This moist and easy Vegan Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a simple recipe using overripe bananas. It's perfect for a fluffy, delicious plant-based dessert. Get the recipe below.
A little while ago, I baked a birthday cake that quickly became a favourite: my Light and Fluffy Banana Cream Cake. It was everything I wanted in a celebration cake. It had soft, airy sponge layers packed with banana flavour, balanced by a rich, creamy frosting. It had that classic bakery-style indulgence, and it’s still one of the most satisfying cakes I’ve ever made.
Since then, I’ve been wanting to recreate something similar, but this time in a way that’s completely suitable for a plant-based diet. That meant rethinking not just the ingredients, but also the texture because achieving that same light, fluffy crumb and creamy finish without eggs or dairy can be a challenge. This recipe is the result of that process: a Vegan Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting that captures the spirit of the original while being entirely dairy-free and egg-free.
If you’ve got a bunch of overripe bananas sitting on your counter, this cake is the perfect way to use them up. It’s soft, moist, and naturally sweet, with a tangy vegan cream cheese frosting that brings everything together beautifully. Whether you’re vegan or just experimenting with plant-based baking, this recipe proves you don’t have to compromise on flavour or texture.
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Ingredients
Get your shopping list at the ready. The ingredients you'll need are as follows:
- Overripe bananas
- Caster sugar
- Brown sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla paste
- Self raising flour
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon (optional)
- Plant milk (I recommend soy or oat millk)
- Lemon juice
- Vegan cream cheese
- Vegan butter (block style)
- Icing sugar
Step-by-step instructions
There are just 8 steps between you and your Vegan Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Step 1: line your cake tins with baking paper
- Step 2: whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon (if using)
- Step 3: mash the bananas
- Step 4: combine the mashed bananas with the sugar, vanilla paste and vegetable oil
- Step 5: mix the plant milk with lemon juice. Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture in batches, alternating with the milk mixture. Stir gently until just combined.
- Step 6: divide the cake batter between the two tins and bake until golden and springy to touch
- Step 7: while the cakes are cooling, mix together the vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, icing sugar and vanillas paste until you have a smooth, creamy frosting
- Step 8: sandwich the two cakes together with the frosting and pipe on top for decoration
Hint: Make sure to use very overripe bananas (deeply speckled or blackened skins). They’re sweeter, softer, and give the cake its signature moist texture and rich flavour.
Substitutions
Don't have all the ingredients listed? Want to tweak it for your own dietary requirements? Try some of these simple swaps:
- Flour: use a 1:1 gluten-free self-raising flour blend
- Sugar: swap brown sigar for coconut sugar
- Vegetable oil: use melted coconut oil or light olive oil
- Plant milk: almond, soy, oat, or any unsweetened variety will work
- Lemon juice: apple cider vinegar works just as well
Variations
Mix things up a little with one of these variations:
- Chocolate chip banana cake: add 100g vegan chocolate chips
- Nutty version: fold in 100g chopped walnuts or pecans
- Spiced banana cake: add nutmeg, ginger, or mixed spice in place of the cinnamon
Equipment
Get the following ready before you start baking to ensure the process is as smooth as possible.
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Spatula
- 2 x 20cm (8-inch) cake tins
- Baking paper
- Cooling rack
- Piping bag
- Star tipped piping nozzle
Storage
You can keep the cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Alternatively, the frosted cake keeps well for up to 5 days in the fridge.
You can also freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 3 months!
Top tip
Don’t over mix the batter, this keeps the cake light and fluffy rather than dense. Mix just until everything is combined.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Use a good-quality 1:1 gluten-free self raising flour blend.
This creates a vegan "buttermilk" which will help the cake rise and stay tender.
Absolutely, the cake is delicious on its own or with a dusting of icing sugar.
Chill it for 15 - 20 minutes or add more icing sugar.
The recipe
Vegan Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 3 mixing bowls
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula
- 2 20 cm / 8 inch cake tins
- baking paper
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 piping bag
- 1 Star tipped nozzle
Ingredients
For the vegan banana cake
- 4 large bananas overripe
- 180 g caster sugar
- 100 g brown sugar
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 250 g self raising flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 120 ml plant milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
For the vegan cream cheese frosting
- 200 g vegan cream cheese
- 100 g vegan butter
- 250 g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / gas mark 4.
- Line two 20cm / 8 inch cake tins.
- In a large bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Add sugars, vanilla paste and oil, and whisk well.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cinnamon (if using).
- Mix plant milk with lemon juice. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture in batches, alternating with the milk mixture. Stir gently until just combined.
- Pour into the prepared tins and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- Beat vegan butter until smooth. Add vegan cream cheese and mix gently. Gradually add icing sugar, then vanilla and salt. Chill if needed.
- Spread frosting evenly over the cooled cake and decorate with a piping nozzle if desired.
- Slice and enjoy!
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