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Home › Recipe

Published: Mar 25, 2019 · Modified: Jun 8, 2020 by Elizabeth Marek · This post may contain affiliate links · 64 Comments

Banana Cake

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This banana cake is insanely moist, flavorful and delicious! 

My mouth is watering thinking about this banana cake again. The first time I tasted it, I actually gasped it was so good! I actually only had to test this recipe twice before I was super happy with the recipe. 

banana cake

Top this amazing banana cake with my cream cheese frosting and I swear you will be eating slices all week like like I was.

I stored the leftover cake in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. I would cut a slice and let it warm for about 30 minutes before eating and omg, so good! It's not often you find a cake recipe that is just as good the next day as it was fresh. 

Can you make this banana cake recipe into cupcakes?

This banana cake can also be made into cupcakes very easily. The batter is pretty loose so I just poured it into my grease-proof cupcake liners to about ¾ full. They baked up in about 20 minutes and where delicious!

banana cupcake

How to choose the right bananas for banana cake

I don't know about you but we always have bananas in our house. Between my pregnancy nausea and my four-year-old, quick snacks are a must. But we never seem to eat ALL of the bananas. There is always one or two left in the bunch that gets too ripe. 

Rather than toss them, I let them continue to ripen. Until they almost start to turn black. Brown spots on bananas equal a sweeter flavor. Do not be tempted to use new bananas or you'll be sorely disappointed in the flavor. 

Then I put them in the freezer. Yea you heard me, the freezer. 

frozen bananas for banana cake

Freezing super ripe bananas actually brings out the sugar in the banana and makes them more flavorful. Plus it's a great way to store those extra ripe bananas until you need them. 

Preparing your banana cake ingredients

This recipe takes three bananas but if your bananas are really small, you might need four. Thaw your bananas in a bowl before you need them. They will drain a sugary liquid, don't worry, this is normal. I just drained off any extra liquid and tossed it. Then just mash it all together with a fork or in your blender to get it smooth.

mashed bananas

I often talk about ingredients needing to be at the same temperature for successfully baking from scratch. In this recipe you definitely want to make sure the bananas and eggs are room temp, the buttermilk is slightly warm and the butter is softened.

You can warm eggs by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes before cracking. Buttermilk and butter can be warmed in the microwave. 

how to make buttermilk pancakes without buttermilk

If you don't have buttermilk you can replace the buttermilk with regular buttermilk plus 1 teaspoon of white vinegar. Let it sit for about 10 minutes then it will be ready to use. 

This banana cake recipe combines white sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar adds some amazing flavor to the banana cake! Just make sure you sift the brown sugar because it tends to get some hard lumps in it and no one likes lumps in their cake. 

The first time I made this cake I didn't add any spices and it definitely lacked that punch I was looking for. The second time around I added in some cinnamon and it definitely adds some much-needed flavor. 

How to make the best banana cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 35oºF and prepare two 8"x2" cake pans with cake goop or another pan release. 
  2. Combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and set aside. 

how to make banana cake

  1. Combine your banana puree, oil, vanilla and buttermilk in a separate bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. 

how to make banana cake

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add your softened butter (not melted like mine was but if it is, it will be ok, mine was). Cream until smooth then sprinkle in your brown and white sugar. Mix on medium until lightened and fluffy. 
  2. Add in your eggs one at a time, letting them combine before adding the next. 
  3. Add in ⅓ of your dry ingredients while mixing on low. Then ⅓ of your liquid. Continue alternating dry/liquid two more times until just combined. Do not over-mix. 

how to make banana cake

  1. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans and bake 35-40 minutes until the center of the cake is baked and a toothpick comes out clean. 

banana cake

Making the cream cheese frosting

This cream cheese frosting is soooo delicious with this banana cake. The frosting is firm enough to frost the cake and do some basic piping but still super soft and creamy. If you prefer a more stable cream cheese frosting you can add extra powdered sugar or try my crusting cream cheese frosting recipe. 

cream cheese frosting

Cream your softened butter in the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth. Then add in your softened cream cheese and blend together until combined. Add in your powdered sugar one cup at a time. Lastly, add in the extract and salt. Don't over-mix or your frosting could separate.

Don't forget to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined well. 

How to caramelize bananas

Ok this part is TOTALLY unnecessary but I have always wanted to try to make caramelized bananas lol. I sliced up a fresh banana about ¼" thick and lightly coated them in white sugar. 

caramelize bananas

I heated my pan to med/high and sauteed my bananas until they started to turn brown. Then gave them a flip. They were very sticky and hard to flip, probably because I had no idea what I was doing. I let the bananas cool on a silicone mat. 

caramelized bananas

The caramelized bananas tasted great on the cake though!

How to make your banana cake

Once your cakes are baked, let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes then flip them out onto the cooling rack to cool the rest of the way. I keep mine covered with a tea towel to keep them from drying out. 

This banana cake is actually really easy to hand and pick up but feels soft. Don't be worried. 

I like a good amount of cream cheese frosting on my cake so I decided to tort my cakes (slice in half lengthwise). Slather on a good portion of cream cheese frosting between each layer. I decided to keep the outside of my banana cake frosted very roughly. 

frosting the banana cake

I used a star tip to pipe on some simple dollops on top of the cake and placed my sad caramelized bananas in the middle. Sure does look pretty!!

banana cake

That first bite was OMG good. I couldn't believe how tasty it was! So super moist, tons of banana flavor and that cream cheese frosting just brought it all together. 

banana cake

Watch my full video on making the most amazing banana cake ever!

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Cups of Batter Needed

8 cups

Cups of Frosting Needed

5 cups

Note: measurements are estimated based off the vanilla cake recipe using standard US cake pans and sizes. Measurements used are for 2" tall cake pans only. Your results may vary. Do not overfill cake pans above manufacturer's recommended guidelines.

Recipe

Banana Cake

The most amazing banana cake recipe with tangy cream cheese frosting. The secret is frozen bananas! Makes two 8"x2" cake rounds or three 6"x2" rounds. 
Print Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 390kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

Banana Cake Ingredients

  • 11 oz cake flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 large eggs room temperature
  • 8 oz sugar
  • 3 oz brown sugar
  • 9 oz very ripe banana puree (about 3 bananas)
  • 4 oz vegetable oil
  • 3 oz buttermilk room temperature
  • 8 oz softened butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

  • 16 oz softened cream cheese
  • 8 oz softened butter unsalted
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract or vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 36 oz sifted powdered sugar 8 cups
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Banana Cake Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF and prepare two 8" cake pans with cake goop or other cake release. 
  • Combine together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and set aside. 
  • Combine together buttermilk, thawed banana (drain off the excess liquid), oil and vanilla. Whisk and set aside. 
  • Place softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and cream until smooth. Sprinkle in brown and white sugar and whip on medium until light and fluffy. 
  • Add in your eggs one at a time, waiting for them to be combined before adding the next. 
  • Add in ⅓ of your flour mixture and then ⅓ of your liquid. Alternate two more times and mix until just combined. 
  • Pour into your prepared cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Let cool fully before frosting. 

Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions

  • Place softened butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with paddle attachment and cream on low until smooth
  • Place softened cream cheese in the bowl with butter in small chunks and cream on low until smooth and combined
  • Add in sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time until combined
  • Add your orange extract and salt. Combine until smooth and creamy. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 89mg | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 This is the best banana cake recipe I've ever had! The secret is frozen bananas and the perfect cream cheese frosting. Your family will love this cake!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynette says

    April 25, 2020 at 7:10 am

    Hey! On your other recipes there's a button, but on here there's not. Thank you.

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      April 25, 2020 at 9:47 am

      Hi, can you please explain what button you are referring to.

      Reply
  2. Lynette says

    April 26, 2020 at 7:34 am

    5 stars
    I realised probably the replies aren't in a thread so let me clarify that. This recipe doesn't have the button that converts from US measurement to metric unlike your other recipes. Is it possible to fix that? Thank you for taking the time to reply.

    Reply
    • The Sugar Geek Show says

      April 26, 2020 at 10:19 pm

      Oh I see! I apologize, I didn't realize it didn't have that info. I have updated it for you.

      Reply
  3. Natalia Pena says

    May 12, 2020 at 4:36 am

    This sounds and looks amazing ! How can I give this cake a kick of coconut flavor ? Can I make coconut cream cheese frosting ? Would it go well ? If so ? Maybe some extract to the frosting and shredded coconut ? Thanks

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      May 12, 2020 at 9:15 am

      Oh that sounds yummy! What about some toasted coconut on the oustside of the cake and some coconut flavoring in the frosting 😀

      Reply
  4. Natalia Pena says

    May 22, 2020 at 7:28 am

    Can I cut this in half ? I want to make cup cakes .
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      May 23, 2020 at 3:38 pm

      Yes you can

      Reply
  5. Debra Mattosky says

    June 10, 2020 at 10:11 am

    Could I add walnuts? How much do you think I’m doing 3 layer cakes 9inch round pans.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      June 15, 2020 at 11:24 am

      Yes you can, I'd add about 1/4 cup chopped

      Reply
  6. Paula Cudicio says

    August 09, 2020 at 3:17 pm

    Hi!! I love everything you do, I folow you from Argentina =). There is one thing that always makes me doubt, how much time can I leave frostings that contein cheese out of the fridge?

    Thank for shearing all your knowleage!!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      August 17, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      You can for a few hours but then they should be refrigerated for health reasons

      Reply
  7. Maria B Rugolo says

    September 06, 2020 at 4:08 pm

    5 stars
    As a newcomer to Sugar Geek Show I first have to comment on the immense amount of invaluable information provided on your website. Your video tutorials are not only step-by-step helpful but the encouragement you provide has me thinking I may just give something a try that before wasn't even a possibility. Thank you so much. Now, for this banana cake! I could not have asked for a better banana cake recipe. I didn't try it for myself but watching eyes light up of others with every bite was proof that this cake was all it promised to be. I did jazz it up a bit with homemade caramel that I used as a drizzle and toasted and crushed up walnuts and topped the cake with them. Thank you Ms Liz for an unbeatable combination of recipe, instructions and results. May I also take a moment to comment on how absolutely precious your Avalon is and how much I enjoy her interaction in some of your videos (especially your beautiful character pancakes!) You are amazingly talented and a blessing to share so much with us. God bless you and keep you and your family safe during these unprecedented times.

    Reply
  8. ALICIA TAFUA says

    September 09, 2020 at 8:41 am

    5 stars
    I have tried several of your recipes and I love them all. I can't wait to try this one. Was thinking of adding some chocolate chips to make it a Banana Chocolate Chip cake. Thank you for sharing all of these delicious recipes and tutorials with us.

    Reply
  9. Sarah Ahmadia says

    October 03, 2020 at 7:03 am

    Hi Liz!

    Is this sturdy enough to be the bottom tier in a 8"/6" round tiered cake? I usually make my tiers fairly high using 3 2"layers. Any help is appreciated!

    Sarah

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      December 06, 2020 at 1:23 pm

      Definitely, just fill your pans more

      Reply
  10. Eve says

    February 01, 2021 at 5:36 am

    4 stars
    Tender crumbs
    Tasty tasty tasty!
    Personal preference ... a little less sugar
    Definitely a keeper
    Thank you very much Liz!

    Reply
  11. Adriana says

    March 01, 2021 at 10:47 am

    5 stars
    Hello!
    I tried this one yesterday and came out AMAZING. Do you think I could add 1 cup of choc chips?
    BTW Thank you!! I've made many of your recipes and everyone LOVES them.

    Reply
  12. Chetna says

    May 05, 2021 at 1:58 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe. I got the amazingly soft and moist cake for the first time ever. Thanks Liz!

    Reply
  13. Marilyn Marshall says

    September 27, 2021 at 8:34 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipy really works banana cupcakes absolutely perfect thankyou

    Reply
  14. Jo says

    October 01, 2021 at 1:17 am

    This is the best Banana Cake recipe, ever!!!
    We don't have all purpose flour, in the UK. So used Plain Flour. Cake was soft, moist and delicious.
    Tasted amazing.. I also added some nutmeg, to cake batter, and used mascaponi Cheese for the frosting.
    Thank you Liz for sharing xx
    .

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Liz! I'm an artist and cake decorator from Portland, Oregon. Cakes are my obession, which is why I'm dedicated to crafting tried-and-true recipes, small cake tutorials, as well as advanced online cake courses!

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