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Banana Cake
Banana cake combines perfectly ripe bananas, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cream cheese frosting to create a yummy layer cake with just the right amount of sweetness.
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Soft, moist, and rich, banana cake is a yummy layer cake that’s slathered in cream cheese frosting. This irresistible and easy-to-make cake is perfectly flavored with ripe bananas, cinnamon, and vanilla.
MORE RECIPES: Banana Bread Pudding | Chocolate Banana Bread | Chocolate Dump Cake
Banana Cake
Banana Cake tastes like a moist banana bread that’s been covered in a lip-smacking cream cheese frosting. This classic cake is simple to make and a perfect choice for a birthday cake or other celebration.
A crowd favorite, this scrumptious cake tastes delicious paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a cold glass of iced tea. Serve your cake to friends and family at a picnic, potluck, or any other occasion.
With just the right amount of sweetness, banana cake is a tasty dessert with banana, brown sugar, and cinnamon flavor. The sweet cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly with the moist banana cake.
Banana Cake Ingredients
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Flour - all-purpose flour
- Butter - salted butter
- Sugar - granulated sugar
- Sugar - light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Buttermilk
- Bananas - mashed bananas
- Lemon - juice of 1 lemon if decorating the exterior of the cake with banana slices
- Cream cheese
- Sugar - powdered sugar
- Cream - heavy cream
Probably the most important ingredient, make sure you get ripe bananas for this cake recipe or wait until they are ripe. The bananas are perfect when the peel is a deep yellow with a few brown spots.
Just like chopped nuts are a delicious addition to banana bread, they are also a tasty addition to this banana cake. Pecans or walnuts add a lovely crunch to this soft cake. Chocolate is another yummy addition that can be added to your banana cake. You could add either regular or mini chocolate chips to your homemade banana cake to take it to the next level. If you want to garnish your finished cake with banana slices, wait until you are ready to serve so that the slices don’t brown.
If you prefer taller cake layers you can use smaller cake pans, either 7” or 8” pans. You could also bake this cake in a single layer.
How to Make Banana Cake
Cake Instructions:
FIRST STEP: Preheat oven to 350°F.
SECOND STEP: In a mixing bowl, whisk together cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour. Set aside.
THIRD STEP: Cream together butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer.
FOURTH STEP: Add eggs and vanilla and beat until the batter is fluffy.
FIFTH STEP: Beginning and ending with the buttermilk, rotate adding the buttermilk and flour mixture until fully combined and fluffy.
SIXTH STEP: Mix in mashed bananas until combined.
SEVENTH STEP: Prepare two 9-inch round pans by lining the bottom with parchment paper and spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
EIGHTH STEP: Divide the batter between the two cake pans.
NINTH STEP: Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
TENTH STEP: Remove pans and cool for 15 minutes. Gently remove cakes from pans to cooling racks and cool completely.
Frosting Instructions:
ELEVENTH STEP: Beat together softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fully combined.
TWELFTH STEP: Add in powdered sugar and beat until smooth - mixture will be thick.
THIRTEENTH STEP: Drizzle heavy cream into the frosting mixture while beating until frosting is fluffy and to a spreadable consistency.
Assembly Instructions:
FOURTEENTH STEP: Trim the top of each cake layer to remove any doming and form a flat surface.
FIFTEENTH STEP: Place the first cake layer top side up onto the serving platter.
SIXTEENTH STEP: Mound about ½ cup of frosting onto the cake layer and spread smooth to the edges.
SEVENTEENTH STEP: Place the second cake layer top side down on top of the filling. Press down gently to seal the layers together.
EIGHTEENTH STEP: Mound another pile of frosting on top of the cake and use a spatula to spread it across the top and down the sides until the cake is fully frosted.
NINETEENTH STEP: Decorate with banana slices (dip banana slices in lemon juice to prevent browning) or however you’d like.
TWENTIETH STEP: Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.
Can I bake this cake in a single layer?
You can bake your banana cake in a single layer. Just adjust your baking time to suit the size of the pan.
Can I freeze banana cake?
You can freeze this cake for up to one month. You can either make the cake ahead of time and freeze it or freeze leftover portions. If you make the cake ahead of time you can freeze the whole cake or make the two cakes and wait to assemble it with the frosting until you are ready to serve it.
Can I use store-bought cream cheese frosting?
If you need to save time you can use store-bought cream cheese frosting in place of homemade.
How to Store Banana Cake
IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover banana cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
IN THE FREEZER: Banana cake can be frozen either whole or in portions. Store cake in a freezer-safe container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to one month. Defrost in the refrigerator before serving.
Banana Cake
Banana cake combines perfectly ripe bananas, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cream cheese frosting to create a yummy layer cake with just the right amount of sweetness.
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Ingredients
Cake Batter Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 large) plus 2 additional bananas for decorating, if desired
- Juice of 1 lemon if decorating the exterior of the cake with banana slices
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 2-8 oz. packages cream cheese softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour. Set aside.
- Cream together butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat until the batter is fluffy.
- Beginning and ending with the buttermilk, rotate adding the buttermilk and flour mixture until fully combined and fluffy.
- Mix in mashed bananas until combined.
- Prepare two 9-inch round pans by lining the bottom with parchment paper and spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove pans and cool for 15 minutes. Gently remove cakes from pans to cooling racks and cool completely.
Frosting Instructions
- Beat together softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fully combined.
- Add in powdered sugar and beat until smooth - mixture will be thick.
- Drizzle heavy cream into the frosting mixture while beating until frosting is fluffy and to a spreadable consistency.
Assembly Instructions
- Trim the top of each cake layer to remove any doming and form a flat surface.
- Place the first cake layer top side up onto the serving platter.
- Mound about ½ cup of frosting onto the cake layer and spread smooth to the edges.
- Place the second cake layer top side down on top of the filling. Press down gently to seal the layers together.
- Mound another pile of frosting on top of the cake and use a spatula to spread it across the top and down the sides until the cake is fully frosted.
- Decorate with banana slices (dip banana slices in lemon juice to prevent browning) or however you’d like.
- Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- For taller cake layers, use smaller cake pans, like 7” or 8” pans.
- This cake is so delicious, it tastes like moist, dense banana bread slathered in cream cheese frosting.
- Ripe bananas are best. Wait until peels are deep yellow and beginning to have brown spots. Mash ripe bananas with a fork.
- Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Calories: 7818kcal | Carbohydrates: 1149g | Protein: 65g | Fat: 346g | Saturated Fat: 213g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 89g | Trans Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 1233mg | Sodium: 4500mg | Potassium: 3209mg | Fiber: 21g | Sugar: 850g | Vitamin A: 11599IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 867mg | Iron: 19mg
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