Fans of banana bread and cream cheese frosting will flip for this deliciously snackable Gluten-free Banana Cake Recipe with Maple Walnut Frosting! It’s hard to know who is and is not gluten-free, so baking and taking a gluten-free option to a gathering means everybody can share!

It’s fall, y’all and this snack cake bake is chock full of cozy ‘autumnal’ spices. If the flavors don’t get you in the mood for sweater weather, the aroma in your kitchen absolutely will. This cake is soooo moist and so flavorful and gluten-free or not, it was a home run when I shared it at a recent bonfire party at the beach.

If you embrace comfort food, THIS IS THE DESSERT that put comfort food on the map. It’s customizable in terms of ingredient additions such as chocolate chips, toffee pieces, or banana chips. And if you don’t care about assembling this with gluten-free flour blends, regular all-purpose flour works just fine, too. Eat it as a scrummy snack cake or cube it for use in this no bake banana pudding trifle!

Been invited to a gathering and want to show up with something more unique than a bottle of wine? How about a delicious banana cake that’s shareable with everybody with or without dietary restrictions? Yup, this moist cake is the best way to show off your baking prowess backed by some serious banana flavor!

Sharing this gluten-free cake recipe is a no-brainer because I am baking it frequently this season. I snapped a few pictures for this post as I assembled this delicious cake once again just last week to take with me to a bonfire at the beach.

There are MANY types of gluten-free flour and sourcing most of them in the baking isle at your grocery store is a cinch. I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure to fabulous results. I have not tested the recipe with other gluten-free flours.

Steps to Bake This Gluten-free Banana Cake Recipe

• Step One. The maple walnut cream cheese frosting for the top of the cake involves browning the butter that is going to elevate it.
• In a small non-stick saucepan over medium heat, melt a full stick (1/2-cup) of salted butter. This step requires constant monitoring as the butter will go from liquid to brown in mere minutes. Maintain medium heat for the duration of the browning process.
• Once the butter becomes foamy, the transformation begins from golden in color to an acorn brown color. Use your nose; it should smell slightly nutty. 
• Pour the brown butter off into a bowl and place in the refrigerator. It needs to be soft but not liquid before it can lend itself in the frosting.

• Step Two. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 9-inch baking pan and set aside. I like this one because not only does it come with a lid, but it comes two to a package for the money.
• Spill walnuts out onto a baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove the pan and allow the nuts to cool while you prepare the cake batter.

• Step Three. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl using a hand mixer), cream butter and both white sugar and brown sugar.
• Add three mashed bananas to the wet ingredients along with a half cup of water, the eggs, and some vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients by way of gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a hefty pinch of fine sea salt. You want to mix on medium-low speed JUST UNTIL the flour is combined. Over-mixing will result in an overly dense and chewy crumb. NOTE: if using additional add-ins (chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or dried banana chips), fold them in now using a rubber spatula.

• Step Four. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.
• Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. The cake is done when there is no visible batter on the toothpick, only moist crumbs or it’s clean.
• Pull the cake and allow it to stand in the pan for 5 to 8-minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and then again so the top of the cake is right side up. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

• Step Five. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese for about 2 minutes into a fluffy texture using an electric mixer.
• To the creamed mixture, add vanilla extract, powdered sugar, real maple syrup, whipping cream, some cinnamon, and finally another hefty pinch of sea salt. ProTip: you can chop the walnuts and incorporate into the frosting at this juncture if you like. I prefer to add mine to the top of the cake. I do this so that they are easy to remove if somebody has an aversion to nuts. It’s a great way to use the walnuts without impeding somebody’s ability to eat your cake without them.

• Step Six. If taking along to a gathering, place the cake on a platter or back into the pan.
• Cutting this cake before applying the maple walnut cream cheese frosting makes portioning and serving super easy. Again, consider this if it’s serving as a take-along to a party or cookout.
• Otherwise simply frost the cake but be sure to create grooves with whatever you use to frost with. The grooves in the frosting will perfectly cradle chopped walnuts and the extra drizzle of maple syrup.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Given it will be under refrigeration, I recommend pulling the cake about 30 minutes prior to serving so the frosting has time to soften.

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