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WW Recipe of the Day: Low-Fat Old-Fashioned Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Low fat banana cake, a lighter from scratch fresh banana cake with a thin layer of sweet peanut butter frosting. This banana cake is an old family favorite recipe that I’ve tinkered with—decreasing the sugar and fat—to make it more Weight Watchers friendly.
I also cut the frosting recipe in half, spreading the cake with a thinner layer of sweet peanut butter frosting—so you get all the lusciousness; just less of it.
If you don’t like peanut butter frosting, feel free to substitute a thin layer of your favorite icing—vanilla, chocolate, cream cheese, and coconut—would all be delicious.
The original recipe is from one of my favorite baking books, Sylvia’s Cakes and Breads: Famous Recipes from a Small Maine Kitchen (affiliate link), by Sylvia Hocking, who for years ran a little bakeshop and mail order business from her home kitchen and whose clients included Julie Andrews, Dave Grusin, and John Williams.
Ingredients
- Coconut or vegetable oil
- Salt
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda
- Low fat buttermilk
- 2 large very ripe bananas
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Hot water
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Peanut butter
How to Make Banana Cake with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting, Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients. Position oven rack in the center and preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease an 8-inch baking pan (affiliate link) or 9-inch baking pan; set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer (affiliate link) on medium, beat the oil and sugar until well blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk and add to the mixture.
Step 3: Add the mashed bananas and beat until thoroughly mixed.
Step 4: Add the flour and stir just until combined.
Step 5: Pour the batter in the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
Step 6: Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.
Step 7: Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 8: To make the frosting: Place the butter and water in a small saucepan and heat to boiling. Pour over the sugar. Stir in the peanut butter until well blended and creamy.
Step 9: Quickly spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake.
How Many Calories and WW Points in Low-Fat Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting?
According to my calculations, each slice of lightly frosted cake has about 171 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
8 SmartPoints (Green plan)
8 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
8 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 PointsPlus (Old plan)
If you’ve made this Low-Fat Banana Cake, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Low Fat Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cups low fat buttermilk
- 1 cup mashed bananas (2 large very ripe bananas)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Frosting
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the center and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8-inch or 9 x 9-inch square baking pan (affiliate link).
- In a large bowl, with an electric mixer (affiliate link), beat the coconut oil and sugar until well blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk and add to the mixture.
- Add the mashed bananas and beat until well blended.
- Add the flour and stir just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it out evenly.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place the baking pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, place the butter and water in a very small saucepan and heat to boiling. Pour over the sugar. Stir in the peanut butter until well blended and creamy.
- Quickly spread the frosting over the cooled cake.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 8 SmartPoints (Green plan) 8 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 8 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 5 PointsPlus (Old plan) If you don’t like peanut butter frosting, feel free to substitute a thin layer of your favorite icing—vanilla, chocolate, cream cheese, and coconut—would all be delicious.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: Sylvia’s Cakes and Breads: Famous Recipes from a Small Maine Kitchen (affiliate link) by Sylvia Hocking
If You Like this Low Fat Banana Cake You Might Also Like
- Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding – a comfort food makeover with just 7 WW Points.
- Easy Microwave Mug Banana Cocoa Pudding Cake – satisfy those chocolate urges with this simple single-serving microwave (affiliate link) pudding cake.
- Chocolate Banana Muffins – a low calorie, healthier alternative to sugary coffee shop baked goods.
- Healthy Harvest Fresh Apple Cake Recipe – lighter, healthier classic apple cake.
This was wonderful! I even lowered the fat and calorie content more by substiting applesauce and FF Greek yogurt for the oil, using egg substitute and skim milk soured with lemon juice.
Glad you liked it Lauren!
There’s a low fat apple cake recipe on the web that doesn’t use any oil and only 1/3 cup sugar. I’m going to make that with bananas. It’s amazing with apples and I’ve made it 3 X’s this past week. Yes, it’s that good. 116 calories/slice
Would love the apple cake recipe!
Where can I get that recipe?
Just scroll down to the recipe card!
Hi – Just wanted to share… Made this delicious cake earlier this week – it actually seems to be improving with age – the bananas keep it really moist. It’s a real winner – and has gone in my regular recipe files. Particularly enjoyed the light, but very tasty, layer of icing – made it feel indulgent. The little 2×2 squares are surprisingly generous for a LFLS dessert – I love that they’re actually taller than square! Just fo glamourize it up – I had a little bit of dark chocolate ganache in the fridge – warmed it in a zip bag and piped lines about an inch apart and them “feathered” them – napoleon style. Only used 2 T of the ganache, so no critical change in calories – and made it beautiful enough for guests! Thanks again – definitely going to look at your recipes time and again when I’m “browsing”.
Carol,
Thanks for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment. I very much appreciate it. Love what you did with the chocolate ganache to “dress up” this dessert for guests. I must remember that the next time I make an iced cake, since I rarely remember to fancy things up 🙂
I think you could make it in a crockpot. Hope so! Love your recipies everything Ive made from your web site is delicious. LOVE the Chocolate pudding cake taste like brownies!
You basically just have to utter the words “peanut butter” and I’m interested, but this cake really does sound delicious! I love bananas spread with peanut butter, so I can only imagine how amazing this tastes.