Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting (Low Carb)

Looking for am easy and decadent low carb and gluten free dessert? This Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is like a fluffy banana bread, with a thick layer of frosting, laced with creamy peanut butter. We do use some real bananas in this banana cake, but still manage to keep it low carb!

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None of your family members or friends will be able to tell that this cake is low carb, gluten free and refined sugar free. The banana flavor in this low carb cake is unmatched. Pair that with a rich and thick peanut butter cream cheese frosting between the cake layers, and you're in for a heavenly bite.

Look, I don't really consider myself much of a baker intuitively. Cake decorating? Definitely NOT my strong suit. Cooking savory items and mixing low carb cocktails is a strong point. I'm a student of low carb and gluten free baking, always.

Gluten free baking itself has a ton of additional challenges. I often find myself very frustrated developing baked good recipes. Not this time. What I'm trying to say is, if I can perfect this peanut butter banana cake, you can make it at home too, with ease!

The BEST Homemade Banana Cake with Peanut Butter:

This cake recipe is super reminiscent of one my grandmother used to make me as a child. It's absolutely indulgent, without the sugar or gluten this time around! Each bite of this banana cake with peanut butter is made light and fluffy, and it's naturally super moist, without the addition of sour cream and applesauce that many cakes use!

This cake and frosting recipe combo was inspired one of my grandmother's banana cakes she used to make with peanut butter frosting. After developing a seriously delicious, tried and true Low Carb Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Skillet recipe, I figured, you know what? I can do this, and I can make it low carb, too!

While we don't use chocolate chips in this cake's batter, (you could totally add them if you want!!) we do melt a little bit of sugar free chocolate chips to make a ganache to top our cake. This peanut butter banana cake is next level, and I say this with confidence. The ganache is optional of course though.

If a baked good recipe makes it to our website, you better believe it's damn good! Now if you're tired of all this back story, feel free to skip to the recipe card. If you have questions, make sure to read through the body of the post where I'll discuss everything in more detail!

Ingredients:​

Dry Ingredients:

• Almond flour - Almond flour is just one of our go-to keto pantry items, and it makes for incredible baked goods. If we're not picking some up at Costco, we're most definitely purchasing Bob's Red Mill super-fine blanched almond flour.
• Coconut flour - Coconut flour and almond flour are NOT interchangeable. Coconut flour is incredibly drying, but we often use a combo of coconut flour with almond flour to achieve that just right texture. Our favorite brand is Bob's Red Mill.
• Kosher salt - Baked goods need salt, too!
• Xanthan gum - Since this recipe is gluten free, we use xanthan gum to bind the batter together. While technically optional, omitting it will make your cake a little more crumbly. This is another Bob's Red Mill product that's always in our pantry.
• Gluten free baking powder - Most versions of baking powder you will buy in store like Clabber Girl or Bob's Red Mill are gluten free. We opt for Bob's (probably obvious at this point) because it is certified gluten free. Always make sure to read labels to be sure!
• Ground cinnamon - Technically optional, but we just adore cinnamon as a spice so we recommend it.
• Sweetener - Our favorite for this cake (and for most things we bake) is Swerve granular. We love Swerve since it measures 1:1 like regular sugar, and it's available pretty much everywhere. Plus, it's super tasty, pet friendly, and it won't upset your stomach! You will need Swerve powdered for the frosting!

The Wet Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter - We suppose you could use any oil of choice here, but butter makes this cake just utterly delicious and rich. Using unsalted butter helps control the salt level in this cake. We use melted and cooled butter in the cake batter, and room temperature batter in the frosting.
• Vanilla extract - Vanilla extract is just essential, for any baked good, in both the cake and the frosting.
• Banana extract - Technically optional. It helps us jump up the banana flavor in our low carb baked goods. We can personally vouch for McCormick's Spice. It's tasty, with no additives, made from real banana, and it's gluten free!
• Eggs - Room temperature!
• Mashed ripe banana - Yes, you read that right. REAL banana! Keto or low carb folks might be shocked, but trust us. The mouth feel and flavor of adding a small amount of banana is worth it, to us. More on this later.
• Cream cheese - Full fat, room temperature is needed for the peanut butter frosting.
• Creamy peanut butter - Look for the no sugar added kind, if possible.

Making The Low Carb Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Place all dry ingredients in a large glass bowl. Whisk and/or sift to make sure there are no lumps. Mash your ripe banana in a separate small bowl. Set aside.

• Cream your butter and sweetener together in a large bowl until completely combined. Add the mashed banana, vanilla extract and banana extract and mix with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

• Mix in eggs one by one into the wet bowl and combine completely into the batter.
  
• Gently fold in the dry ingredients slowly, being careful not to over mix. You just want to stir in the dry ingredients until everything is combined.

• Divide evenly into greased cake pans, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. About 21-25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer cakes to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

• In a large bowl, combine butter, peanut butter and cream cheese. Mix with a hand mixer until velvety smooth. Add in powdered sweetener slowly, and mix again until totally smooth. Add in vanilla extract and salt, mix again, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

• Once cake is completely cool, add a thick layer of frosting between the two layers, frost, decorate and enjoy! We love to add banana slices and a quick chocolate ganache. We warm up ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream, then pour it over our sugar free chocolate chips and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir, and you will have a silky smooth ganache!

Tips For The Best Banana Cake:

• It's best to only add the optional banana slices and chocolate ganache right before serving, if you're making this banana cake with peanut butter frosting ahead of time. 
• You can freeze the cake layers wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to help make this cake ahead of time. Allow to defrost (still wrapped) in the fridge for 8 hours before frosting.
• The peanut butter frosting can also be made ahead of time, just be sure to let it sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes to frost the cake easily.
• Use room temperature eggs, butter and cream cheese for the best results.
• For the batter, allow your butter to be melted and then cool it before using to avoid scrambling the eggs.
• Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting them.
• We always recommend using a food scale to weigh your ingredients for the most precise results.

Storing This Peanut butter Banana Cake:

If you decide to keep the banana cake with peanut butter frosting and eat it at a later date, you can freeze it in individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap, and that will keep for a couple months. Alternatively, you can simply freeze the cake layers and let them defrost before putting the cake together with frosting on the day of.

If enjoying within a few days, keep in an airtight container in the fridge. Before enjoying, allow the cake to sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Are Bananas Low Carb?

Technically, no, bananas are not low carb. However, we use just one in this banana dream cake, and there are 16 servings, so the carb and sugar count gets spread out and is pretty minimal. The flavor and mouthfeel of adding banana to this cake can't be beat.

We don't really like to follow any sort of keto or low carb "rules" especially when it comes to produce. Produce is one of our greatest joys in life, and we find ways to use our favorite fruits and veggies, and keep our food low carb! After all, it probably wasn't fruit or veggies that made us gain weight before anyway. Real bananas make this banana cake just dreamy!

More Recipes To Try:

• Gluten Free Blood Orange Chocolate Cupcakes (Low Carb)
• Low Carb Chocolate Chip Skillet Banana Bread
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes (Low Carb)
• Low Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse
• Keto Salted Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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If you get a chance to try this recipe, let us know what you think, would ya?! Leave us a comment, or catch up with us on Facebook or Instagram, or pin to your favorite Pinterest board for later. We love sharing your versions of our creations over on Instagram @afullliving!

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Until Next Time,
Briana & Chamere

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