Why did my banana cake sink in the middle?

This usually happens when your cake pan is too small for the amount of batter. This actually happened to me while testing this recipe. I was testing the cake in an 8x2 inch round pan (like I do for most of my almond flour cakes) and it was sinking ever so slightly in the middle. Once I switched it to an 8-inch square pan, which is slightly bigger, it rose up perfectly. If the size of the pan isn't your issue, the culprit could also be that the oven door was opened too soon to check on the cake, the cake was not baked long enough or the batter was over mixed. All of these things can result in a sunken or deflated cake.

Can a different size pan be used to make this cake?

Like I mentioned above, the size of the pan affects the rise of your cake. If you don't have an 8-inch square pan, you can use a 9-inch square, but your cake will not be as high. You will also need to reduce the baking time by a few minutes. You can use an 8x2 inch round pan and add another minute or two to the baking time. Just note that the cake may sink a little in the middle. If you have an 8x3 inch round cake pan or a 9x2 inch round pan, those should work fine.

Can this cake be made with homemade almond flour?

I haven't tested this recipe with homemade almond flour. If you're using blanched almonds and can achieve a finely ground texture, then I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. Please let me know if you give it a try.

How do you make this banana cake vegan?

This recipe hasn't been tested with an egg replacement. Since the recipe is heavy on eggs and they're important for structure, other adjustments to the recipe would likely be required to accommodate for an egg replacement such as flax eggs. If you're looking for a vegan banana cake recipe, however, you can always try this vegan banana snack cake .

Can you make this cake with all purpose flour?

This recipe is meant to be an almond flour cake recipe, so I haven't tested it with any other types of flour. Almond flour doesn't contain gluten and is high in moisture and fat, so I don't recommend a 1:1 swap with other flours unless you're making other adjustments to the recipe.

Why is my frosting too thick and/or grainy?

Usually a thick frosting means that too much powdered sugar was added. Make sure you weigh your powdered sugar and sift it if it's lumpy. To fix a thick frosting, just add a little more almond milk and beat together until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. If your frosting is grainy, this usually means that the butter and sugar haven't been beaten together long enough, so the sugar hasn't fully creamed together with the butter.

Almond Flour Banana Cake

Description

This Almond Flour Banana Cake has a tender crumb and fluffy texture with sweet banana flavor and a rich chocolate peanut butter frosting. It’s a gluten-free banana cake that’s also dairy-free and incredibly easy to make!

Ingredients

For the banana cake:

2 1/2 cups (260g) blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup (130g) mashed banana (about 1 large ripe banana)
1/2 cup (120g) cane sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate peanut butter frosting:

1/2 cup (113g) vegan butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter, shelf stable

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8-inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray and line it with overhanging parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder and salt.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, banana, cane sugar and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and use a spatula to stir together until the dry ingredients are incorporated. The batter will be thick.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread it out evenly.
Bake for 24-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
To make the frosting, add the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, almond milk and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat together for about 3 minutes or until smooth and creamy, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. (When mixing, you’ll want to set the speed of your mixer on low at first, so the sugar and cocoa don’t fly everywhere, and then increase the speed to medium-high).
Add the peanut butter and beat together until incorporated. The frosting should be smooth and spreadable.
Spread over the cooled cake, cut into pieces and serve.

Notes

For the sweetest and most pronounced banana flavor, make sure your banana is overly ripe with so many brown spots it’s almost completely brown.
Use shelf stable smooth peanut butter for the frosting. Avoid natural peanut butter as the oily texture may make the frosting runny and cause separation.
Cup measurements are included in the recipe but, for greater accuracy, I recommend weighing your ingredients. If you’re using cup measurements, just make sure to use the spoon and level method for the flour, cocoa and powdered sugar.
Ensure the eggs are at room temperature so they beat together with the other wet ingredients easily. Also make sure you bring the butter to room temperature for the frosting. If your butter is cold, it will look separated in the frosting.
Before frosting the cake, let it cool completely in the pan. If it’s still warm, the buttercream will just melt off of the cake.
Be sure to check out the other sections above the recipe card for more detailed advice and suggestions for making this recipe.