Gluten-Free Banana Cake (Paleo)

Paleo banana cake in a square baking dish with some cream cheese frosting spread over part of it.

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This easy recipe for Gluten-Free Banana Cake creates an irresistible snack or dessert. A fluffy, moist almond flour banana cake is smothered with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting.

And yes, the whole recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and Paleo friendly.

Prep Time35

Cook Time42

Total Time1 17

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 348kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

For the cake

2 cups superfine blanched almond flour not almond meal
¼ cup arrowroot flour/starch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup mashed bananas from about 2 very ripe (black or yellow with lots of black spots) medium bananas
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup coconut sugar or honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
olive oil spray or avocado oil spray

For the frosting

¾ cup raw cashews
⅓ cup coconut cream see notes
3½ tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
2 tablespoons coconut oil not melted
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cake

Heat the oven to 350° F.
Grease an 8x8" baking dish with olive oil spray or avocado oil spray.
In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour (sifting through a fine-mesh sieve first if it's lumpy), arrowroot, cinnamon, baking soda and salt until blended.
In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher. Measure out ½ cup and add it to a medium bowl. Save any leftover mashed banana for another use (like a smoothie).
In the bowl with the mashed bananas, add the eggs, coconut sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
Pour the banana mixture into the almond flour mixture and stir until completely blended. A few lumps are fine.
Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for 25-28 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out without any raw batter clinging to it (but some crumbs are fine). Let cool completely.

For the frosting

Fill a small saucepan about ⅔ full with water and bring to a boil. Add the cashews and boil for 15 minutes, then drain in a strainer or colander and rinse.
Add the cashews to a blender or food processor and blend until fairly smooth, about1-2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary.
Add the coconut cream, maple syrup or honey, coconut oil, lemon juice and vanilla. Blend until completely smooth, about 2-4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides every minute or so. You want to make sure the mixture is as smooth as possible so don't rush this step.
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake (I like to use a small offset spatula but a regular spatula is fine too). If making the frosting in the food processor, it might be fairly runny. If you want it to set up more, chill the frosted cake in the fridge for an hour or so. Then cut into squares and enjoy.

Notes

Note: For the coconut cream, chill a can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk in the fridge for at least 24 hours, then scoop off the cream at the top and measure out ⅓ cup.

Substitutions

Do NOT substitute anything for the almond flour. It's a unique ingredient that behaves differently than other flours.

You can use tapioca flour/starch in place of the arrowroot.

You can use maple syrup in the cake instead of coconut sugar or honey.

You can use apple cider vinegar in place of the lemon juice (you won't taste it).

You can add other spices, like ginger, nutmeg or cardamom.

Make ahead

The cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. The banana flavor will actually be more pronounced on the second day. Let the cake cool to room temperature, then cover the dish in plastic wrap and chill

The frosting can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Let it sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes so it becomes spreadable before frosting the cake.

Any leftovers can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cake is very moist so it won't dry out.

Freezer info

The cake, frosted or unfrosted, can be frozen for up to a month. Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze.

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