Espresso Banana Snack Cake
A sweet and flavorful Espresso Banana Snack Cake with fresh banana, rich espresso powder, and a swirl of luscious espresso brown sugar (aka “penuche”) frosting. This small, single layer cake makes just enough for snacking or taking along to a small gathering.
Espresso Banana Snack Cake
Like most of my recent banana recipes, this luscious snack cake is the product of having too many brown bananas sitting on my counter (I swear they’re getting riper faster now). And when I’ve got a recipe idea to go along with those brown bananas, I get them baked up ASAP, which means there’s a steady roll out of new banana recipes on the blog as of late (sorry?).
I wanted to create another coffee banana flavored cake. This time, a small snacking cake that’s just enough for a few people, or yourself. This is an 8″ single layer cake flavored with fresh banana and bold espresso powder. I topped it with my favorite brown sugar penuche frosting, because who doesn’t love brown sugar?! Of course I had to add espresso powder to the frosting for even more coffee flavor. The result is this delectable Espresso Banana Snack Cake that will pair perfectly with your favorite cup of coffee – decaf or not 😉
Why You’ll Love This Cake
- Tons of flavor (banana, espresso, brown sugar)
- Topped with my favorite penuche brown sugar frosting
- Makes a small number of servings
- Perfect for snacking or a small gathering
- The best way to use up those brown bananas
What You’ll Need for the Cake
- All-purpose flour makes up the bulk of the cake batter. I like to use an unbleached variety, but any all-purpose flour will work.
- Whole wheat pastry flour helps create a fluffy cake texture. If you don’t have any on hand, you can replace it 1:1 with more all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda leaven the cake.
- Salt enhances flavor.
- Ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg add that cozy, spiced flavor.
- White granulated sugar sweetens the cake. Feel free to use a raw or unrefined cane sugar, or a coconut sugar, in its place. Just note the gram weights will vary.
- Olive oil adds moisture to the cake. You can also use your favorite baking oil, such as vegetable oil, avocado oil, or light olive oil.
- Vanilla extract adds flavor.
- Egg binds the ingredients together. I haven’t tested this with any egg alternatives. I think that a standard flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp warm water) will work just fine, though I haven’t tested it.
- Overripe bananas (the ones that are nice and brown) are mashed and added to the cake batter for flavor and moisture. You’ll need about 1 1/2 medium overripe bananas for this recipe.
- Almond milk adds moisture to the cake batter. You can use your favorite plant-based milk (or regular milk).
- Espresso powder is added for flavor. You can use instant coffee in place of the espresso powder, but you will need to multiply the amount of powder x 1.5 as the instant coffee isn’t as strong as the espresso powder.
What’s Penuche Frosting?
Penuche frosting is an old-fashioned brown sugar frosting made by melting together brown sugar, butter and milk. Once the mixture cools, you beat in powdered sugar to create a fluffy buttercream-like frosting. It’s very sweet and flavorful, with notes of caramel and butterscotch.
My grandma made penuche frosting when I was growing up, and it often accompanied a yellow sheet cake. It pairs so well with other cakes, like my Mulled Apple Cider Cake or this Espresso Banana Snack Cake. And it tastes just wonderful. My mom and I would happily eat the leftover frosting my grandma saved for us – it’s that good.
What You’ll Need for the Penuche Frosting
- Light brown sugar is melted down and then cooled to give the frosting a lovely caramel, butterscotch flavor.
- Plant-based butter pairs with the brown sugar to add a buttery flavor.
- Almond milk is added to create a creamier flavor and helps thin out the frosting to the perfect consistency.
- Powdered sugar is added to the melted brown sugar to create a spreadable frosting. You’ll need it in order to create a proper frosting.
FAQ
Can I double the recipe? Yes! This recipe can be doubled to make an 8″ layer cake. Of course you will need to double or triple the frosting recipe if you plan to frost the layer cake traditionally an all sides. For a naked style cake, double the frosting should do.
Will instant coffee work in place of the espresso powder? Yes, instant coffee granules will also work in this recipe, though you will need to add more instant coffee as it’s not as rich as espresso powder. I recommend adding 1.5x the amount of instant coffee in place of the espresso powder.
I don’t have espresso powder or instant coffee. Will brewed coffee work? Unfortunately, brewed coffee will not give you enough flavor. Plus, you won’t be able to use much liquid coffee in the frosting. I recommend stocking up on espresso powder (or instant coffee).
How can I replace the egg? Though I haven’t tested any egg replacements, I think a regular flax egg would work just fine in this cake. Simply mix 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 Tbsp of warm water and allow to thicken for 5 minutes prior to beating with the other ingredients.
Espresso Banana Snack Cake
A sweet and flavorful Espresso Banana Snack Cake with fresh banana, rich espresso powder, and a luscious espresso brown sugar frosting.
Ingredients
Coffee Banana Cake
- 1/2 cup (65g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp (72g) whole wheat pastry flour (see Note 1)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (118mL) almond milk, warm (or regular milk)
- 1 Tbsp espresso powder (see Note 4)
- 1/2 cup (100g) white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (59mL) olive oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg (or 1 flax egg)
- 3/4 cup (175g) mashed overripe banana (1-2 medium bananas)
Espresso Penuche Frosting
- 6 Tbsp (84g) plant-based butter (or regular butter)
- 1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar, packed
- 3 Tbsp almond milk, divided (or regular milk)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp espresso powder (see Note 4)
- 1 3/4 cups (228g) powdered sugar
Instructions
Prep the Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, add the butter, brown sugar, and 2 Tbsp of almond milk. Place on a burner set to medium-high and gently whisk until the ingredients are melted. Bring just to a boil and remove from the heat.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and espresso powder. Transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl and allow to cool completely.
Bake the Cake
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8" cake pan by spraying with non-stick spray and lining the bottom with a piece of round parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
- Prepare the almond milk by heating until warm. Stir in the espresso powder.
- In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, vanilla, egg, banana, and espresso milk until combined. Beat in the dry ingredients until combined and smooth.
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan. Bake at 350°F for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then gently run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Turn the cake over onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Frost the Cake
- Once the brown sugar mixture and the cake are totally cool, you can make the frosting. Add the brown sugar mixture to a large bowl.
- Beat in the powdered sugar. If needed, add the extra tablespoon of milk to thin out the frosting for a creamy, spreadable consistency (you may not need this extra milk).
- Top the cake with the frosting and use your favorite icing spatula to swirl the frosting over the surface of the cake. Slice and enjoy!
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Flour: you can use all-purpose flour in place of the whole wheat pastry flour. You'll need 1 cup + 2 Tbsp (146g) total all-purpose flour.
- Oil: feel free to use your favorite baking oil in place of the olive oil - vegetable oil, light olive oil, or avocado oil.
- Almond milk: regular milk or other plant-based milk will work in both the cake and the frosting.
- Espresso powder: I highly recommend using espresso powder and not instant coffee. In a pinch, you can use instant coffee - just multiply the amount times 1.5 as you will need more of it to match the flavor of the espresso.
- Plant-based butter: I used Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks with Olive oil, but your favorite plant-based or regular butter will also work.
DID YOU MAKE THIS CAKE? I WOULD LOVE TO SEE!
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