour Blend- I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. You can use your favorite baking blend in this recipe. 

Xanthan Gum - You only need to add this if your flour blend doesn't have it included. 

Baking Soda - This helps us get a tender crumb and rise from the cake. 

Baking Powder - Baking soda and baking powder work together to accomplish the same task - leavening the cake. 

Salt - I always include salt in my baking recipes, it elevates all of the other sweet flavors. 

Cinnamon - this warm spice goes so well with bananas.

Butter - Leave your butter out so it can get to room temperature. We want it soft so we can mix it in thoroughly. 

Sugar - We use both granulated sugar and brown sugar in this banana cake recipe. Both for sweetness. Using brown sugar adds a deeper flavor and more moisture to the batter. 

Eggs - This is a cake! Eggs bind the ingredients together and aid in leavening as well. 

Mashed Bananas - You'll need about 3 ripe bananas to get the amount we need for this cake. 

Buttermilk - This tangy milk adds flavor to the cake, and also helps with the soft, tender texture of it. 

Cream Cheese - For our icing, we will make a delicious cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese and butter are the base of it.

Powdered Sugar - Superfine or powdered sugar is best for frosting. 

Vanilla - Always use a pure vanilla extract for baking rather than an imitation. We'll use vanilla in both the cake and the frosting. 

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you.

HOW TO MAKE A GLUTEN FREE BANANA CAKE

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum (if using), baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. 
2. Add the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar to a mixing bowl. Cream for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. 
3. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well. 
4. Add the mashed bananas and mix until combined. 
5. Alternate adding the flour mixture to the bowl with adding the buttermilk to the bowl. Start by adding ⅓ of the flour mixture. Stir until combined. 
6. Next add ⅓ of the buttermilk and stir until combine. Continue adding the flour and buttermilk, mixing well in between each addition. 
7. Pour the Batter into a prepared baking pan. Bake as directed in the recipe below, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out cleanly. 
8. Cool the cake completely before adding the frosting. 

These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.

HOW TO MAKE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING FOR GLUTEN FREE BANANA CAKE

To make this frosting, combine softened cream cheese and softened butter in a large bowl. Mix until smooth.

Then add the vanilla extract and salt and mix until combined. Add powdered sugar gradually, mixing until combined. 

This frosting is amazing with this banana cake, and would work for Carrot Cake or any kind of muffins as well. 

DOES BANANA CAKE NEED FROSTING? 

I really enjoy this cake with the sweet cream cheese frosting added, but it's also very delicious without. You can choose whether to add the frosting or not. 

HOW DO I KNOW IF BANANAS ARE RIPE ENOUGH? 

Bananas that are ripe enough for baking are very soft. They will appear yellow with lots of brown spots. The photo towards the top of this post shows perfectly ripe bananas. 

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF BUTTERMILK IN BANANA CAKE? 

You have a couple of options for substituting the buttermilk, depending on what your goal is. If you want to make this a dairy-free banana cake, then use your favorite dairy free milk in place of the buttermilk. 

If you just don't have buttermilk, or can't find it in the store, pick up regular whole milk instead.

You can either use the whole milk as is, or add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to it to slightly curdle the milk. This way doesn't look pretty, but it does have the same effect on baking as buttermilk does. 

HOW DO I KEEP MY CAKE FROM STICKING TO THE PAN? 

Before baking, you want to prepare your baking pan. I like to use parchment paper to line the bottom and sides of the pan. This way I can just lift the whole cake right out when it's cooled.

Alternatively, you can use a cooking spray to grease the pan. Check to be sure that your cooking spray doesn't have any gluten ingredients though! 

DOES BANANA CAKE TASTE LIKE BANANA BREAD? 

This cake does taste similar to a classic banana bread, but with a slightly different texture that makes it a cake instead. It's also a bit sweeter and super decadent with the addition of a cream cheese frosting. 

Did you make this Gluten Free Banana Cake? Please leave a comment letting me know what you thought.