Gluten Free Banana Walnut Cake

This beautiful cake was inspired by Kim Boyce's Good to the Grain, a wonderful cookbook full of rustic, homey desserts and breakfast bakes that incorporate whole-grain flours (my favorite). When I want a quick treat but don't want to embark on a layered and frosted gluten free banana cake, I turn to a banana walnut cake. It always satisfies.

This is a simple, nubbly cake full of bananas and ground walnuts, a perfect winter weekend cake. And, it's such a lovely cake to put together, with oat flour playing so nicely with toasted, ground walnuts to create a wholesome, sturdy crumb. Scatter chopped walnuts across its surface before baking, and you won't need to fuss with any frosting - though a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce is never unwelcome.

Why This is Such a Special Cake

When I have bananas on the counter that need to be used... immediately ... banana recipes are a go-to. Whether a gluten free banana chocolate chip cake, one of my many (MANY) recipes for banana breads, including but not limited to gluten free coconut banana bread, oat flour banana bread, and a classic gluten-free banana bread, I definitely have it covered in the banana bakes department. But this sweet little number is a bit different, thanks to the ground walnuts. I especially love it as a wintry weekend afternoon project to take off the chill. So fire up the woodstove, make a pot of tea, and dig in.

• Loads of banana flavor. You'll need three very ripe bananas for this recipe, which will infuse it with sweet banana goodness.
• Whole grains + nuts = delicious. I love pairing oat flour (a wonderful whole grain gluten-free flour) with nut flour to create a sturdy yet moist crumb.
• Simply delicious. The ingredients list may look basic, but there's something about the combo of bananas and nuts that's absolutely irresistible. And I love that this is not a complicated cake!

For more oat flour inspiration, browse all my oat flour recipes.

Ingredients Needed

I've included the ingredients needed to make this cake here, plus some notes, with the full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.

• Walnuts - I picked up a package of walnut pieces from Whole Foods, which made prep so easy. You'll toast then pulverize half in a food processor, reserving the other half to chop up.
• Oat flour - Choose certified gluten-free oat flour if needed (or make your own). If you can't have oats, substitute brown rice flour or sorghum flour, or try a 1:1 oat-free gluten free flour blend. If you don't need to keep gluten-free, substitute 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.
• Baking powder
• Salt - Fine sea salt or table salt works.
• Butter - I like unsalted butter here, brought to soft room temperature.
• Sugars - A mix of light or dark brown sugar and granulated sugar.
• Bananas - About 3 very ripe bananas is what you'll need for the cake.
• Eggs - I used large eggs.
• Greek yogurt - I like plain whole, or low-fat Greek yogurt. Try sour cream if you wish.
• Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste adds depth of flavor.

Tips & Recipe Notes

• Use ripe bananas. For this cake, use the ripest bananas you've got. You know, the ones no one wants to eat and which have been kicking around the kitchen counter for longer than you'd like to admit. Those are perfect.
• Can I use frozen bananas? Absolutely! Just make sure to thaw and drain off any water before adding the bananas to the batter.
• Don't worry if the batter "breaks."The batter gets a little funny-looking when you beat in the bananas - not to worry! This is normal. As you continue to add ingredients it will turn into a smoothly cohesive batter.
• Make it dairy-free. Substitute coconut oil or your favorite non-dairy butter for the butter, and non-dairy yogurt for the yogurt.
• Another nut. Instead of walnuts, try another nut of your choice, such as almonds or pistachios
• To serve. At breakfast, with a hot cup of coffee! Or as dessert, with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Proper Storage

• Counter - Cover the cake with foil and store it on the counter for up to 2 days.
• Fridge - Place the covered cake in the fridge for up to 5 days. Eat straight from the fridge or bring to room temperature before serving.
• Freezer - Cool the cake thoroughly, then wrap it in plastic and a layer of foil and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw the cake in the fridge before serving.