Gluten-free banana cake with rhubarb topping

This gluten-free banana cake is made with desiccated coconut, almond and oat flour –  a really good combination of flours, when a moist and spongy cake is the goal.

Serve the cake as is or for a little something extra – with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream or sour cream!

With refreshing sweet ‘n’ sour maple-glazed pieces of rhubarb as topping, this banana cake is anything but the standard banana chocolate flavored cakes and breads – I really like the combination of something new though and the flavors are amazing together!

If rhubarb isn’t in season you can use strawberries, stone fruits, firm apples or pears too – prepare as described or simply just use raw slices on the cake (see instruction #7 below).

Gluten-free banana cake with rhubarb topping

With a moist and spongy crumb this gluten-free banana cake made with desiccated coconut, almond and oat flour is perfect for a cup of afternoon tea, to be enjoyed at your next picnic or as a sweet treat after dinner. As a different and super refreshing topping sweet ‘n’ sour maple-glazed rhubarb is used – a great alternative to the classic banana-chocolate flavor combination!

Servings 8-10

Ingredients

Rhubarb topping

• 3 thin rhubarb stalks (about 3 oz. / 90 g), thinly sliced diagonally (about 1/4” / 5 mm thick)
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch vanilla powder or a splash of vanilla extract

Banana cake

• 1 1/2 C / 400 g very ripe bananas (5 medium bananas), mashed
• 1 C / 250 ml maple syrup
• 1/2 C / 125 ml mild-tasting extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 C / 150 g toasted unsweetened desiccated coconut (toasting is optional, but adds nice flavor)
• 1 C / 112 g almond flour
• 1 C / 120 g oat flour (oats are naturally gluten-free, but often processed in facilities, that handle gluten too – if you need the cake to be 100% gluten-free choose gluten-free oat flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla powder or a splash of vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp fine grain pink Himalayan salt or sea salt

Instructions

Rhubarb topping

1. Combine everything in a small pot, mix well and bring to a boil.
2. Immediately turn off the heat. Let rhubarb steep and soften in the syrup.
3. Let rhubarb and syrup cool down while you prepare the banana cake batter.

Banana cake

1. Preheat oven to 360 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
2. Whisk together mashed bananas, syrup, olive oil and eggs.
3. Add desiccated coconut, almond flour and oat flour. Mix well.
4. Add baking soda. Squeeze lemon juice over the white powder – the acidic juice activates the baking soda causing it to bubble and rise.
5. Add vanilla powder and salt and mix batter thoroughly.
6. Pour batter into a parchment paper lined spring pan.
7. Arrange and very lightly press down rhubarb pieces into the batter. Pour most of the ‘rhubarb syrup’ over the cake, but don’t let it get to wet.
8. Bake cake for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off oven, but leave the cake for an additional 15 minutes. If, at any point during baking, the cake starts to get to dark, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.
9. Remove cake from oven, let it cool for a couple of minutes in the pan before removing to cool on a baking rack.
10. Let the cake cool completely before slicing.

Storage and shelf life

1. The cake stays moist and delicious in the fridge for 4-5 days and keeps well in the freezer too (freeze sliced!).

Do you want to print the recipe for gluten-free banana cake with rhubarb topping? I’ve got you!