This Pumpkin Banana Cake is a super-simple Fall cake recipe made with wholesome plant-based ingredients in less than 30 minutes with a soft, moist crumb and a light and sweet frosting.
I love making super-simple baking recipes. Things that don’t require many ingredients, don’t require hours of prep and yet taste absolutely delicious. With the fall season approaching, I do just that on everything pumpkin like I did for my Pumpkin Bites, Pumpkin Donut Holes, or 5-Ingredient Pumpkin Bread.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour – Use plain all-purpose flour. For a whole grain option, you can substitute up to half with whole wheat pastry flour. I haven’t tried gluten-free flour.
- Light Olive Oil – Choose a light olive oil for its neutral flavor. Canola oil, melted coconut oil, or any neutral vegetable oil can be used as alternatives.
- Pumpkin Puree – Use canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) or homemade pumpkin puree.
- Mashed Banana – Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor and natural sweetness.
- Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar works well. Coconut sugar can be used for a less refined option.
- Pumpkin Spices – Use a pre-made pumpkin spice mix or create your own with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
How to Make Pumpkin Banana Cake
This is a very easy bread recipe, similar to regular banana bread. I have a full recipe card further down, but here are photos of the key steps.
Mash the ripe bananas in a mixing bowl and add the pure pumpkin puree.
Pour all the other ingredients into the mixing bowl.
Stir the batter with a silicone spatula until it’s well combined.
Transfer the batter to a square pan lined with parchment paper and flatten it.
Bake it for 35 minutes at 350 °F while preparing my Vegan Vanilla Frosting.
Spread the frosting on top of the baked cake and add fresh banana slices.
Expert Tips
- Ensure your bananas are very ripe for maximum sweetness and easy mashing.
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding the dry ingredients to avoid a tough cake.
- If you prefer a stronger pumpkin flavor, increase the pumpkin puree to 1 1/4 cups and reduce the mashed banana to 1/2 cup.
- To enhance the flavor, try toasting the pumpkin spices in a dry pan before adding them to the batter.
- For added texture, fold in 1/2 cup of chopped nuts or chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
- Check the cake after 30 minutes to prevent overbaking, as it can dry out quickly.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- This cake freezes well. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. The best is to freeze it unfrosted though.
More Pumpkin Recipes
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Pumpkin Banana Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ⅓ cup Light Olive Oil - (note 1)
- 1 cup Pumpkin Puree - canned, not pumpkin pie filling
- ¾ cup Mashed Banana - 3 small bananas
- ½ cup Brown Sugar - (note 2)
- 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Spices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 8-inch x 8 inch pan with parchment paper. Slightly oil paper with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk oil, pumpkin puree, mashed banana, pumpkin spices, and brown sugar, until smooth.
- Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Use a rubber spatula to incorporate and form a thick cake batter.
- Pour the batter in the cake pan in an even layer.
- Bake the cake on the center rack of the oven for 35 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool down on a cooling rack, then serve plain or with my vegan vanilla frosting.
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this recipe!