Vegan banana & maple cake with coffee chocolate ganache
JUMP TO: recipe – notes – instructions – history – tips
This is the official cake of autumn! A beautiful layer cake, consisting of two fluffy banana sponges, filled with rich dark-chocolate coffee ganache, and topped off with creamy maple frosting. Look how divine it looks! And I promise, it tastes even better. Make sure this goes on your must-bake list for autumn/winter. Thank me later!
These sponges rise SO WELL. This is because the recipe calls for overripe bananas, as well as vegan ‘buttermilk’. Both of these will act as egg replacers, leaving you with the fluffiest, high-rising sponge you could ever desire. This serves 12 slices, the perfect dessert for any occasion. Or, you can eat it all to yourself!
If you enjoyed this recipe, don’t forget to subscribe and sign up to my newsletter to receive all of my latest recipes straight into your inbox, for free! If you want to see all of my baking videos and sneak peaks of my newest bakes, follow my Instagram here.
Equipment needed:
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon / spatula
- Cake pans (8″ works best)
- Measuring cups / kitchen scales
- Measuring spoons
- Stand mixer / electric hand mixer
- Cake scraper / pallet knife
Ingredient notes:
- Flour ~ be sure to use self-raising flour, not plain flour!
- Bananas ~ make sure the bananas are overripe, this will give the cake more sweetness and make it fluffier.
- Sugar ~ caster, granulated, or organic cane sugar will all work well.
- Baking powder ~ this will keep the sponge high rising and well structured.
- Baking soda ~ this keeps the sponge fluffy.
- Salt ~ a flavour enhancer to make the cake tastier!
- Vanilla ~ for the best experience, use high quality vanilla extract / paste.
- Plant milk ~ alpro whole oat milk works best but coconut, soy, almond and other vegan milks will also work.
- Apple-cider vinegar ~ this will create a vegan “buttermilk” with the plant milk.
- Butter ~ this will be melted for the sponge and solid for the frosting.
- Hazelnut extract ~ this will give a nutty flavour to both the sponge and frosting.
- Powdered sugar ~ this is for the frosting.
- Maple syrup ~ this will allow a delicious taste in the frosting.
- Vegan coffee chocolate ~ I used dark coffee chocolate for the ganache for another warming autumn flavour.
- Vegan cream ~ elmlea plant based double cream works best for a silky smooth stable ganache.
- FOR THE SPONGES
- To a jug add the plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir and set aside for 5-10 minutes before including in the batter. This will curdle and create a vegan “buttermilk”.
- In a large mixing bowl, add mashed banana, sugar, melted vegan butter, vanilla + hazelnut extract and vegan buttermilk mixture.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until few lumps remain. (DO NOT OVERMIX!)
- Divide the batter evenly between two parchment lined 8″ cake pans greased with vegan butter.
- Place into a preheated 180c / 160c fan oven for 23-25 minutes until fully risen and golden on top.
- To check if the cakes are fully cooked, stick a toothpick into the center of the sponge. If it comes out clean, the cakes are ready.
- Let the cakes fully cool in the tins before removing and decorating.
- FOR THE GANACHE
- Finely chop up the coffee dark chocolate and add to a jug/bowl.
- In a pan, heat the vegan double cream until hot.
- Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for around 5 minutes.
- Slowly stir until a smooth ganache, let cool until fully set.
- FOR THE FROSTING
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the vegan butter.
- Whip until pale and fluffy.
- Add the maple syrup, vanilla + hazelnut extract. Whip again until combined.
- Gradually add in the powdered sugar while whipping.
- Continue until a fluffy stable frosting.
- ASSEMBLE
- On a cake stand, place one of the banana sponges.
- Add a layer of maple frosting and smooth out with a cake scraper.
- Make a well for the chocolate ganache filling.
- Add in the ganache and smooth out into the well.
- Here you can add some chopped hazelnuts if you want to.
- Place on the other sponge and add more frosting and chocolate ganache for decoration.
- Cut and enjoy!
The first cakes ever made were very different to the ones we know today. Surprisingly, the Ancient Egyptians were the first to experiment with baking. They made the first ‘cakes’ with a mixture of flour, eggs, milk, honey and usually dried fruits. They were flat, dense and quite bread-like near the beginning.
During the mid-17th century Europeans began to experiment with cakes that are more similar to the ones we eat today. As technology advanced and we got our hands on more ingredients, people got more creative with baking. Europe was the birthplace of the first modern cake, which was topped with icing. During these advancements, the majority of cakes still contained fruits or citrons.
During the 19th century, cake as we know it today grew in popularity. Cake was now considered a luxury due to its expensive ingredients, sugar and sometimes chocolate. Buttercream began to overrule simple icing, and as technology advanced, temperature controlled ovens became common making baking so much easier.
Ingredients eventually went down in price, and household appliances made their way into most homes. This allowed more people to advance in baking, which led to the increase in cakes popularity.
- MIXING – For a fluffy, light sponge, make sure you DON’T overmix your batter. Mix the ingredients until fully combined, but its ok if there are a few lumps left. If you overmix the cake batter, it can lead to a dense and chewy sponge.
- MEASURMENTS –It is very important that you measure your ingredients correctly. I tend to use measuring cups in most of my recipes, however I understand many people prefer to use kitchen scales. When using measuring cups, make sure to spoon the ingredient into the cup, and with the back of a knife scrape the top so it becomes even. This way, you use the correct amount of ingredients.
- BAKING – If you want your cakes to be evenly cooked, make sure to put them on the same shelf. If this is not possible for you, place one cake on the top shelf, but push it to the very right edge. Then, place your other cake on the lower shelf, but push it to the very left edge. This will allow both layers to cook more evenly.
- GANACHE – For a smooth, silky ganache, make sure to let it sit before mixing. This will prevent lumps!
- BANANAS – Be sure to use OVERRIPE bananas, meaning the skin is blackened and the flesh is soft and sweet. This will work best as an egg replacer, and make a sweeter sponge.
Vegan Banana, Maple Coffee Chocolate Cake
Prep time: 45 mins / Serves: 12 slices / Cook time: 25 mins
Ingredients:
- FOR THE SPONGES
- 3 cups self raising flour
- 3 overripe bananas (mashed)
- 1 + 1/2 cups caster sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp hazelnut extract (optional)
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (melted)
- 1 + 1/2 cups plant milk*
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar*
- FOR THE GANACHE
- 1 cup dark vegan coffee chocolate chunks (can use normal)
- 1 cup vegan double cream*
- FOR THE MAPLE FROSTING
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (cold, flora works best)
- 2 – 2 + 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp strong maple syrup (pure)
- 1 tsp hazelnut or vanilla extract
Method
- FOR THE SPONGES
- To a jug add the plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir and set aside for 5-10 minutes before including in the batter. This will curdle and create a vegan “buttermilk”.
- In a large mixing bowl, add mashed banana, sugar, melted vegan butter, vanilla + hazelnut extract and vegan buttermilk mixture.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until few lumps remain. (DO NOT OVERMIX!)
- Divide the batter evenly between two parchment lined 8″ cake pans greased with vegan butter.
- Place into a preheated 180c / 160c fan oven for 23-25 minutes until fully risen and golden on top.
- To check if the cakes are fully cooked, stick a toothpick into the center of the sponge. If it comes out clean, the cakes are ready.
- Let the cakes fully cool in the tins before removing and decorating.
- FOR THE GANACHE
- Finely chop up the coffee dark chocolate and add to a jug/bowl.
- In a pan, heat the vegan double cream until hot.
- Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for around 5 minutes.
- Slowly stir until a smooth ganache, let cool until fully set.
- FOR THE FROSTING
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the vegan butter.
- Whip until pale and fluffy.
- Add the maple syrup, vanilla + hazelnut extract. Whip again until combined.
- Gradually add in the powdered sugar while whipping.
- Continue until a fluffy stable frosting.
- ASSEMBLE
- On a cake stand, place one of the banana sponges.
- Add a layer of maple frosting and smooth out with a cake scraper.
- Make a well for the chocolate ganache filling.
- Add in the ganache and smooth out into the well.
- Here you can add some chopped hazelnuts if you want to.
- Place on the other sponge and add more frosting and chocolate ganache for decoration.
- Cut and enjoy!
NOTES
- *I recommend using oat milk, but coconut and soy also work well.
- *In place of apple-cider vinegar, lemon juice and white-wine vinegar can also be used.
butterfly bakery blog 
Leave a reply to Ava Tierney Cancel reply