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Easy Banana Cake with Caramel Frosting is my healthy take on the classic Bananas Foster dessert. With a moist yellow cake lightly flavored with banana extract and topped with a rich caramel frosting, it is perfect for special occasions or an everyday treat. This banana cake recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
About a month ago I attended a local fundraiser that was a tasting event featuring local restaurants. It was not very diet friendly but it was a lot of fun and everything I tried was delicious.
One fun feature was the local vocational school had students there making bananas foster. Seeing anything flambéed is always a treat. They were so charming that I had to watch for a while and taste their creation. It was delicious but incredibly sugary. The wheels started churning and I knew I wanted to make something low carb that had those tempting flavors of caramel and banana.
How can banana cake be low carb?
Before you get worried, I know that bananas aren’t very low in carbs so I didn’t put any actual bananas in the cake, just banana extract.
The banana extract gives this a nice a banana flavor and the optional sliced bananas as a garnish really accentuate that.
I knew I could just add some banana extract to caramel sauce and drizzle it on vanilla ice cream but a bananas foster cake had a nicer ring to it. I highly suggest serving this healthy banana cake with a scoop of ice cream on the side!
Can I use another flavor extract?
Yup! Vanilla makes this a nice classic cake. You can also switch up the banana extract for caramel extract, add some sea salt to the caramel frosting, and easily turn this into a Salted Caramel Cake! Or try this easy banana cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting!
Try this recipe if you want a Keto Chocolate Cake Or Cupcakes.
Can I make this in a 9 x 13? How about as cupcakes?
This easy banana cake recipe can be made as a layer cake for a special occasion or in a 9 x 13 pan for everyday snacking. If you want to make it as a layer cake you will need to double the caramel sauce or use something else in between the layers. I like using whipped cream or pudding.
This will also make about 24 cupcakes. My suggestion is to use aluminum liners and only fill them halfway. This way you can put the caramel on top and it the liners should hold it in without it needing to drip down the sides.
Notes on the Banana Cake Garnish
I used less than 1 banana to garnish this cake. I kept the garnish as optional in case you are on a very strict keto diet. But a few paper thin slices of banana per slice really adds a negligible amount of carbs.
If you are making this cake in advance do not add the banana slices until right before serving. They do brown after some time in the fridge.
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Servings: 16
Calories: 420kcal
Ingredients
Easy Banana Cake Ingredients:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet or my sweetener
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 4 oz butter softened
- 2 tsp banana extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Caramel Frosting Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet or my sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 oz cream cheese
- small banana, thinly sliced to garnish, optional
Instructions
Banana Cake
- Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Add the cake ingredients to a food processor or bowl of an electric mixer. Mix until smooth. Divide between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes are golden and the centers spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. Cool completely.
Caramel Frosting
- Combine the sweetener, cream, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown and thickened. Depending on the heat of your stovetop this can take 10-15 minutes. Watch it carefully. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Add the cream cheese and mix until it is melted and thoroughly incorporated. It helps to mix with an electric mixer. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Pour 1/4 of the caramel over the bottom layer of the cooled cake. Spread to the edges and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the top layer of cake. Slowly drizzle the caramel over the top. It helps to do this in 2 or 3 batches so it doesn't all drip down the sides. Simply spread a layer of caramel, let that cool, and then add another layer of caramel on top. If the caramel in the saucepan gets too cool you can reheat it over warm.
- Serve immediately for a soft caramel frosting. When refrigerated this sets to be firm like a ganache.
Notes
- This is rich so I kept the serving size small. A serving is 1/16th of the cake.
- If you are making this cake in advance do not add the optional banana slices until right before serving. They do brown after some time in the fridge.
I use my own blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia in my recipes. This is twice as sweet as sugar. It is comparable to Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet and Truvia.
To sub in Swerve use 1.5 to 2 times the amount of sweetener called for.
To sub in Swerve use 1.5 to 2 times the amount of sweetener called for.
To sub in Pyure or Trim Healthy Mama Super Sweet use half the amount of sweetener called for.
Substitutions will work in most recipes. They may not work in candies, such as caramel.
Nutrition
Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 810IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 1.7mg
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Amy says
Will the caramel remain gooey after being refrigerated, or will it become crunchy?
Taryn says
It gets firm. I suggest adding it right before serving. You can keep it separately and then heat it up to make it gooey again.
LaDonna says
For the almond and coconut flours – can I use THM baking blend to meet those two ingredients? If so, how much of the THM baking blend should I use?
Taryn says
Yes. Use a little bit less.
LaDonna says
Ok! Should I combine the almond and coconut flours in the recipe and then use a little less than that?
Fred says
If you whipped the egg whites into a meringue; then fold into the batter; would that give the cake any more height?
Taryn says
Yes, I think it would.
Ally says
Looks delicious! Worth having a little get-together around.
When you say yogurt in the ingredients, do you mean regular plain or the nonfat Greek yogurt that’s such a THM staple?
Taryn says
Any plain yogurt will work.
Dawn Murphy says
I sure hope you didn’t mean 3/4 stick butter. I used 3/4 cup as the recipe says, and my caramel sauce has been bubbling away for at least 20 minutes with no sign of darkening or thickening. Fingers crossed.
Dawn Murphy says
Never mind, it turned out perfect! It took about 30 minutes. I haven’t had the cake yet, but this caramel sauce is to die for! You could put it on a shoe and it would be good! Thanks for the recipe.
Taryn says
Oh good! I’m glad it worked. It does take a bit of time to reduce 🙂 When I get impatient I turn up the heat a little higher but then I don’t leave the stove. I just stand and whisk.