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The best and (easiest) Coconut Banana Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting. No fuss, super quick to mix up, and SO DELICIOUS! Yes, that pretty much sums up this coconut banana cake. It’s the perfect simple cake to bake up this weekend. With over-ripe bananas, salted butter, and a good amount of fudgy chocolate frosting, this is sure to become your favorite “snacking” cake. Perfect as an afternoon snack or a late-night dessert.
If you know me, then you know that I have a true love for a good layer cake. I find them beautiful, delicious, and at times a challenge to photograph. But I always end up loving them. I would say that nine and a half times out of ten, if you ask me to bake a cake, it will be a layer cake. If I’m baking for a chocolate lover, I turn to my standard three-layer chocolate cake. If It’s someone who really appreciates a fruit cake, this blackberry lavender naked cake is my favorite. And if it’s Easter? I’ll bake this layered coconut carrot cake from the HBH Super Simple cookbook (or maybe this lemon coconut naked cake, depends on my mood).
Yes, it’s safe to say that layer cakes are what I am passionate about when it comes to cakes. That’s probably why I’ve avoided making sheet cakes for the longest time. They just never excited me like a layer cake does. But that all changed the minute I made this banana cake. It’s one of my better cakes for sure. So super simple. And so insanely delicious.
I cannot wait to tell you guys about it. This cake is SO GOOD.
(coconut banana cake just after baking)
What’s the reason for cake?
Well, you never need a reason for cake, it’s always good, and always welcome, but I will say my dad’s birthday was the inspiration behind this recipe.
As you all know, I love cooking and baking for people. It’s why I got into cooking in the first place. So whenever it’s someone’s birthday I love cooking and baking with the foods they love most. Two of my dad’s favorite foods? Bananas and chocolate. He loves them separately, but he loves them paired together even more.
Enter this cake. It’s moist, a touch coconutty, heavy on the bananas, and topped with a very generous spread of chocolate frosting. My banana bread recipe is probably in his top ten favorites when it comes to my baking. And I get the feeling this cake just made his list too. Why? The frosting, it’s to die for.
Here is how you make this banana cake.
This is VERY easy. The cake itself is made in just one bowl and comes together in no time at all.
Find yourself some very ripe bananas, I’m talking practically black bananas everyone. Very, very brown bananas are KEY to keeping the cake, flavorful, sweet, and incredibly moist.
Mash up the bananas and then mix with a little coconut oil, honey, a couple of eggs, and a splash of vanilla. Add flour, a pinch of cinnamon (only if you wish), and a dash of salt. Stir in some shredded coconut. The coconut is that unexpected ingredient that makes the cake really good. It’s subtle enough that you can barely tell it’s there, but it adds a special touch.
Bake, and less than 30 minutes later your house is going to smell incredible. Nothing smells better than a banana cake baking.
Now, to make that fudgy chocolate frosting.
No cake is complete without frosting, and a banana cake requires a simple chocolate frosting.
I wanted mine to be extra light and whipped, so I incorporated a bit of cream cheese and used plenty of cocoa powder, plus vanilla extract too. My real secret for this frosting however? Salted butter…it’s that ingredient that will make your frosting better than everyone else’s. Trust me. The touch of extra salt goes a long way.
Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool for thirty minutes or so, then frost, snack, and enjoy!
This makes for a delicious afternoon treat or late night dessert but is equally great as a simple birthday cake. It’s no fuss, pretty, and so good. The best part? This cake can be baked, frosted, and ready for eating in really just about an hour. If you need to get the cake to cool quickly, just pop it in the freezer to chill off, then frost. I understand if you need to try a bite…right away. The cake just smells and looks too good, it’s a hard one to resist.
So with that. How about some Friday night baking? I think we should! And please, please share on Instagram so I can see!! Can’t wait. ENJOY!!
Lastly, if you make this coconut banana cake with fudgy chocolate frosting, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Easiest Coconut Banana Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 419 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 medium overly ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cup mashed)
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup canned coconut milk
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Line with parchment paper.2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, coconut oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, mix until just combined. Fold in the coconut flakes. Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until center is just set. Remove and let cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting.3. To make the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until 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. 3. Spread the frosting over cake. Slice, snack, and enjoy!
Notes
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
To Replace Coconut Oil: use an equal amount of olive oil, melted butter, or canola oil.
Storing: this cake keeps well for 3-4 days at room temperature.
To cool cake quickly for frosting: place in freezer for 15 minutes. Remove and frost.
Yummy! Made for Valentine’s Day. What a treat!
Hey Sharno,
Happy Sunday!!🏈 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Can the cake be made ahead of time and frozen? Wondering if I can thaw it a few days later and then put the icing on?
Hey Lauren,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
can i skip the coconut flakes? should i make any adjustments or substitute?
thank you!
Hey Nichole,
You can just skip the coconut flakes:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xT
I love this recipe, I made it with local honey and coconuts, home harvested bananas, I baked on air frier coz no oven but came out beautiful so I shared with my neighbours and everyone loved it that ask for recipe so had to translate the recipe to Spanish 😅… Thank U so much!!!!
Hey Leon,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:)
Tasty but it is basically banana bread with frosting and it’s to heavy on the stomach
Hi there,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
This cake is so delicious! I love the use of honey and coconut oil, super moist. My icing turned out pretty pale in comparison to the photos and not too chocolatey in flavour…I mean it’s still yummy but do you have any suggestions on how to get a darker, more chocolatey icing? Thank you, Tieghan for sharing another yummy recipe!
Hi Samantha,
Awesome!!🤩 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review and love to hear that it was a hit! I would either add more cocoa powder or try a different brand next time! xTieghan
This was fantastic!! Everyone who tried it said it was delicious. Thinking about adding walnuts & making this recipe again as muffins. How would you adjust the bake time for that?
Hey Claire,
Perfect!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
I bake & cook quite often so when I toothpick tested the cake in the center it came out clean. After slicing into it some pieces were quite mushy but I followed recipe to the letter. Wasn’t sure what could have caused that? Taste & consistency of cooked pieces was divine! Advice please. TYIA
Hey Deborah,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! Hmmm, it could have just been the banana, was it undercooked? xTieghan
If you don’t have any coconut milk or cream in the house do you just use milk .. will it turn out
Hi Cheryl,
Yes, any other milk will work for you:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
You said the serving size is 12, but in the video it’s only 9 pieces. Is that correct?
Hi Kim,
It really just depends how you want to cut the cake:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
This has become my go to snack cake recipe! It’s such a hit in my house. It really comes together quickly. My only little add-on is folding in a handful of toffee bits into the batter before baking! Yum!!
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
I made this for my mom’s birthday and it was a HIT! I love that the cake isn’t too sweet (tastes like a delicious, moist banana bread!) and the frosting is deliciously fudgy… I could eat it with a spoon!! Pairs well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert, or with your morning coffee for breakfast. ?
Hey Sarah,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Love the recipe, but need to check on one thing. Is it coconut cream or milk in the frosting? The ingredients lists milk, but the instructions say cream.
Thanks!
Hey Emily,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Sorry for any confusion, you can use either cream or milk:) xx
This cake was INCREDIBLE. The cinnamon really does it for me.
A couple of tweaks: I used maple syrup instead of honey b/c that’s what I had, and 10/10, would do it again.
Also, I used 2 “chia eggs” (1 tbsp chia seeds + 2.5 tbsp water per “egg” and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding to recipe). Worked great! A solid option for those trying to eliminate eggs, or just out of them, like me. 🙂
I love your Instagram content. 99% of my saved posts are your recipes and every one I have tried has been DELISH. That cauliflower mac & cheese? C’MONNNNNNNN! Also, I am exclusively preparing pasta by the method in that recipe now- 1 lb pasta boiled in 4 cups of well-salted water. Nothing to drain, and delightful consistency and flavor every time. As a mom, making dinner gets monotonous. Thank you for getting me excited about cooking again!
Hey Becca,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you. Have the best weekend! xxT
Thank you for the chia info!! Should have read the reviews first.
Cheers to many more exciting kitchen endeavors 🥂
Delish! Such a great way to use up bananas and the chocolate is amazing! I used 2 flax eggs to accommodate an egg allergy and it worked really well.
Hey Jennifer,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
Made these as cupcakes and used dark chocolate coco for the frosting. They are amazing!
Hey Katherine,
Happy Sunday!! Love hearing that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it!! xxT