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Starting Friday on the sweet side with this Coconut Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting.
You guys. This cake. I LOVE it.
I know I say this so often, but this cake is so good, words really cannot describe its deliciousness. If you like banana, coconut, and chocolate, you absolutely have to make this cake. Like no questions, you have to make it.
Not sure what’s going on this month, but I am in serious cake making mode. In the last two weeks, I have made so many cakes it’s insane. I have one for you today and two more to follow (assuming I can get the recipes right…it’s taking a bit of effort) all before Easter. So, plenty of cake coming your way.
It’s so weird how I go through certain food phases, but I am for sure in a cake phase. I figure it’s not a bad thing, I mean, everyone likes cake, right?
Yes, everyone likes cake…don’t try to tell me otherwise.
As you can probably guess by the mass amount of banana and chocolate recipes here on HBH, I pretty much adore the combo. Adding in sweet coconut to the mix just makes me adore it even more. So naturally this cake had to happen.
The real secret to this banana cake is the roasted bananas. Yes, roasted bananas. If you haven’t tried roasting your bananas yet, today is the day, because it is a game changer. My next banana recipe is going to be banana bread with roasted bananas, and I already know it’s going to be the best ever…
Anyway, this cake is loaded with banana flavor and I think that’s why I love it so much. Most banana cake recipes call for three or less bananas, and to me, that just did not seem like enough for a tall three layer cake. My recipe uses six whole bananas and while I know that might seem like a lot, trust me, it’s the right amount. Roasting the bananas makes them extra soft and sweet. In turn you get bananas that mash-up so well and provide you with the most moist and perfectly sweet cake ever.
Again, so good.
Since Easter and spring time inspired this cake, I also decided to stir in some sweet coconut for a nice tropical touch. For whatever reason, Easter makes think tropical, probably because growing up we would head to Florida at Easter.
Ahh, those were the days.
While the cake is the obvious star here, the frosting is very important as well. A lot of banana cakes are paired with a cream cheese frosting similar to that of a carrot cake. But you guys, you know me, if I’m making a banana dessert, it’s going to include chocolate. It’s just the way I have to do it.
Enter the chocolate frosting. It’s light, airy, very chocolatey, flavored with plenty of vanilla, and finished with a spoonful of coconut cream for even more flavor and the perfect whipped texture. It’s quite possibly becoming my new go-to frosting recipe. That’s how much I love it.
And when slathered all over this sweet coconut banana cake? Well…there’s nothing better.
So moist, so flavorful, and just so mouth-watering good.
I happened to make this cake while my brother, Brendan was in town, and I was so happy I did. Like me, Brendan loves bananas, chocolate, and coconut anything. This cake was right up his alley and I was pretty excited when he walked into my house the other day to say that it might just be the best cake he’s ever had.
YESSSS. Bren has been around the world and eaten some of this best food there is to eat, so this is a big compliment.
Meaning, if Brendan says it’s good, then you have to trust that this is a recipe worthy of your time.
Meaning, you should make it this weekend, as a test drive, and then make it again over Easter weekend, if you celebrate. And if you don’t celebrate? Just make it anyway, because it’s fun, and spring is near, and you need a little banana, coconut, chocolate sweetness in your life. Enough said.
Coconut Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Servings: 24 servings
Calories Per Serving: 444 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 ripe bananas, peel on
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
Chocolate Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup canned coconut cream
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the whole bananas on the baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the bananas are blackened on the outside. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the peel, and mash the bananas. 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer) beat together the oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat in the bananas, mixing until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined. Stir in the shredded coconut. 4. Pour the batter among the 3 cake pans and bake 30-35 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before assembling.5. To make the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Beat another 2-4 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy. Beat in the coconut cream until combined. 6. Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread with frosting. Repeat with the remaining 2 cake layers. Frost the cake sides. Serve or store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Bring to room temp. before serving.
The best slice of cake. The best.
Is there something I can substitute the shredded coconut. We love coconut milk, coconut water, but don’t care for the shredded coconut. This cake and the strawberry cake both call for coconut and I want to make them for my family. What would you recommend to substitute? My family and I love your blog and your cookbook.
Maybe subbing with coconut oil can give it the additional coconut flavor?
HI! I would simply just omit the shredded coconut. The cakes will be delicious minus the coconut. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I made this cake last night for a dinner party I had, and everyone loved it!! I used refined coconut oil instead of canola oil. Love how you bake the bananas before mixing them in, and use coconut cream in the icing.
Hi Ally! I am so glad you and your guests enjoyed this cake! Thank you!
This looks epic! Could I use coconut oil, butter or maybe olive oil instead of canola?
Do you think this could be used to make cupcakes?
Yes, but it will make a lot of cupcakes. Around 36. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I made this last night. It really is delicious. The cake itself is very moist, and it does have a pronounced banana flavor. We really love frosting, so I doubled that, and it worked out well, there was plenty for the layers and the sides. By the way, you remove the peels from the bananas before you mash them, the peels have no flavor. I also added the extra coconut I had left over, to the frosting. A definite keeper.
Hi Mark! I am so glad this turned out amazing for you! Thank you so much!
Hey Tieghan,
I love this cake and seeing it made me smile! 🙂 haha I love baking cakes so being in cake mode is wonderful. Maybe I can bake this for my mom when I visit tomorrow? I don’t have Edible flowers (I don’t think her grocery store has any) but maybe I can use coconut flakes? Where do you get your flowers? They remind me of reading books outside in the spring when I was growing up. 🙂
Are you heading to FL again this year? You should! 🙂
Haha Maybe we can finally meet.
Either way, I hope you’re having a nice evening and a lovely weekend.
You should totally make this for her, Kristin! I think it would be so sweet of you! I hope it turns out amazing and you enjoy the time with your mom!
This looks incredibly delicious. I have to make it and will serve with my friend. share everyone to try this amazing cake dish
Thank you so much! I hope you love this!
Omg, this cake though! It obviously looks amazing because your an incredible food stylist, but if I was blind I’d be drooling at the description alone!
Thank you so much Tori!
Chocolate + Banana + PEANUT BUTTER = <3 (try this combo sometime!)
The combo is so good. My husband and I love banana cake and actually had it as our wedding cake flavor. This recipe looks awesome!
Haha wow that is amazing! I am so glad you like the flavor combo in this, Cori!
I too love anything with chocolate & bananas. Never thought about roasting bananas before can’t wait to try.
I hope you enjoy this Mari, thank you!
This looks incredibly delicious. I have to make it!
I hope you love this Vickie!
I must say, you have the most amazing food porn in the blogosphere! When I receive your posts in my in-box, I know I better be ready to: 1) get a bucket for my drool; 2) get over the fact that I just gained 5lbs. just looking at your lovely photography; and 3) pray my sad over-ripen bananas, currently sitting on my counter for over a week, could ever aspire to be as this lovely creation & not fall to the perils of a huge Pinterest fail meme. 🙂 Keep feeding the masses with your beauty!
Awh thank you so much Stephanie! It makes me so happy to hear that you enjoy my blog and photos! I hope you love this cake and it turns out amazing for you… and not to a pinterest fail meme! But I am sure that will not happen haha!
Do you mash the entire roasted banana, skin too?
So about those banana peels, whole bananas
Peels and all, baked and mashed?
Are you KIDDING me? Have you ever seen a food ANYWHERE that you eat banana peels? I can’t believe some people, why are you even reading recipes if you would think for one minute that a banana peel would be mashed up and included, no less in a 3-layer CAKE?
I’m with you Jodi, those banana peel comments were really concerning.
Are you KIDDING me? Have you ever seen a food ANYWHERE that you eat banana peels? I can’t believe some people, why are you even reading recipes if you would think for one minute that a banana peel would be mashed up and included, no less in a CAKE?
Woh…that’s pretty harsh. I’m guessing they’re reading recipes because they’re interested in learning new things. Kindness goes a long way.
I’m with Leslie. No need for such derogatory comments directed to the commenters on banana peels. Whether they’re new to baking or not, they desired a polite answer. I’m here for new recipes and also never here of roasted bananas. Let’s be nice to each other.
I too was very surprised by the harshness of the comments. I think in this day an age we cannot assume that everyone
knows how to cook. I was raised cooking with my mother and grandmother every weekend and I went on to become
a professional chef. My daughter calls me regular on the phone with a question about cooking because as a kid she thought
it was so uncool to cook because I did it. This world has become way to harsh and if we want to help people thrive it MUST be with kindness and compassion. It is a lot easier to be kind than not <3
Hi Gary! The peels are removed before mashing. I hope you love this cake! Thank you!
I need a slice of this. Right now!!
Yes!! I hope you love it Ruth!
I assume the bananas are peeled before mashing?
Hi Helen! Yes, the bananas are peeled before mashing. I hope you love this!