This banana cake and chocolate recipe is rich, decadent, and full of classic flavor. Moist, tender gluten-free chocolate banana sheet cake topped with rich, homemade chocolate buttercream frosting to create an easy, decadent dessert everyone will love.
Banana and chocolate are a classic flavor combination. I dove head-first into the flavor profile with this delicious gluten-free banana cake infused with rich OliveNation Dutched cocoa powder and chocolate buttercream frosting.
This gluten-free banana cake is just as moist and tender as traditional cake, it has a wonderful crumb, and the homemade buttercream frosting is light, fluffy, and just as full of rich cocoa flavor as the cake!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Cake
- Gluten-Free Banana Cake and Chocolate Video
- Ingredients
- Flavor Variations and Substitutions
- Equipment
- How to Make Banana Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
- Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Banana Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
- Storage
- What to Serve with Banana Cake and Chocolate Buttercream
- More Banana Recipes
- FAQ
- Related
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love This Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Cake
- Limited Ingredients: This cake uses simple pantry staples. Even the gluten-free flour can be found in most grocery stores.
- Easy: There are no hoops to jump through with this cake recipe. It's so easy that even beginners can make it easily.
- Moist and Tender: The cake is super moist and tender with a wonderful crumb, thanks to the addition of sour cream.
- Ultra-Rich: The tender chocolate banana cake and chocolate buttercream frosting create a rich, decadent dessert.
Gluten-Free Banana Cake and Chocolate Video
Ingredients
This rich chocolate banana cake and chocolate buttercream frosting both use simple, basic baking ingredients found in your kitchen and are widely available at any grocery store.
Chocolate Banana Cake
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Bananas: Bananas add the key flavor to the cake.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream makes the cake extra moist and tender.
- Cocoa Powder: I prefer using OliveNation 22/24 Fat Dutched Cocoa Powder (use code: NK15 for 15% off) because it delivers rich, deep chocolate flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: @Singing Dog Vanilla is my vanilla extract of choice for its quality and deep vanilla flavor.
- 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour: I prefer Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour because it's made with high-quality ingredients and offers the best texture I've found in gluten-free flour for baked goods.
- Butter Olive Oil: Butter olive oil adds moisture and rich, butter flavor to the cake. I prefer CostabileBrand butter olive oil (Use Code: 15GoldenGK for 15% off) for its quality and purity.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil add moisture to the cake without any kind of strong flavor. Like butter olive oil, I prefer CostabileBrand olive oil (Use Code: 15GoldenGK for 15% off) for its quality and purity.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact quantities.
Flavor Variations and Substitutions
- Make this cake gluten and dairy-free by using dairy-free butter, sour cream, and plant cream or almond milk.
- Make a chocolate peanut butter banana cake by using this cake recipe and my peanut butter cream cheese frosting recipe.
- Try adding chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter for banana nut cake.
Equipment
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer
- 9x13 baking dish
- Wire cooling rack
- Parchment paper
How to Make Banana Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
For the Chocolate Banana Sheet Cake
1: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Then, using a pastry brush, lightly coat a 9x13 pan with coconut oil. I like to add parchment paper to the bottom of the pan for easy removal.
2: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3: Combine the sugar, both olive oils, sour cream, and eggs in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Mix for 30 seconds on medium with the whisk attachment.
4: Add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract and mix on medium for another 60 seconds until completely combined.
5: Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients at a time to the wet ingredients, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition until the batter is just combined.
6: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the center rack for 35 to 42 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 30 to 45 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack. Alternately, cool the cake for at least 1 ½ hours before frosting.
For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1: Cream the butter on high in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with the paddle attachment for about 90 seconds until creamy.
2: Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix on low speed until just combined.
3: Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low until combined.
4: Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until combined.
5: Add both cocoa powders and mix on low. Then, increase to medium and continue mixing until combined.
6: Add 2 more tablespoons of heavy cream and mix for 2 minutes or until you reach your desired consistency. Adjust with more cream to thin out the frosting if necessary.
7: When the cake has fully cooled, frost it liberally with the chocolate buttercream. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Banana Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
- Bring all of your cold ingredients to room temperature for easier mixing and a better texture for the cake.
- Fully soften your butter for easier creaming and to prevent little bits of raw butter in your frosting.
- It's much easier to remove the cake if you line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Mix your cake ingredients until combined, but don't overmix. Overmixing will make a dense, tough cake.
- For the most intense banana flavor, use super-ripe bananas if possible.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store this cake for up to 5 days covered tightly with foil or in an air-tight container.
Freezer: Flash free the cooled cake. Then, wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and freeze it for up to 2 months. Defrost it on the counter and enjoy.
What to Serve with Banana Cake and Chocolate Buttercream
This rich, decadent gluten-free banana cake with chocolate buttercream makes a wonderful dessert after a meal or an addition to a larger dessert spread at any get-together.
More Banana Recipes
If you love the sweet flavor banana adds to baked goods, check out my other delicious banana recipes!
- Peanut Butter Banana Cake
- Banana Protein Pancakes
- Oil-Free Protein Banana Muffins
- Protein Banana Bread
- Healthy Banana Waffles
- Gluten and Dairy-Free Double Chocolat Banana Mini Loaves
FAQ
Bananas should be as ripe as possible for baking. Super-ripe bananas have the most intense and sweetest banana flavor. If you have the time, let your bananas get dark brown or even black before using them for baking.
Unless the bananas are moldy, oozing liquid, or have a foul odor, they can't be too ripe. Black bananas might be terrible for snacking, but they're perfect for baking!
The most common culprit for a tough cake is overmixing. You want to mix your batter ingredients until combined and no further. If your batter is smooth, you've overmixed it.
The usual cause of dry banana cake is adding too much dry ingredients. To prevent this, measure your flour, if possible. If you can't measure it, loosely spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife to prevent compacting.
Yes, if you have whole bananas that have been frozen, simply allow them to come to room temperature then begin baking with them.
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Related
📖 Recipe
Banana Cake and Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Banana Sheet Cake
- 3 ½ cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup OliveNation 22/24 fat Dutched cocoa powder
- ¾ cup sour cream room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 3 teaspoon Singing Dog Vanilla extract
- ¾ cups Costabile olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
- 3 tablespoon Costabile butter olive oil
- 1 ¾ cups mashed bananas 4 medium or 3 very large bananas
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup OliveNation 22/24 fat Dutched cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
- 2 sticks butter room temperature
- 2 teaspoon Singing Dog Vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 5 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
For the Chocolate Banana Sheet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Then, using a pastry brush, lightly coat a 9x13 pan with coconut oil. I like to add parchment paper to the bottom of the pan for easy removal.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar, both olive oils, sour cream, and eggs in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Mix for 30 seconds on medium with the whisk attachment.
- Add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract and mix on medium for another 60 seconds until completely combined.
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients at a time to the wet ingredients, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition until the batter is just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the center rack for 35 to 42 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 30 to 45 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack. Alternately, cool the cake for at least 1 ½ hours before frosting.
For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Cream the butter on high in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with the paddle attachment for about 90 seconds until creamy.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low until combined.
- Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until combined.
- Add both cocoa powders and mix on low. Then, increase to medium and continue mixing until combined.
- Add 2 more tablespoons of heavy cream and mix for 2 minutes or until you reach your desired consistency. Adjust with more cream to thin out the frosting if necessary.
- When the cake has fully cooled, frost it liberally with the chocolate buttercream.
Amy Liu Dong says
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Anonymous says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Jean says
Your recipe in the instructions says about adding cinnamon but I've looked twice & I don't see cinnamon on the ingredients list.... Am I missing something? Is there cinnamon in this recipe?
NKendrick says
I apologize, human error! It is 1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Will edit now.
Denise Neely says
Thanks for sharing. 2 questions. Could I use regular flour and can I use just a regular vegetable oil to replace the 2 different oils you listed? I don't want to buy ingredients I wouldn't use again. Would it turn out ok and still good? Thank you
NKendrick says
Hello, Yes, you can make those 2 substitutions with no problem!