Chocolate? Vanilla? Can’t decide? You don’t have to with this Gluten Free Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Banana Bundt Cake. Two cups of bananas and instant pudding mix make this cake extra rich and decadent.
Did you know there are lots of different kinds of bananas?!
I mean, duh, I guess that’s not such a novel discovery. I always assumed there were different kinds of bananas because it seems like there are different variations of quite a few fruits. You have how many different types of apples???!
But, bananas? All I’ve ever seen are regular bananas, those tiny little midget bananas (I’m pretty sure that’s not the formal name for them), and plantains. And I’m not actually sure a plantain is a banana. Who knows.
Anyway, here in Hawaii they have these short stumpy bananas called apple bananas. I didn’t actually know they were different from regular bananas at first. I just thought Hawaii grew really funky looking bananas. Then I tried one and realized that not only was the shape weird, but the taste was not the same as the bananas I had grown up eating. They basically taste like a coconut infused banana. In fact, Ben took one bite and called it a coconut banana. Which still stumps me why they’re called apple bananas when they taste like coconut. Hmmm…
They are also a bit firmer and starchier than a regular banana, but also juicier. I know…weird…hard to make sense of. How is it firmer, yet juicier? I don’t know. I’m doing my best here trying to explain a fruit you’ve probably never tried and most likely never will.
And at this point I’m realizing that you probably don’t care at all about these coconut apple bananas that you will never ever eat. So why don’t I just shut my keyboard up and talk to you about this heavenly and oh so decadent Gluten Free Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Banana Bundt Cake?!
Now we’re speaking the same language!
Okay, the whole point of the banana background explanation was to give you my reason for making this cake. Our neighbor brought over an entire bunch of these apple bananas that were almost overly ripe to begin with. We inhaled a handful of them for the next two days, and then I had to find something to do with the remaining half dozen.
I threw a couple in the freezer to make smoothies with, but I was itching to make banana bread with the rest. Who doesn’t love some banana bread???
Well funny how banana BREAD quickly turned into chocolate swirled banana CAKE with drizzled chocolate ganache on top. Ooops! How did that happen??? So much for a healthy after school snack, eh? Instead we made ourselves a “wait until after dinner and you can have yourself a sliver” kind of a snack.
You would assume that I decided to do a chocolate vanilla swirl because it would look oh so pretty and taste oh so flavorful, right? Wrong!
Truth is, I’m quite indecisive. Plain and simple. Most often it’s a hindrance, but in this case my inability to make the simplest of decisions (chocolate or vanilla) yielded the most delicious and beautiful banana bundt cake you ever did see.
Really, I just couldn’t decide which flavor I wanted more of. So I simply split my banana cake batter in half and added chocolate pudding mix with a little cocoa powder to one half and vanilla pudding mix to the other half.
Now if you are a chocolate fan, go all in with chocolate and don’t split the batter. Just use an entire pack of pudding mix, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, and a full cup of chocolate chips and mix it with the batter. Or if you are a vanilla fan add an entire pack of vanilla pudding mix to the batter.
BUT, if you are indecisive adventurous like me, MIX IT UP BABY!
I love the look of the swirls in this cake. It just makes it look so sophisticated and pretty and like you slaved hours over this cake. Well, secret’s out…it’s pretty easy!
This cake is so moist, tender, and decadent from the 2 cups of mashed bananas and pudding mix added to the batter. It’s rich without being overly dense. It basically has the feel and texture of a sour cream bundt cake, only with no sour cream. So you know, that probably wasn’t the best way of describing it then. Haha! But you get what I mean.
Now just because I used apple bananas for this cake doesn’t mean you need to. It works just perfectly with regular old ripened mashed up bananas. It’s all the same.
And on top of being delicious as is, this cake is drizzled with chocolate ganache!!! Uh, heck yes! Bring it on!
And then to really top things off, I sprinkled the melted chocolate with toasted pecans. Seriously, we are REALLY talking now. In fact, I think we’re pretty much best friends now because you are going to fall in love with this cake and therefore fall in love with MEEEEEE!
That’s pretty much how I make friends. I feed them.
So if you don’t already have some ripened bananas sitting on your counter, get your booty to the store and buy a bunch. Literally, a bunch. And then talk to me next weekend after you make this cake. Odds are, you’re going to like me.
What exotic fruit do you love?
- For the cake:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups ripened mashed bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sweet sorghum flour
- ½ cup gluten free oat flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- 3 tablespoons tapioca flour
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ small package (3.4 oz size) chocolate instant pudding mix
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ small package (3.4 oz size) vanilla instant pudding mix
- For the ganache:
- 1½ cups chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or half and half
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour (with any gluten free flour) a bundt pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one and a time and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. Add vanilla and mix until smooth.
- In a separated smaller mixing bowl, sift together sorghum flour, oat flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum.
- Add half of dry mixture to butter mixture and mix on low until incorporated. Add mashed bananas and mix on low until smooth. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix on low until well incorporated.
- Divide batter in half. Add ½ package of chocolate pudding mix, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and ½ cup chocolate chips to one half of the batter. Add ½ package of vanilla pudding mix to other half of batter. Stir both batters until smooth.
- Alternately scoop batter into bundt pan mold until both batters are gone. Using a knife, gently swirl through the batter, being careful to not overmix.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until top of cake bounces back at the touch of a finger and toothpick inserted into center comes out with few crumbs.
- Remove from the oven and cool in pan on cooling rack for 20 minutes before inverting to continue cooling.
- Once ready to serve, microwave remaining cup of chocolate chips and cream or half and half in a microwave safe dish at 50% power for 1 minute. Remove and let sit for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, microwaving in additional 15 second intervals if needed. Drizzle chocolate over top of cake and add pecan pieces if desired.
- Store cake in a loosely sealed container for up to three days or in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
This looks amazing! Saw it shared on FB and just pinned it. Beautiful!
Brielle says
Why thank you Emily!!! That is so sweet of you. It’s pretty delicious!
Emily says
This looks amazing, I love finding GF dessert recipes that look like they are actual bread. Does this have to be made in a bundt cake dish or can you make this like regular bread?
Brielle says
Thank you so much Emily! You could definitely cook this in another pan. Just adjust the baking time, and don’t fill the pan more that 2/3 way full or it may rise over the top. Happy baking!