Banana Snack Cake with Cinnamon Frosting
Last Updated on January 15, 2022 by Annie
Light and spongy banana snack cake with a sweet cinnamon frosting is the perfect addition to your morning cup of coffee. This delicious snack cake is a dairy-free dessert perfect for any occasion!
As with most banana recipes in my life, this glorious snack cake came from a need to use questionable bananas. You know the ones I am talking about, the speckled on the outside, are they getting too mushy on the inside… kind of banana. But instead of turning them into their traditional calling, banana bread, I opted to make something just a little sweeter and all the more enjoyable, a banana snack cake.
What is a snack cake?
Unlike layered cakes, a snack cake is typically a sheet cake that doesn’t have to be frosted (but if you’re going to have cake it probably should include some kind of frosting, in my humble opinion). While I am not one to put a time limit on when you should have your cake, the snack cake presents itself as the kind of cake you can eat all day. Snack on it at breakfast? Sure! A little square between lunch and dinner? Why not?!? A few slices after dinner with an espresso? By all means. This banana snack cake not only works for all of these occasions, I’ve also tested to ensure satisfaction at every possible time.
How to Make Banana Snack Cake
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Plant-based butter- Melted and cooled.
- Flour- All-purpose flour works perfectly and adds structure to the cake.
- Baking powder + baking soda + salt– Adds flavor and allows the cake to rise.
- Eggs- Binds the cake together.
- Sugar- Sweetens the banana cake just a bit.
- Bananas- Adds flavor and sweetness to the cake.
- Cinnamon + vanilla- For flavor.
- Coconut Cream- Take 1 can of full-fat coconut milk and refrigerate. Open and remove the coconut cream that has solidified at the top of the can, dump the coconut water or save for another recipe.
- Apple cider vinegar- Adds an acidic bite to the batter.
Directions for Making Banana Snack Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish by lining it with parchment paper and then spraying with non-stick spray. Set aside until later.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In another medium sized bowl, mash bananas. Add melted butter and vanilla to the mashed banana mixture and set aside.
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and creamy, about 4 minutes, it will have a light yellow appearance.
Next, stir in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Pour in the banana mixture and mix until combined. Finally, add the coconut cream mixed with apple cider vinegar and beat until smooth.
Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake 45-50 minutes.
How to Make Cinnamon Frosting
While the cake bakes or while the cake is cooling you can whip up the cinnamon frosting. You’ll need:
- Vegan butter- Makes the frosting thick and creamy.
- Powdered sugar- Sweetens the frosting while also adding structure to it.
- Non-dairy milk- Smooths out the frosting and keeps it creamy.
- Vanilla- Adds flavor.
- Cinnamon- A little goes a long way in this frosting.
With a stand or hand mixer, beat vegan butter until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
Mixing on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar, until all has been incorporated. Once added in, crank the speed to medium-high and beat in non-dairy milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Scrape down the sides once or twice to make sure it’s mixed completely.
Storing Banana Snack Cake
This delicious banana cake is perfect for making a day or two in advance as well as freezing and pulling out when needed.
- Frosted cake- Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
- Unfrosted cake- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
- Freezing directions- Make sure the cake is completely cooled then wrap in plastic wrap, followed by foil, then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Dairy-Free Changes to Banana Snack Cake
- Any butter that typically goes into a cake was swapped with plant-based butter.
- In place of heavy cream, I used coconut cream.
- Non-dairy milk- Both almond milk and oat milk work well in place of whole milk in the frosting.
What’s the difference between banana bread and banana cake?
In some ways this banana snack cake might appear to be just a dressed-up banana bread but a few key differences turn this from your run-of-the-mill banana bread to a moist and spongy snack cake.
- Whipping the eggs and sugar together is a technique used in many chiffon cakes while banana bread just mixes everything together in one bowl.
- Banana bread relies heavily on bananas to build structure in the quick bread while banana cake mostly uses banana for the flavor.
- Frosting, while totally option on a snack cake, you typically don’t find too many banana breads dressed up with frosting.
Other Delicious Banana Recipes
- Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread– This ultra moist, cinnamon swirl banana bread is the answer for those semi-questionable bananas you keep around for just a little too long.
- Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls– These quick, flavorful banana bread cinnamon rolls start your morning off right.
- Chocolate Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips– Ultra-moist chocolate banana bread with an abundance of sweet chocolate chips speckled throughout.
If you tried this delicious Banana Snack Cake and enjoyed it feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear how it went! Or, snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!
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Banana Snack Cake with Cinnamon Frosting
Delicious and dairy-free this banana snack cake with cinnamon frosting is easy to make and perfect for enjoying for any ocassion.
Ingredients
Banana Snack Cake
- ½ cup Unsalted Vegan Butter melted and cooled
- 1⅔ cup Flour all-purpose
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 4 Eggs room temperature
- 1½ cup Sugar granulated
- 2 large Bananas or 3 medium
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- ¾ cup Coconut Cream from full fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
Cinnamon Frosting
- ½ cup Vegan Butter
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Non-daiary milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
Banana Snack Cake
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish by lining it with parchment paper and then spraying with non-stick spray. Set aside until later.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
-
In another medium-sized bowl, mash bananas. Add melted butter and vanilla to the mashed banana mixture and set aside.
-
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and creamy, about 4 minutes, it will have a light yellow appearance.
-
Next, stir in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Pour in the banana mixture and mix until combined. Finally, add the coconut cream mixed with apple cider vinegar and beat until smooth.
-
Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake 45-50 minutes.
Cinnamon Frosting
-
With a stand or hand mixer, beat vegan butter until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
-
Mixing on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar, until all has been incorporated. Once added in, crank the speed to medium-high and beat in non-dairy milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Scrape down the sides once or twice to make sure it's mixed completely.