Strawberry Banana Cake: Healthy and Gluten Free

This incredible strawberry banana cake is made with real, fresh strawberries and ripe bananas. This is a healthy, gluten free, delicious coffee cake that makes the most incredible summer brunch treat. It's a moist cake that's easy, tender, and just full of flavor. You have just GOT to bake it today and wow your friends and family.

Jump to:

• WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
• INGREDIENTS FOR A STRAWBERRY BANANA CAKE
• HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY STRAWBERRY BANANA CAKE WITH CRUMB TOPPING
• HOW TO I GET THE CAKE OUT OF THE PAN?
• INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS
• IS OAT FLOUR GLUTEN FREE?
• WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BANANA BREAD AND BANANA CAKE?
• HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS
• EXPERT TIPS FOR THE BEST STRAWBERRY BANANA CAKE
• FAQs
• Incredible Strawberry Banana Cake
• CHECK OUT LATEST RECIPES

This easy strawberry banana cake recipe is simply the best. It's made with real, fresh fruit, that is just bursting with summer flavor. It's healthy, gluten free, and can easily be made paleo and vegan. You can enjoy it as a healthy snack or dessert, or follow my lead and eat it for breakfast!

I truly think that this is the best strawberry banana cake recipe. It's super easy, there's no need for a stand mixer, it's healthy, gluten free, and is honestly just such a flavorful cake. The interior has a soft, tender texture that is dotted with juicy strawberries, it's topped with the yummiest, crunchy crumble, and then finished off with a sweet vanilla glaze. Hands down- this is one of the most delicious way to use up ripe bananas.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Easy and healthy cake recipe
• Gluten free
• Can easily be made vegan and paleo
• Made with real, fresh fruit
• Crunchy crumb topping (do I need to say more?)

INGREDIENTS FOR A STRAWBERRY BANANA CAKE

• Bananas: Try and use spotty bananas, fresh bananas that are green are too hard for this
• Strawberries: Chunks of real, juicy strawberries add a burst of freshness in every bite
• Oat flour: My favorite is Bob's Red Mill Certified Gluten Free
• Coconut sugar: I like to use it because it lowers the chance of a blood sugar spike and also gives a caramely note of flavor to the cake
• Baking powder and baking soda: These work together to lift the banana cake so it's not too dense and chewy
• Vanilla extract: If you can, use real vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla
• Cardamom: Cardamom adds a unique, florally note that takes this to another level
• Melted butter: The melted butter gets that crumb topping nice and crunchy
• Powdered sugar: For the vanilla glaze! It's optional, but I think, adds the right amount of sweetness

HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY STRAWBERRY BANANA CAKE WITH CRUMB TOPPING

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and spray an 8 inch round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray
2. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients- oat flour, coconut sugar, cardamom, baking powder, and baking soda
3. Add the mashed banana and vanilla to the flour mixture and mix until it is all combined (it will look like it's too dry at first, but just keep mixing)
4. Next, gently fold chopped strawberries into the cake batter
5. Use a rubber spatula to spread the batter in an even layer into your prepared cake pan
6. Now, in a small bowl, whisk together the rest of oat flour, coconut sugar, and cardamom. Pour in the melted butter and stir until you have a paste-like texture.
7. Use your hands to distribute the crumb topping evenly over the cake layer, then bake for 23-24 minutes
8. Take the pan out of the oven and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack
9. Once cake is cooled, take a separate bowl and whisk together the ingredients for the glaze. You want it to be thick, but pourable.
10. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, let it harden, and enjoy!

HOW TO I GET THE CAKE OUT OF THE PAN?

Since it's a crumb cake, we want to be careful not to ruin that delicious topping, but it's actually very easy to do! What you want to do is put a plate on top of the cake pan (once it is fully cooled) and carefully flip the cake pan upside down so the cake comes out. Now, quickly place your serving tray on the bottom and flip the cake right side up. Ta-da!

You could also bake it in an 8 inch square baking dish or spring form pan and not worry about turning it out.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS

SUBSTITUTIONS:

All substitutions listed below should be substituted in equal amounts to the original ingredients stated in recipe

• Strawberries: Blueberries or chopped cherries would also work

• Bananas: If you don't have a full cup of mashed banana you can top it off with unsweetened applesauce. DO NOT replace all of the bananas with applesauce though

• Coconut sugar: Regular sugar or brown sugar will work just as well

• Cardamom: Whether you don't care for the taste or just don't have it on hand, you can substitute it with an equal amount of cinnamon

• Melted butter: You can use melted coconut oil instead and it tastes just as good! The only thing it, I found that the crumb topping didn't get as crunchy as when I used butter

• Powdered sugar: I actually used Pure Cane's powdered sweetener, which kept this entirely refined sugar free

ADDITIONS:

• Do half strawberries, half blueberries
• Top with ice cream or whipped cream
• You could pipe on some cream cheese frosting for a more decadent option

IS OAT FLOUR GLUTEN FREE?

There is deliberation as to if oats truly are gluten free. I've been told that outside of America, people who struggle with Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivities pretty much avoid oats. With oats, there's the risk of cross contamination during processing and packaging process, which is why most people with Celiac Disease don't eat oats. I usually purchase Bob's Red Mill CERTIFIED gluten free oat flour to eliminate any risks, and anyone I've given treats to who is gluten free has not had any problems.

I AM NOT giving out medical advice or telling you what to eat or not to eat. Use your judgement and do what you are comfortable with, and if you have any questions please contact a doctor.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BANANA BREAD AND BANANA CAKE?

Banana bread and banana cake are similar, they're moist, delicious, and the perfect way to use up overripe bananas. But while they have many similarities, they definitely have their differences.

• Banana bread is part of the quick breads family, is denser, and usually made with a harder flour such as all purpose flour or whole wheat. It's also baked in a loaf pan, so it has a different shape.
• A moist banana cake can be made with a lighter flour, like cake flour, has a lighter crumb texture, is baked in round cake pans or a sheet pan, and is generally served with some sort of frosting or glaze.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS

You can keep any leftovers of this delicious cake in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature. The crumb topping doesn't hold it's crunchiness, but it still tastes amazing!

You could also freeze and extra pieces for up to 2 months. Just wrap individual pieces on plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, place into a freezer safe bag and pop them into your freezer. Take a piece out the night before you plan on eating it to let it thaw. * Please note* It may be a touch soggy around the strawberry chunks after they've thawed.

EXPERT TIPS FOR THE BEST STRAWBERRY BANANA CAKE

• Read the entire recipe first
• Use really ripe bananas
• If your strawberries are really watery, dry them with a paper towel before adding them to the cake batter
• Adjust the cardamom to your taste and use less if desired
• The cake batter may seem dry, but keep mixing and trust me
• Substituting the melted butter for coconut oil makes this cake vegan and paleo
• A clean toothpick can be misleading for doneness, so trust the timing
• Be sure to use gluten free certified oat flour
• Don't skip the glaze, it adds the perfect amount of sweetness

FAQs

Did you try making this incredible strawberry banana cake recipe? If you did, I would greatly appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below. Additionally, you can follow me on Instagram and tag me if you make this or any other of my healthy desserts.

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