This Banana and Caramel Cake is easy to make, plus it’s vegan and has a delicious lemon buttercream and thick caramel centre.
Don’t get nervous about making a Vegan cake for a birthday, picnic or dinner. This one’s a classic Banana cake and it uses everyday ingredients.
Most of us have experienced not knowing where to begin when making cakes or desserts without dairy, eggs, cream or milk but this cake will change all that.
The Perfect Vegan banana cake
So, why is this banana cake perfect? You make it just like any other cake with ingredients that are not foreign or tricky or hard to get.
It’s perfectly delicious and has a great texture. It has easy lemon icing and a thick delicious filling of date caramel. If making layered cakes is not your jam you can make it as a slab cake without the filling or as cupcakes if you like.
Like many cakes, it starts with creamed butter and sugar. A nice white creamy mixture, that ensures a fluffy cake, before adding room temperature eggs. Special homemade vegan buttermilk, banana, and flour.
How to make Vegan Buttermilk
One of the special ingredients that help to make this cake fluffy and delicious is buttermilk made with nondairy milk and apple cider vinegar.
It is made by measuring the milk and then adding vinegar and letting it sit until it looks curdled. If you wanted to make dairy buttermilk you would do it in the same way.
The acidic ingredients (in the buttermilk) combined with bicarbonate of soda help the cake to get a kick start when rising. Without the use of eggs Vegan cakes need a little extra lift. It starts with buttermilk and bicarbonate of soda and then it’s followed by baking powder.
There are no tricky ingredients but remember, it is vegan, not gluten free. I haven’t made this cake with gluten free flour, yet anyway.
Vegan Caramel Filling is easy
What’s a special cake without yummy fillings? This one has a delicious caramel filling made from dates, golden syrup, and coconut cream. It is not hard to make and will really elevate your cake if that’s where you’d like to take it.
The chopped dates are simmered gently with the other ingredients and then mixed into a lovely soft mixture that’s cooled and spread into the middle of the cake. Of course, you could squirt some into a cupcake or use it as a topping if you like.
Lemon Buttercream
You can also make sensational vegan buttercream. There’s nothing tricky about it. Just make it like your usual buttercream by starting with creamed butter ( not REAL butter) and icing sugar. A sprinkle of salt, a drop of lemon, and plenty of vanilla make this unbelievably satisfying.
Try these Vegan recipes too
Banana cookies 
Lemon, Mango Tart, 
Chocolate cake with chocolate sweet potato ganache
Mushroom pate with vegan crackers GF
Banana cake- vegan with date caramel
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 280 ml almond milk ( or any non dairy milk) 1 cup + 1 Tbspn
- 20 ml apple cider vinegar 1 Tablsp
- 450 kg flour 3 cups
- 2 teaspoon baking powder 12 gm
- 1 tsp baking soda 7 gm
- 350 gm caster sugar 1 3/4 cups
- 220 gm nutlex or non dairy butter 1 cup
- 1/2 teasp salt 2 gm
- 240 gm banana, mashed 2 large
- 30 ml vanilla extract 1 1/2 Tablsp
Date Cramel Filling
- 200 gm dates
- 125 ml water 1/2 cup
- 60 gm golden syrup 3 Tblsp
- 125 ml coconut cream 1/2 cup
- 1 tsp salt, flaked to taste
Lemon buttercream
- 250 gm nutlex 1 cup
- 325 gm icing sugar 2 1/2 cups
- 10 ml vanilla extract 2 teaspoons
- 20 ml lemon juice + zest 1 Tbsp
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Cake
- You will need a 23-24 cm (9 inch) cake tin for the cake pictured. For a slab cake choose a 23 x 23 extra deep (9 x9 in). Preheat the oven to 160C (320 F).
- Measure the non-dairy milk and add the vinegar stir well and let this stand until it separates. Should the milk not appear to curdle add another tablespoon. Peel and mash the banana in a bowl and set aside
- Cream the nutlex, vanilla and sugar until it is light and fluffy. This will take 8 to 10 minutes. Best to use a mixer if possible to get the airiest texture
- Weight the flour and whisk in the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and set aside
- Add the mashed banana into the creamed mixture and mix in well, scraping down and mixing again. Add 1/2 of the flour mix and half of the buttermilk and mix well. Add the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk and scrape down before mixing well.
- Divide the batter between two paper lined greased tins. Bake the cakes for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake skewer comes out clean when inserted. When cooked turn out and cool.
Caramel filling
- Chop the dates. This will remove any seeds and help them break down more rapidly when cooked. Put the dates, golden syrup, and coconut into a pot and heat gently stirring and crushing the dates as they cook. To get an even smoother texture the mixture can be put into a food processor or blender. Set aside. The mixture can be made a head and chilled. Add salt to taste
Lemon Buttercream
- Put the non dairy butter into a bowl of a mixer. Beat with the paddle until light. Add the vanilla, salt and lemon zest and mix again.
- Gradually add the icing sugar. You made need more or a little less depending on your taste. Finish with the lemon juice and mix well
Applying buttercream
- Put the date caramel into the centre of the cake leaving a border around the outer circle of the cake ( approx 5 cm thick). I pipe a circle of buttercream around this circle and then put the second layer of cake on top.
- Use the rest of the buttercream to cover the cake and decorate however you like.
Notes
Wow, this Banana and Caramel Cake recipe is an absolute gem! Thank you for sharing this fantastic vegan cake recipe, and I look forward to exploring more of your recipes in the future! Keep up the great work!
Yum! This vegan Banana and Caramel Cake looks delicious. ? I’m also planning on making this delicious cake at home. Thanks for sharing this cool recipe with us.
Wow!! this is one of the best Vegan Cake. I have tried and love it. I appreciate your recipe please upload more recipes like this.