Some of my best culinary creations have happened by accident and this cake is no different. I made a rookie mistake and realized all too late that I didn't have enough carrots to make CARROT cake. Luckily, I had a few ripe bananas on hand that I figured would add enough moisture and texture to make up for the missing carrots. I was skeptical at first, but I ended up being blown away by how amazing this carrot banana cake accident happened. So now I'm here to share with you one of my favorite cake recipes of all time!
How To Make Banana Carrot Cake From Scratch
You may be used to making a cake from a box, but we won't be doing that here. Don't get me wrong, there is a time for using boxed cake mix and I'm all about quick and easy but sometimes a little extra effort goes a long way. Using REAL ingredients always makes a world of difference in the final product. You won't need any fancy equipment or crazy ingredients, this recipe is simple enough that anyone can make this amazing carrot banana cake!
Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour is ideal for this recipe. I like the coarser crumb and feel like it holds up better with the dense ingredients in a carrot cake. If you would prefer to use cake flour, you may want to grate your carrots a bit finer so that they aren't too heavy. Same concept if you use a gluten-free 1-to-1 flour.
Baking Soda is needed to make the cake rise. It can also help to soften the carrots.
Cinnamon is necessary for any good carrot cake. You could also add nutmeg and/or ginger if you want more of a spice cake. I find that cinnamon alone is perfect for this recipe though.
Salt is optional, but I always recommend adding it if you can. I promise you won't end up with a salty cake.
Eggs should be at room temperature to ensure a smooth, even batter and proper rising of the cake during baking. If you want to make this recipe vegan you could try flax eggs as a substitute, although I have not tried this out myself with this particular recipe.
Vanilla Extract can be replaced with imitation vanilla if needed. In that case, use two teaspoons of imitation vanilla in place of one teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Granulated and Brown Sugars are both necessary for this recipe. The combination of sugars will add sweetness and depth of flavor, and keep your cake nice and moist. I find that the bananas and sugars add just the right amount of sweetness without being overly sweet however, you can adjust this to your liking. Just be mindful that if you cut back the sugar too much your end result may be more dry.
Olive Oil makes this recipe shine. I recommend using a light, or mild, olive oil so you don't end up with an overpowering flavor. Other mild flavored oils can be substituted here as well, such as vegetable or canola oil.
Butter is also added for extra flavor and moisture. You could also substitute this for more oil or a plant-based butter substitute. Butter should be melted, but let it cool! You don't want your sugar to melt and your eggs to cook because your butter is too hot.
Grated Carrots because this is a carrot cake after all. I highly recommend grating your carrots, or do it the lazy way like me and grate them with a food processor. Pre-shredded carrots in the bag you can purchase at the store would technically work, but they have way less moisture and will leave you with a drier cake. I promise it's worth the extra step.
Bananas again are necessary for banana carrot cake otherwise, this would just be a regular carrot cake recipe. You will want your bananas to be ripe, the peels should start to brown. Ripe bananas are softer and will give you a smoother batter and will also add more flavor and sweetness.
Pecans are optional. You could also opt for walnuts or whatever nuts you prefer. I enjoy the extra texture by adding in nuts, but you can omit them if you have a nut allergy.
Instructions
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease the bottoms and sides of two round 9-inch baking pans and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, olive oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, mashed bananas, and vanilla. Then, add eggs and whisk until well combined.
Slowly add dry ingredients (about a cup at a time) to the large mixing bowl with wet ingredients, using a rubber spatula to gently stir and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir until the batter is smooth and there are no clumps.
Add in the shredded carrots and nuts and mix until evenly combined.
Evenly distribute the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The cake should appear firm and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Allow cakes to cool for about 15-20 minutes before carefully transferring on to cooling racks. You may need to use a butter knife and run it around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake.
Once fully cooled, dust with powdered sugar or frost with cream cheese icing.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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