Stunning Three-Layer Banana Cake with Buttercream Frosting (Coconut Flour, Honey Sweetened)
One of the first recipes I ever converted was banana bread. When a friend asked me to help her daughter learn to work with coconut flour, I took my banana bread recipe and used it to make a three-layer birthday cake.
Today I’m sharing the recipe with you!
If you would like to master coconut flour to make high-protein, lower carbohydrate baked goods as well as converting your long time favorites get your copy of Mastering the Art of Baking with Coconut Flour today!
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Banana Cake
Use three 8” round cake pans to make a three-layer cake
- 6 large whole eggs (292 grams)
- 1 c. banana, mashed
- 1/2 c. coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 c. honey
- 1/2 t. sea salt
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 c. coconut flour, packed (82 grams)
- 2 t. apple cider vinegar
- 3 bananas, sliced
- 1 cup walnut halves (optional)
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Be sure oven is preheated to the correct temperature.
- Lightly grease three 8” round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, banana, coconut oil, honey, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- With an electric mixer, mix at medium speed until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- To measure the coconut flour, pack firmly into the cup measurement and use the back of a straight knife to level the flour even with the top edge of the measuring cup, to ensure there are no lumps, sift flour.
- Add coconut flour to batter and mix on medium speed until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add apple cider vinegar and mix together quickly.
- Pour batter into parchment paper lined pans.
- Place in a preheated oven.
- Bake for 15-25 minutes.
- Layers will feel firm to the touch when done.
- Once cake is done, remove from cake pans and place on a cooling rack to cool.
- Do not frost layers until cake is completely cool; otherwise, the frosting may melt.
“Real” Buttercream Frosting
Makes 5 cups of frosting, enough to frost a three-layer cake with buttercream “kisses” on top
- 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks at room temperature
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Remove butter from wrappers and place in a bowl nearby so it’s ready for when you need it. Have a spoon handy as well.
- Beat eggs and yolks until they are forming soft peaks (this is best accomplished by using a stand mixer. While the eggs are beating, heat honey to 240°F in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Try to use a pan that has a lip on the edge as I find that easier to hold in place while pouring the honey slowly into the eggs.
I also like to use a digital thermometer that has a probe. I set it to sound an alarm at 238°F so that I can attend to it and watch for it to reach 240°F so I can take the pan off the burner immediately. - With mixer on medium high setting, dribble the honey down the edge (now you’ll see why the pan with the lip comes in handy) of the mixer bowl. The reason you want to dribble the honey on the edge of the bowl is because it will cool just slightly which will keep the eggs from curdling. The eggs will be slightly cooked from the hot honey but not enough to pasteurize them so if you are worried about raw eggs, be sure to use eggs from a farmer you trust.
- Once all the honey is dribbled into the mixture, continue to beat until the egg and honey has cooled to room temperature.
- IMPORTANT: Do NOT add the butter until the mixture has cooled to room temperature, or the butter will melt and the frosting will not emulsify.
- With the mixer on a medium setting, add butter one spoonful (about two tablespoons) at a time.
- The mixture will turn soupy, but just keep adding butter in one spoonful at a time and as you near the last spoonfuls the mixture will emulsify into buttercream frosting!
- Add vanilla and mix well.
- Divide the frosting into roughly six parts. You’ll need about 1/6th for each layer, 1/6th for the outside layer, and 1/6th for the top layer (thin layer to hold the banana slices in place) and the buttercream “kisses”.
Frosting the cake
- Place first layer of cake on a plate.
- Spread about a ¼” thick layer of frosting, then top with sliced bananas.
- Place second layer of cake on top of the first, repeat step 2.
- Place third layer of cake on top of the second, repeat step 2.
- Frost the sides of the cake.
- Lightly frost the top, layer with sliced bananas.
- Using a decorating tip (I prefer the Ateco #828) and pastry bag, create “buttercream kisses” on top of the bananas.
- Press walnut halves into the sides for decoration.
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