This Fluffy Banana Coconut Cake delivers two of our favourite South India flavours, banana and coconut. There are about 60 kinds of bananas in South India. Seems like everyone has a banana plant in their backyard. Coconut trees are also abundant. In fact, the name Kerala (one of the South India states) means land of coconuts.
Is it any wonder our friend Pushpir serves a Banana Coconut Cake at his cafe? Pushpir is the owner of Depth ‘N Green in Mysuru. Both locals and yogis visiting Mysuru to train with masters frequent this cafe. The food is fresh and vital. They may come for the vegetarian Thali plates but, they stay for the delicious treats Pushpir also serves up.
We loved Pushpir’s so Banana Coconut Cake so much we were inspired to recreate it. So here’s our ode to that memorable bite of Mysuru, our own Fluffy Banana Coconut Cake recipe.
A few tips: Beating the batter in a stand mixer and using real butter helps it rise to fluffy perfection. The Cream Cheese Icing is completely optional but totally divine.
Let us know if you try it. Leave a comment here. Or, post a photo on Instagram and tag us with @facesplacesplates and #fluffybananacoconut cake too. We hope you love this Fluffy Banana Coconut Cake as much as we do.
Fluffy Banana Coconut Cake Recipe
Yields 12
Total 55 minutes
Ingredients
For the cake:
¾ cup butter, softened plus a little extra to butter the cake pan
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
1¾ cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
pinch of salt
4 mashed bananas
½ cup desiccated unsweetened coconut
For Coconut Cream Cheese Icing:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup coconut cream powder
3 cups icing sugar
Method
For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F, butter a 8×8-inch cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream together on high until fluffy.
Add in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and beating well between each addition.
Add the vanilla and Greek yogurt and beat on high until incorporated.
Pour the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamon, and salt into a sifter and sift them into a small bowl and then add the mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer and beat on low just until the batter is smooth.
Combine the mashed bananas and coconut in a bowl and then add them to the mixer and beat on low just until folded in the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth it to the outer edges of the pan.
Place the cake in the center of the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the top is golden and the center is firm – when tested with a toothpick the toothpick should come out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool.
Enjoy topped with the cream cheese icing below or serve it on its own while still warm from the oven.
For the cream cheese icing:
Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high until fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and coconut powder and beat until smooth then gradually add the icing sugar until smooth and creamy but firm enough to stay on the cake when icing.
