Moist spiced banana sponge with hidden caramel is topped with a thick and creamy brown butter buttercream! This Vegan Banana Caramel Cake is toasty, warming and filled with flavour! Perfect for Autumn / Fall! Vegan, No-Egg, No-Dairy and easy to make!
Vegan Banana Caramel Cake
Warmly spiced, decadently moist, and filled with surprises, this Vegan Spiced Caramel Banana Cake is anything but ordinary. Ripe bananas and warming spices come together to create a tender crumb that’s bursting with cozy flavour, while hidden pools of gooey vegan caramel tucked inside adds a luxurious twist. As if that weren’t enough, the cake is crowned with a thick, creamy and perfectly toasted vegan brown butter buttercream, adding nutty depth and a silky finish. Perfect for special occasions, birthday parties, or simply tuck into a slice under a warm blanket while watching a autumnal movie! Perfection!
Looking for more autumnal recipes? Check out my:
- Vegan Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
- Vegan Pecan Pie Cookies
- Easy Vegan Cinnamon Roll Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
- The BEST Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake
- Viral Vegan Coffee Cinnamon Rolls
- Easy Vegan Apple Pop Tarts
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Ultra-moist banana cake made with sweet, ripe bananas and warm spices for deep, comforting flavour.
- This recipe is fully vegan, doesn’t contain any animal ingredients (no-egg, no-dairy).
- A hidden bite of vegan caramel adds an indulgent surprise in every single slice.
- Perfectly sweet, buttery and spiced. Best combination!
- Topped with a nutty, toasty vegan brown butter buttercream that elevates the entire cake!
- Perfect for birthdays, gatherings, or any occasion that calls for something special!
- Surprisingly simple to make, with impressive results that look and taste bakery-worthy!
- Baking this cake will make your house smell absolutely delicious, and autumnal.
Layers of a vegan caramel banana cake
This soft, tender spiced banana sheet cake is filled with gooey vegan caramel and topped with a silky brown butter buttercream, all 100% plant-based. It’s simple to make, big on flavour, and perfect for sharing (or not), i won’t judge you! Cozy, nostalgic, and irresistibly indulgent. Full recipe and method is in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Spiced banana sponge
A soft and moist sheet cake made with ripe bananas and warm spices, perfectly cozy, full of flavour and egg / dairy-free!
- Caramel sauce
Rich homemade vegan caramel sauce is poured into poke holes for extra moisture and pockets of gooey sweetness in every bite! So so gooey!!
- Brown butter buttercream
Topped with a smooth, nutty brown butter frosting that adds depth and richness to every slice. Completely dairy-free and easy to make, perfectly buttery and toasted.
- Toppings
Topped with sprinkles of gingerbread biscuits and a dusting of ground mixed spice for added indulgence.
Banana caramel sheet cake FAQ
- Can I make this sheet cake ahead of time? Yes, and it tastes even better the next day as the flavours develop and the caramel soaks into the sponge- so yummy!
- Is the caramel sauce vegan? 100%. I use my tried and tested (and very much loved) go-to recipe, which uses fully plant based ingredients! Find it in the ingredients list / recipe card below!
- How to store the cake: Un-frosted cakes can be stored at room temperature in a air-tight / sealed container. Iced cakes want to be stored in the fridge in a sealed container. Allow to come to room temperature before enjoying to allow the butters and chilled ingredients to soften.
- Can I use gluten-free flour? A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work well, though the texture may vary slightly. I recommend Doves Farm.
- What bananas are best for this cake? Use over-ripe bananas with lots of brown spots for maximum sweetness and rich banana flavour. It makes the banana flavour POP!
- Can I make it without the caramel sauce? Yes, but the caramel adds extra moisture and sweet flavour, it’s delicious. You can also use a store-bought vegan caramel if preferred, just make sure it’s vegan. I recommend Natures Charm Coconut Caramel.
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram and Facebook! And if you want to pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
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Vegan Banana Caramel Cake
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 10–12 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
How to make a moist, gooey and spiced banana sheet cake with hidden pools of homemade vegan caramel sauce, topped with a toasted brown butter buttercream! Easy to make and perfect for Fall / Autumn!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cake
- 250ml of dairy-free milk (soya milk works best)
- 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
- 2 medium ripe bananas (mashed)
- 100g of caster sugar
- 250g of self raising flour
- 2 teaspoons of ground sweet cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon of ground all spice
- 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 70ml of sunflower oil
Ingredients for the vegan caramel
- 1 batch of homemade vegan caramel sauce
Ingredients for the brown butter buttercream
- 130g of dairy-free butter (I use Flora Plant Butter)
- 180g of icing / powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons of dairy-free whipping cream (I use The Coconut Collaborative Double Cream)
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- Ground sweet cinnamon (for sprinkling)
- Gingerbread cookies (crumbled over the cake)
Instructions
Method (cake)
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC fan and line an 8 x 8 inch square cake tin with greaseproof paper. Allow the paper to hang over the tin slightly, this makes it easier to remove the cake when baked.
- In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
- In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mushy.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the sugar, flour, ground spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine. Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients along with the mashed banana and mix just to combine.
- Spoon the batter into the lined tin. Level it out with the back of a spoon or offset spatula.
- Place the cake into the middle of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know it is done when you put a knife or skewer down the middle of the cake and it comes out clean and it’s springy to the touch. If batter comes off on the skewer, it needs more time to bake. To prevent burning, top the cake with some greaseproof paper then return back into the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully transfer onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool fully before filling and frosting. You can even place the cake in a sealed container once cool then frost the day after. It’s a very light sponge so be careful with it when removing from the tin.
Method (filling)
- Make a batch of homemade vegan caramel sauce and allow to chill. Use when its cold (i like to make this the day or night before of assembling the cake).
- Transfer the caramel into a piping bag and snip off the tip.
- Poke holes in the cake using the base / handle of a wooden spoon and pipe the caramel in the holes.
Method (buttercream)
- Add the butter into a medium sized saucepan. Melt over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a heat proof spatula or wooden spoon.
- Continue cooking until the butter foams, then turns golden brown and smells toasted and nutty.
- Once nutty, and a brown colour with little speckles, imediately pour into a heatproof bowl to stop cooking.
- Allow to cool completely, then chill in the fridge until solid but still soft (like room-temp butter).
- Once the browned butter is solid but soft, beat until creamy and smooth. You can either do this in a stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment, or electric hand whisk. You want it to be light and fluffy.
- Gradually add in the icing / powdered sugar, mixing on low at first, then increasing speed until fully incorporated.
- Add in the cream and beat for a further 3-4 minutes until creamy.
- You may may way to adjust the consistency if its too thick or soft. Add more cream to loosen or more sugar to thicken, as needed.
- Spoon the brown butter buttercream over the top of the chilled cake, and spread out using the back of a spoon or off-set spatula. Make swirls in the buttercream for decoration.
- Serve immediately, or top with a light dusting of ground cinnamon (only a dash), and some crumbled up gingerbread biscuits. You can use any biscuit (including Biscoff cookies & ginger snaps).
- Use a large sharp knife, cut the cake into square’s, serve and enjoy!
Notes
To store: Keep this cake stored in a sealed container in the fridge. Leave at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving. Best eaten within 3 days of making. Un-iced cake can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for 2 days. Always stored iced cakes in the fridge.
What dairy-free butter to use? My favourites are Naturli Vegan Block and Flora Plant Based Block Butter. All work amazingly in vegan buttercream!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Cakes and layer cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
I need to make it gluten-free. What can I use instead of self rising flour?