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Coffee Banana Layer Cake with Coffee Frosting (dairy-free)

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Banana cake layers flavored with both fresh and instant coffee – all wrapped up in a simple cake with a dairy-free coffee buttercream! A cozy slice of this Coffee Banana Cake will go perfectly with your favorite cup of hot coffee!

Coffee Banana Layer Cake

This easy Coffee Banana Cake is like a dressed up version of my favorite banana bread: 2 layers of perfectly moist, coffee-flavored banana “cake” with loads of coffee buttercream. It’s the perfect dessert to save those brown bananas from being thrown into the trash bin. Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s constantly shuffling too-ripe bananas from the counter to the freezer in hopes that I’ll utilized them in a smoothie or banana loaf (real talk, I have a literal bunch of near-black bananas in my freezer currently. Plus a couple more.).

With a few staple ingredients, like bananas, coffee, flour, eggs, and powdered sugar, you’ll have a beautiful and unique cake to serve any way you’d like. And it all comes together quite easily. The batter mixes up like muffins or a quick loaf, and the buttercream frosting is a mix of standard ingredients with the addition of plant-based butter (in place of butter) if you’re dairy-free. Decorate the cake however tickles your fancy (or will impress your friends and family) and enjoy!

Some of the Ingredients You’ll Need + Substitutions:

  • All-purpose flour (I like to use unbleached) can be replaced with a 50:50 mix of whole wheat + AP flour or white whole wheat + AP flour. You can also make this cake with whole wheat pastry flour to make it extra fluffy (this is one of my fave flours!).
  • Granulated sugar is necessary, and I recommend coconut sugar, raw cane sugar, or white, granulated cane sugar. Brown sugar will probably work, too.
  • Eggs bind the cake, but if you’re looking for an egg-less recipe, flax egg should work in place of the eggs. 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp warm water = 1 flax egg (so you’ll need 3 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 9 Tbsp warm water).
  • Coffee in two forms: fresh brewed and instant coffee granules for maximum flavor. If you can only use 1 kind of coffee, go for the granules as the concentration of flavor is necessary for this recipe! You can use the instant coffee to make coffee OR you can use plant-based milk in place of the fresh brewed coffee.
  • Oil adds moisture, and I recommend avocado oil or light olive oil for this recipe. You can also use melted coconut oil or vegetable oil.
  • Plant-based butter makes up the frosting. If you aren’t dairy-free, regular butter will work, too.
  • Vegetable shortening stiffens the plant-based frosting. Feel free to use more plant-based butter (or regular butter) in its place, but you may need more powdered sugar/less liquid coffee for the frosting.
  • Powdered sugar is necessary for that classic buttercream texture and flavor. I don’t recommend any substitutes.
Yield: 10-12 Slices

Coffee Banana Layer Cake with Coffee Frosting

Coffee Banana Layer Cake with Coffee Frosting

A simple layer cake that combines classic banana bread flavor with the decadent addition of real coffee! Take your banana baking up a notch with this easy cake!

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

Banana Coffee Cake

  • 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup sugar (coconut, raw cane, or regular cane sugar)
  • 3 large eggs, room temp
  • 1/2 cup strong coffee
  • 3 Tbsp instant coffee granules
  • 5 Tbsp oil (I used light olive oil)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (3-4 medium bananas)

Coffee Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups plant-based butter, stick form, softened
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (or more plant-based butter)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup strong coffee, cooled
  • 1 Tbsp instant coffee granules
  • ~6 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the Cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare two 8" cake pans with non-stick spray and parchment paper circles. I like to spray the pans, lay the parchment circles in the bottoms, and then spray the parchment.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, coffee, instant coffee, oil, vanilla, and mashed banana until everything is totally combined. Add liquid ingredients to dry and gently mix until no flour pockets remain - be careful not to over-mix the batter.
  5. Divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans (it's best to use a kitchen scale here for precision). Tap the pans on your counter to even out the batter.
  6. Bake cakes at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then turn each cake out onto a cooling rack and remove and toss out the parchment paper circles. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting + Build the Cake

  1. Once the cakes are totally cooled, you can make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the softened vegan butter and vegetable shortening. Beat in the vanilla extract and instant coffee granules.
  2. Add half of the powdered sugar and beat. Then beat in the 1/4 cup of coffee. Continue adding powdered sugar until the frosting forms. You may need to add a little more or less powdered sugar depending on how your frosting is coming together. You want the frosting to be smooth and spreadable but also thick enough to hold its shape.
  3. Frost the cake by placing one cake, right-side up, on a cake stand or plate. Add roughly 12 Tbsp or 3/4 cup of frosting to the top of the cake and spread evenly across the cake surface, leaving 1/4" of cake around the edge.
  4. Place the second cake layer on top, right-side down so that the flat, smooth bottom is facing up. Begin adding frosting to the side of the cake where the two layers meet, generously filling in the gap. Then continue frosting the cake all the way around and on top, swirling as you go along (or smoothing with a bench scraper).
  5. Decorate the cake however you'd like, or simply swirl the frosting for that classic, home-baked look.
  6. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if your storage area is warm.

Notes

  • To keep your cake stand or plate clean while frosting the cake, cut large parchment paper triangles and gently slide/shimmy them under the cake until the stand/plate is covered (see photos above)

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

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Chocolate Birthday Cake (dairy-free)

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This classic, two-layer Chocolate Birthday Cake is just like mom used to make! Okay, not quite, because we do use plant-based butter for the frosting. But I’m telling you, this cake is delicious, and no one will be able to tell it’s dairy-free!

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Chocolate cake is the quintessential American birthday cake: two layers, loads of buttercream frosting, and chocolate on chocolate. If you’re anything like me, you grew up on boxed cake mix with homemade American buttercream frosting. And to this day, I think boxed cake mix just can’t be beat. Yeah, I said it. Actually, when my mom volunteered to bake my wedding cakes, I requested none other than simple, two-layer cakes made with boxed mix and topped with homemade frosting. Nathan and I had a picnic wedding at Golden Gate Park, and the cakes were perfect. Truthfully, I will never not defend box cake mix!

But if you’re looking for something a little less…processed, then I’ve totally got you covered! This chocolate cake is not only perfectly moist, it’s sweetened with low glycemic index coconut sugar and unsweetened applesauce! Yeah, and you can’t taste the apple! Though my love for boxed cake hasn’t waned, I don’t believe I’ve personally baked a cake from a box since marrying Nathan five years ago. This exact chocolate cake has been my go-to for quite some time. It’s simple and just as delightful as the chocolate cakes I grew up eating.

Some of the Ingredients You’ll Need + Possible Substitutes:

  • All-purpose flour is the bulk of the cake. For an extra fluffy cake, try whole wheat pastry flour.
  • Natural cocoa powder gives both the cake and frosting their chocolate flavors. For a deeper, darker chocolate, you can use Dutched cocoa powder.
  • Coconut sugar is an unrefined, low GI sugar. And it doesn’t taste a thing like coconut! You can definitely use raw cane sugar or white granulated sugar in its place.
  • Instant coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor of the cake. This is totally optional but recommend. Espresso powder is a great substitute.
  • Oil adds moisture to the cake. I recommend a neutral oil (one with little to no flavor) like avocado, light olive oil, or melted coconut oil. Vegetable oil can also be used.
  • Eggs act as a binder for the cake. I haven’t tried this recipe with any egg replacements, but if you’re looking for an egg-less cake, you can try flax eggs: 1 flax egg = 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp warm water (mix and allow to thicken for five minutes).
  • Applesauce helps sweeten this cake and lends a hand to its moistness – I don’t recommend any substitutes. Unless you like banana and you want to mash some for a banana chocolate cake!
  • Vegetable shortening adds structure to the vegan buttercream. You can use more vegan butter in its place, but I highly recommend the shortening.
  • Powdered sugar is necessary for the correct texture and flavor of the classic American buttercream frosting. I don’t recommend any substitutes.
Yield: 10-12 Slices

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Classic chocolate birthday cake made dairy-free! This two-layer cake is moist, fluffy, and topped with a traditional chocolate buttercream frosting - the perfect landscape for a birthday candle or two!

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

  • 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, warm
  • 1 heaping tsp instant coffee granules
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil (like avocado or extra light olive oil)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 heaping cup unsweetened applesauce

Chocolate Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups vegan butter (stick form), softened
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (or more vegan butter)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup natural cocoa powder
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 Tbsp plant-based milk

Instructions

Make the Cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare two 8" cake pans with non-stick spray and parchment paper circles. I like to spray the pans, lay the parchment circles in the bottoms, and then spray the parchment.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt until totally combined; set aside.
  4. Mix together the warm almond milk and instant coffee granules. Then, in a large bowl, beat together the milk/coffee mixture, coconut sugar, oil, vanilla, eggs, and applesauce until combined.
  5. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet until batter is well combined, about 1 minute on medium speed. Divide batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans (it's best to use a kitchen scale here for precision). Tap the pans on your counter to bring air bubbles to the surface.
  6. Bake cakes at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then turn each cake out onto a cooling rack and remove and toss out the parchment paper circles. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting + Build the Cake

  1. Once the cakes are totally cooled, you can make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the vegan butter and shortening. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  2. Sift in the cocoa powder and half of the powdered sugar and beat. Sift in the remaining powdered sugar and add 2 Tbsp of milk. Beat until combined, adding a bit more milk if needed. You want the frosting to be smooth and spreadable but also thick enough to hold its shape.
  3. Frost the cake by placing one cake, right-side up, on a cake stand or plate. Add roughly 12 Tbsp or 3/4 cup of frosting to the top of the cake and spread evenly across the cake surface, leaving 1/4" of cake around the edge.
  4. Place the second cake layer on top, right-side down so that the flat, smooth bottom is facing up. Begin adding frosting to the side of the cake where the two layers meet, generously filling in the gap. Then continue frosting the cake all the way around and on top, swirling as you go along (or smoothing with a bench scraper).
  5. Decorate the cake however you'd like, or simply swirl the frosting for that classic, home-baked look.
  6. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

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Banana Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Vanilla Frosting

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Fluffy and moist Banana Cupcakes topped with a simple vanilla buttercream and mouthwatering (and optional) caramel pecans! These dairy-free cupcakes can easily be made vegan or gluten-free, and if you like banana bread then you will love these!

Banana Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Vanilla Frosting

Who doesn’t love a fresh piece of banana bread? Top that with a delicious buttercream frosting and portion it into individual little cakes? Yes, please! These banana cupcakes are the perfect way to utilize your browning bananas, and they’re made extra special with the frosting and caramel pecans.

If you’ve made banana bread before, then you’ll find this recipe to be very similar. The dairy-free frosting comes together like any other American buttercream – you’ll beat the plant butter with vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and plant milk. I promise it’s very simple!

How to make the caramel pecans:

For the caramel pecans, you’ll whip up a simple dairy-free caramel by boiling water and sugar until it reaches a deep amber color. You’ll want to use a medium heavy-bottomed sauce pan, and once the water and sugar are in your pot, you don’t want to stir it or touch it at all (this prevents unwanted crystals from forming).

Once the water and sugar caramelize to a deep amber color, you’ll remove your pot from the heat and immediately (and slowly) pour in the coconut cream. I like to shake my can of coconut cream and have it all measured out and ready to go.

Then you’ll put the caramel back on the heat and bring the temperature up to between 235°F and 245°F (soft ball stage) – this will make the caramel set to a chewy texture. Immediately toss your pecans in the caramel and then lay them out on a parchment lined baking sheet to set. Do your best to separate the individual pecans while the caramel is still hot, so separate them right away – I like to use a fork (don’t touch the hot caramel!). The caramel will cool/set quickly, so your pecans will be set by the time you’re ready to frost your cupcakes.

Some of the ingredients + substitutions for these Banana Cupcakes:

All-purpose flour can be replaced with a GF all-purpose blend. For extra fluffy cupcakes, you can use 3/4 cup AP flour + 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (one of my faves!).

Cinnamon adds depth to these cupcakes and I don’t recommend skipping it! I like to use Saigon cinnamon.

Sugar adds necessary sweetness. You can use coconut sugar, raw cane sugar, or white granulated (cane) sugar.

Eggs add fluff to these cupcakes. For vegan or eggless cupcakes, you can use 2 flax eggs instead. Mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 6 Tbsp warm water; mix and allow to thicken for 5 minutes.

Coconut cream (for the caramel pecans) is my favorite dairy-free milk for caramel. If you don’t follow a DF diet, you can use regular cream.

Yield: 12 Regular Cupcakes

Banana Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Vanilla Buttercream

Banana Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Vanilla Buttercream

Moist and fluffy banana cupcakes topped with a classic vanilla frosting and mouth-watering caramel pecans! These simple cupcakes are just the excuse you need to put those bananas on your counter to use.

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Banana Cupakes

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 1/4 cup plant-based milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 heaping cup mashed banana (3-4 medium bananas)

Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) plant-based butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4-5 Tbsp plant-based milk

Caramel Pecans

  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup coconut cream (from a shaken can)
  • 1 cup whole pecans

Instructions

Make the cupcakes:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar and eggs. Whisk in the milk, oil, vanilla, and mashed banana. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.
  4. Fill the cupcake liners/wells 3/4 full with the batter. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out with a few crumbs.
  5. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then carefully pull them out and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the caramel pecans (optional):

  1. Prepare your coconut cream by shaking the can or (if solid) heating it until it's liquid. Measure out the coconut cream and set it up next to a folded dish towel/hot pad holder and wooden spoon (to mix the hot caramel).
  2. Set up a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside (to cool the caramel pecans later).
  3. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the sugar and water, swirling gently until the sugar is soaked. Bring the mixture to a boil and heat until it reaches a deep amber color - this can take up to 20 minutes. Keep a close eye on the sugar because once it begins to darken, it cooks quickly and can easily burn. Do not, at any point, stir or agitate the sugar while it's boiling (this prevents crystals from forming).
  4. Immediately remove from the heat and place on your folded towel. Slowly pour the coconut cream into the mixture, stirring gently as your pour. Be careful as the hot caramel will bubble up!
  5. Once the coconut cream is mixed in, place the caramel back on the burner and bring to a boil, using a candy thermometer to monitor the heat. Bring to the soft ball stage, 235°F to 245°F, and then immediately remove from the heat.
  6. Add the whole pecans and gently toss in the caramel. Spoon them onto your parchment-lined baking sheet and use a fork to separate the pecans. Allow the pecans to set.

Once the cupcakes are cool, make the frosting:

  1. In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and vanilla extract. Beat in the powdered sugar. Beat in 3 Tbsp of the milk until combined.
  2. Continue adding milk by the teaspoon until your frosting reaches a smooth, pipe-able, and stiff consistency. I like to take a knife or icing spatula and swirl the frosting in the bowl to test the consistency. If you're able to create swirls that stay in place, then your frosting should be good to go. If your frosting isn't stiff enough, add a little more powdered sugar, or add a little more milk if you can't easily swirl it.
  3. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and immediately top with the caramel pecans or other toppings. I recommend frosting and decorating these cupcakes the day you plan to serve/eat them.
  4. Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • For a stiffer frosting, replace 2 Tbsp of the butter with vegetable shortening
  • For less frosting, cut the recipe by 1/3: 1 stick butter + 3 cups powdered sugar + 1 tsp vanilla extract + 3-4 Tbsp plant-based milk
  • For vegan cupcakes, use flax eggs in place of eggs. Mix 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 6 Tbsp warm water; mix and allow to thicken for 5 minutes
  • For gluten-free cupcakes, replace the all-purpose flour with a GF all-purpose blend

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© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred