Healthy Banana Cake with Walnuts
You can absolutely make a perfectly moist, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth cake without refined sugars and a ton of butter. And you will love how easy this delicious banana cake is to make. There is no need for creaming the butter, layering, or using fancy equipment. Plus, a handful of ingredients are all you need – the star ingredients being whole grains, protein-rich yogurt, ripe bananas, and a little bit of maple syrup. This simple snack cake was inspired by my ever popular first birthday cake recipe. I love the addition of walnuts as it adds a lovely texture and a dose of healthy fats. I believe you will, too! If you’d like to add additional fruit, here’s banana blueberry cake! And if you are looking for an egg free option, make this eggless carrot walnut cake.
Ingredients
I am highlighting just the ones that need further explanation. The complete list is in the recipe card below.
Over-ripe bananas – The browner, the better! They mash easier and result in a sweeter cake with mega banana flavor. White whole wheat flour – it’s the same nutritionally as whole wheat flour but is lighter in texture and a little sweeter in flavor. You can use all purpose flour. Yogurt – will make the cake moist while boosting protein and healthy fat. Maple syrup – can also use honey or date syrup or leave out completely. Be sure to read the “tips for success” section Salt- just a pinch of salt helps bring out the flavor of all the ingredients and enhance the sweetness. Walnuts – be sure to finely chop or ground if planning to enjoy with your baby. I like to use a coffee grinder for this. Cream cheese frosting – optional but highly recommended! This is the healthiest and easiest cream cheese frosting you will ever make!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Spread cream cheese frosting on the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to help the frosting to set and make cutting easier.
Tips for Success (A MUST Read)
For best results, take all the cold ingredients (like eggs, yogurt, and maple syrup) out of the refrigerator at least 15 minutes prior to baking. Be sure to measure out the mashed bananas so you have exactly 1 cup. Too much banana can make the cake overly moist and soggy. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup rather than scooping the flour out of the container or bag with your measuring cup. Using the latter method, you could end up with a lot more than what you need. I’ve provided a range for the maple syrup amount so you can decide how sweet you want the cake to be. You can also substitute with date syrup, a wonderful alternative to added sugars. Do NOT over-mix the batter after combining the dry and wet ingredients. Mix lightly with a spatula until just combined. Otherwise, you will end up with a dense cake. Cool completely before frosting. Then refrigerate for 30 minutes to help the frosting set, giving you a cleaner slice. Make ahead of time if you can. You will notice the cake tastes sweeter and the banana flavor is more pronounced over time.
Substitutions and add-ins
Dairy-free? Use any non-dairy yogurt of choice Egg-free? Use egg replacer or add 1/4 cup of milk to the wet ingredients. You should also try these eggless banana muffins! Feel free to fold in fresh fruits (like blueberries, raspberries, and apples), unsweetened coconut flakes, chocolate chips, or other nuts.
Make Ahead Suggestions
Prepare the cake, cool completely, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to enjoy, bring to room temperature, frost (or not).
More Recipes with Over Ripe Bananas
