COCONUT BANANA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE COCONUT FROSTING

I have always always loved a delicious banana bread or banana bready baked recipe.

Like this Baked Banana Bread, or this favorite; Greek Yogurt Banana Bread, even this Baby Friendly Banana Bread and of course in muffin form; these GF Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Muffins.

And I am ALWAYS down to try new recipes and versions of anything baked with banana in it, my personal favorite way to enjoy banana. I don’t care for (what we’re teaching Ollie to say) banana in its uncooked form. I definitely don’t snack on bananas but there is something to be said about banana once it’s baked.

But let’s not forget my love for banana Laffy Taffy’s and the one and only thing in the world I will eat uncooked banana in… Banana Pudding. I mean how could anyone not enjoy that…?

So when I stumbled across this Banana Coconut Cake with Chocolate Coconut Frosting on instagram from Half Baked Harvest, I HAD TO TRY!!

Not to mention me ignoring the most amazing scrumptious Chocolate Banana Bread loaf recipe that’s waiting to be posted here on ALF while I type this…

I’m here for chocolate anything to be honest, but a chocolate fluffy frosting ON banana cake… what is this craziness?!

This cake is literally a banana bread cake, in my opinion. It’s perfectly sweetened with honey instead of sugar and has all the regulars; flour, eggs, vanilla, and salt. It has the clever addition of coconut oil in the batter and is finished with coconut flakes as well, which gives the cake a really nice texture.

The frosting is so thick and light at the same time. It’s made with cream cheese, salted butter (duh), powdered sugar for the perfect frosting texture, cocoa powder, vanilla and then finished with coconut milk, which is truly decadent.

It’s everything you could ever want in a chocolate frosting and more; it’s fudgey and just the right amount of sweet without being too sugary!

I could just eat this frosting on literally everything and be so happy.

Thinking this frosting will be my new fudgey chocolate go to moving forward but I also love this Chocolate Buttercream that’s a crowd favorite.

COCONUT BANANA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE COCONUT FROSTING

Print Recipe

Servings 16

Ingredients

CAKE

• 1 1/4 CUP RIPENED + BLACKENED MASHED BANANAS ABOUT 4-5 MEDIUM BANANAS
• 2 LARGE EGGS
• 1/2 CUP COCONUT OIL MELTED
• 2 TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT
• 1/4 CUP HONEY
• 1 TEASPOON CINNAMON
• 1/2 TEASPOON KOSHER SALT
• 1 1/2 CUPS AP FLOUR
• 1/4-1/2 CUP COCONUT FLAKES OPTIONAL

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

• 1 STICK SALTED BUTTER (8 TABLESPOONS) ROOM TEMPERATURE
• 2 OUNCES CREAM CHEESE SOFTENED
• 1/2 CUP COCOA POWDER UNSWEETENED
• 1 CUP POWDERED SUGAR
• 2 TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT
• 1/4 CUP COCONUT MILK CANNED

Instructions

CAKE

• PREAHEAT OVEN TO 350, SPRAY AND GREASE AN 8X8" PAN AND THEN LINE IT WITH PARCHMENT PAPER, PRESSING DOWN ALL AROUND THE PAN TO STICK.
• STIR TOGETHER BANANAS, EGGS, COCONUT OIL, VANILLA, AND HONEY UNTIL JUST COMBINED IN A LARGE MIXING BOWL.
• ADD IN CINNAMON, SALT, AND FLOUR AND MIX TOGETHER UNTIL JUST COMBINED.
• FOLD IN OPTIONAL COCONUT FLAKES WITH A SPATULA BY "TOSSING" THE MIXTURE TOGETHER GENTLY IN CIRCULAR MOTIONS FROM BOTTOM OF THE BOWL TO THE TOP UNTIL COCONUT IS DISPERSED.
• TRANSFER CAKE MIX TO THE PAN AND BAKE FOR 30-40 MINUTES UNTIL JUST BAKED IN THE CENTER. BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERBAKE HERE, CENTER OF THE CAKE SHOULD BE JUST SET.
• REMOVE FROM OVEN AND LET COOL FOR 1 HOUR BEFORE FROSTING, CAN ALSO PLACE IN FRIDGE FOR 30 MINUTES TO SPEED THIS TIME UP.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

• PLACE SOFTENED BUTTER AND SOFTENED CREAM CHEESE IN A SEPARATE STAND MIXER MIXING BOWL, COMBINE TOGETHER UNTIL FLUFFY, THIS SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 2 MINUTES OR SO.
• ADD IN COCOA POWDER, POWDERED SUGAR, AND VANILLA AND WHIP TOGETHER AGAIN, ABOUT 2-4 MINUTES THIS TIME.
• LASTLY, POUR IN THE COCONUT MILK AND WHIP UNTIL IT'S COMPLETELY LIGHT, FLUFFY, AND A WHIPPED THICK TEXTURE, THIS SHOULD HAPPEN ONCE THE COCONUT MILK IS COMBINED INTO THE FROSTING.
• SMOOTH FROSTING OVER THE COOLED CAKE, TOP WITH SPRINKLES, FRESH FRUIT, ETC.
• CUT INTO 16 PIECES AND ENJOY!

Notes

AUTHOR: HALF BAKED HARVEST

CAN YOU USE SOMETHING OTHER THAN COCONUT OIL?

Absolutely; you can use melted butter, olive oil, or avocado oil.

ARE COCONUT FLAKES NECESSARY?

Totally a personal prefernce; if you like them and want a thicker more substantial cake texture, use them. If you just like the flavoring and not the texture, leave them out for a softer bouncier cake that’s more smooth. You will still have coconut flavoring from the coconut oil and the coconut milk in the frosting. If you’re unsure, just use 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup.

HOW DO YOU STORE THIS CAKE?

This keeps well at room temperature for about 3 days or in the fridge for about 5 days.