Vegan Strawberry Banana Cake
Moist banana layer cake slathered in tangy, strawberry frosting and topped with fresh berries.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Bake Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 6 or 8-inch Layer Cake 1x
- Category: Cakes and Cupcakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
For the Banana Cake
3 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 c mashed banana (about 4 bananas)
1 c nondairy milk
1/2 c canola oil
1 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the Strawberry Frosting
1 c non-hydrogenated shortening
1/4 c vegan butter
1/4 c strawberry powder*
3 c powdered sugar
2 tbsp nondairy milk
fresh strawberries for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C) and line 3 6-inch or 2 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl combine all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt and whisk together. In a smaller bowl combine mashed banana, nondairy milk, canola oil, vinegar and vanilla and whisk vigorously until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry and whisk until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Bake: Divide cake batter evenly between the prepared pans. Set cake pans on center rack of preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean with only a few crumbs clinging to it. Please keep in mind that the cakes will begin to appear golden around 20 minutes or so. Don’t be fooled. They are not done at this time! Allow cakes to cool for 30 minutes in pans before turning them out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. This should take several hours.
- Make the Frosting: Prepare the frosting while the cakes cool. Add non-hydrogenated shortening and vegan butter to a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until well-combined. Add strawberry powder to the bowl and beat again. You want to make sure that all of the mixture is a nice, light pink color. Add powdered sugar and nondairy milk to the bowl and beat until frosting comes together, about 1 minute.
- Frost and Assemble: Once cake is completely cool it is time to frost! If you would like to level your cake layers, now is the time to do so. This step is completely optional but aids in cake construction. How to video linked in blog post above. Place your bottom cake layer on a cake plate and spread a layer of frosting over the top using a butter knife or offset spatula. Place your second cake layer on top of the frosted layer and slather with more frosting. Repeat once more if you are making a 3 layer cake. Use the remainder of your frosting to carefully cover the sides of the cake.
- Decorate and Serve: Once your cake is completely frosted, top the cake with sliced strawberries and flowers if desired. When serving, be sure to use a sharp knife. Wipe it down with a damp cloth after each cut to keep your slices pretty and clean. Enjoy!
Notes
*Prepared cake will keep in an airtight container stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. Unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 1 month.
*You can make strawberry powder yourself by taking freeze dried strawberries and pulsing them in a food processor until a fine, strawberry powder is created. I used about 1 cup of freeze dried berries to get 1/4 cup of powder. I ran it through a fine mesh sieve before adding it to the frosting to catch larger clumps and seeds.
*If you have the time, I would recommend making your banana cake layers the night before you plan to frost your cake. Chill them in the refrigerator overnight. This will reduce crumbing making it easier for you to level and frost your cake.
Find it online: https://censoredbaker.com/vegan-strawberry-banana-cake/
