Banana Cocoa Cake with Almond Butter Swirl (Paleo)
This Banana Cocoa Cake with Almond Butter Swirl will satisfy your chocolate cravings without breaking your diet. This cake is Paleo, gluten-free, sweetened almost entirely with bananas, and healthy enough for breakfast!
Happy New Year, internet friends! Can you believe it’s 2015? I hope the first few days of the New Year have been treating you right.
Unfortunately, my first few days of the year I’ve been stuck on the couch trying to fight off a monster of a cold/flu combo. Not fun. I’m on my couch bundled in blankets right now, so I’m not gonna type your ear off, but rather, tell you about this delicious cake and get back to recovering so I can bake up more treats to share!
This Banana Cocoa Cake is easy to throw together, and marries together a bunch of my favorite flavors. Chocolate, banana, and almond butter? Yes please!
This cake is less of a celebration cake, and more a snack cake – one that’s totally healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast! It’s sweetened mostly with bananas (so make sure they’re ripe!), with just a bit of honey to balance out the cocoa. The bananas add lots of sweetness and moisture, and who doesn’t love chocolate and banana together?!
The combo of flours in this cake is one of my favorites for Paleo desserts – I love how the combination of almond flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour makes a light and fluffy cake that’s barely distinguishable from gluten-filled counterparts.
I also added a swirl of almond butter on top of this cake. I adore the way that it looks swirled onto the cake, and it tastes delicious with the chocolate and banana. If you’re not Paleo, peanut butter would be delicious here as well!
Again, happy 2015 everyone, and I hope your year is off to a sweet start :) enjoy!
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Banana Cocoa Snack Cake (Paleo)
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas (~250g, mashed)
- 2 tablespoons 30g coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons 30g honey
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup 63g almond flour
- 1/4 cup 28g coconut flour
- 1/4 cup 25g tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 oz. dark chocolate (chopped (optional, omit for strict paleo))
- 1/4 cup almond butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8″ or 9″ round baking pan with coconut oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey, eggs, milk, mashed bananas, and vanilla.
- Stir in the almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Fold in chocolate chunks if using.
- Spread batter in prepared pan and dollop almond butter on top. You may want to warm the almond butter slightly in the microwave so it’s a thinner consistency. Swirl almond butter into the batter.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving.
That sounds wonderful! Love the ingredients, it sounds so healthy but rich too :)
Looks so pretty & I can’t believe how healthy it is! Pinning so I can make this for my hubby. So sorry to hear you’re under the weather! Hope you get well real soon :)
Aww, hope you kick that cold/flu’s butt, that’s no fun :( THis cake looks amazing, and I can’t believe all the healthy ingredients in there! Amazing and so pretty!
This cake is fantastic!!
I would have never guessed this is Paleo just by looking at the pictures. Well done, delicious and healthy at the same time!
This looks insanely delicious and I’m so excited that it is acceptable for breakfast! Yummm!
I just picked up a jar of almond butter FOR THE FIRST TIME. Can you believe that??? I love all of your paleo/healthy cakes and this one looks to die for!! Hope you get to feeling better soon!!!
No way!! Almond butter is my favorite. You’ll love it :) thanks Nicole!
Cake for breakfast? Sign me up! This looks incredible and the perfect way to use those black (perfectly sweet) bananas that have been on my counter.
Holy Yum! This is one decadent looking cake. And I would have never imagined it being paleo.
I hope you get to feeling better!
Could this be made with all almond flour?
Hi Cassie, it could be, but the texture may be slightly different. I would use about 1 1/2 cups to start, you may need to add up to another 1/4 cup if the batter seems too runny! I’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Enjoy!
All I can say is WOW! This cake is absolutely stunning, Rachel! I can’t believe I’ve never tried almond butter- I’m definitely missing out as it sounds SO good! Lovely recipe!
I’m excited to try this blend of flours, instead of just experimenting with one at a time like I usually do, and the swirl on top is a perfect finish! The colds going around are terrible this year. Get well soon!
Thanks so much Jaclyn! I’d love to hear what you think of the cake if you try it, this flour mix is one of my favorites.
Wow Rachel, every recipe you post looks just right. Really awesome photos in combination with really delicious dishes. Wish you a great year 2015 too!
Happy New Year, Rachel! I hope you feel better and can get back in the kitchen soon :)
This cake is so lovely… what a gorgeous almond butter swirl!
YEPP this is how I love to do healthy!!! Love all the flavors!
I am 100 percent making this and gonna eat as a post-workout treat!
Flu is not fun so I’m hoping your feeling now Rachel. This cake can’t be healthy, it looks too good! I’m trying to expand my baking range so I’m pinning this for future reference.
Yum! This is just my kind of cake! That swirl is gorgeous :)
This cake looks incredible! Chocolate, banana and almond butter sound totally amazing! Love that this is healthier with the almond, coconut and tapioca flour! Happy New Year, Rachel, hope you feel better soon!
Thank you so much, Kelly! Happy New Year :)
Ooo this looks so good and I’m loving that it’s paleo!! I also love that oozing piece of chocolate, pinned! :)
Thanks so much, Christina!
Oh my goodness, I need this for breakfast like every single day!
I am DYING over the almond butter swirl in this cake! Chocolate and banana and almond butter are such a perfect combo, and what a fantastic idea to put them all together in this cake. I hope you don’t get the flu! Feel better soon!
Ooh, looks delicious! I love the tasty combo of chocolate and banana. Thanks for sharing a dessert that won’t make me feel guilty. :)
Get better soon!
Happy New Year! Here’s to a healthy and satisfying 2015! And hope you get better from your flu real soon. I do love to see cake – all kinds of cakes! Snack cakes, everyday cakes, just might be my favorite. I love how they’re a bit lighter and there’s no need for frosting. The swirls on top of this one are so pretty just like that. : )
Fantastic looking cake! Wish you a very Happy New Year Rachel!
This looks amazing! And it definitely doesn’t “look” healthy :)
I got sick over Christmas break too. No fun! Hope you’re feeling better soon friend. This cake sounds delicious! Love that it’s paleo too
So glad I can eat this and not break any health-resolutions!
Absolutely beautiful and that close up shot of your banana cocoa cake with almond butter makes you want to dive right into the screen. With the new year in swing this is the perfect cake to have a little indulgence and stay true to our motto of eating a little healthier. Looking forward to keeping in touch. Pinned!
I’m such a sucker for anything with a swirl! This looks so good! I wish I had a piece for dessert right now!
The almond butter swirl looks amazing and I love the bits of chocolate in the cake. Happy new year!
Oh yum – a snack cake sounds totally up my alley, and I’m with you – LOVE these flavors together! Can’t wait to try this!
Happy new year! I am a huge fan of this combination of flours too, and it’s clear from the texture of this cake how well it works! I hope you’re feeling better and making up for a rough start to the year!
Oh man – so sorry to hear that you’re sick! I hope you’re mostly recovered by now! My whole family came down with terrible colds right after Christmas and fortunately I escaped unscathed. I love that you made this cake paleo – I’ve still never baked with coconut flour, but I’m going to make that my first new year’s resolution!
Happy New Year Rachel! Oh no, so sorry to hear you’re sick! Get well soon and send more delicious recipes involving chocolate and bananas our way :) Looks amazing!
Oh wow! This looks amazing….and erm, guilt free right!?
Cake that’s healthy enough for breakfast AND includes chocolate, bananas, and almond butter? (3 of my all-time favorite things?) It’s like a dream come true!! I just want to snatch a piece straight off the computer screen! Pinned! :) Feel better soon!!
Thank you so much, Amy!!
Did you just give me permission to eat cake for breakfast?! Awesome! This cake looks beyond amazing and perfectly moist and light! Pinned!
It looks very good. I like to eat banana cake.
I like it very much.
Ahhh I have almost everything needed to make this NOW, I love banana and almond butter and this swirly cake takes two of my favourite things and makes them even better. Gorgeous, definitely trying this cake soon.
That looks simply amazing!I love that it is mostly sweetened with bananas! And your pictures are beautiful :)
LOVE that this is gluten free and healthy! Chocolate + banana is always a win!
Do I have to use tapioca flour? I only have almond and coconut.. Making it right now, so should I just run to the store and get it?!?
Hi Jill, you can substitute corn or potato starch if you have either of them! I wouldn’t recommend substituting with coconut or almond flour.