I decided to make a recipe for banana snack cake because bananas are something I always have on hand and you can get them year round. This cake is made with a combination of whole wheat pastry flour and oats for texture.
I chose to eliminate the oil in the cake and replace it with non-fat Greek yogurt because I wanted this to be a cake that I could “snack” on without a lot of guilt. I also kept the cake itself (not the frosting) free of refined sugars and sweetened it with the bananas and honey. The banana snack cake is moist, delicious, and tastes very similar to banana bread without the frosting. It’s cake though, so how could I not frost it? The cinnamon cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping. Just try not to eat it all before you get around to spreading it onto the cake! 
Find the cream cheese frosting recipe here.
PrintCream Cheese Frosted Cinnamon-Banana Cake
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
Description
A soft cake made with Greek yogurt and whole wheat flour for great flavor to pair with bananas. Top with a cream cheese frosting and you’re in dessert heaven.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 2 large very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz (1/2 block) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp milk, as needed for consistency
Optional topping
- Chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray, line the bottom with parchment paper, and spray the parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, egg, Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined — do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and let it cool completely.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. If the frosting is too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time until spreadable.
- Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake. Top with chopped toasted pecans if desired.
Notes
Make sure the cake is completely cool before frosting — a warm cake will cause the cream cheese frosting to slide. The frosting thickens nicely in the fridge, so you can make the cake ahead and frost it the next day.
- Category: Cake, Dessert, Baking
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the whole wheat pastry flour with all-purpose flour?
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour, but the texture may be slightly different.
What can I use instead of Greek yogurt in the cake batter?
You can substitute the non-fat Greek yogurt with unsweetened applesauce or another type of yogurt, but the cake’s texture may vary.
How can I adjust the sweetness if my bananas aren’t very ripe?
If your bananas are not very ripe, consider adding a bit more honey to the batter to achieve the desired sweetness.
