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I just can’t say enough about this banana cake recipe. Except maybe you need to make it now. This banana cake is easy to make, moist and fluffy, and topped with a cream cheese frosting.
Listen I understand when you see some overripe bananas on your counter your brain wants to go to banana bread. And that’s great. Really. I love banana bread.
But sometimes bananas deserve something grander. A higher purpose in life. Sometimes you should take those bananas and turn them into a cake. It’s just as easy, and will disappear quickly. At least it did around our house!
Because what’s not to love? A moist, fluffy banana cake topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. Um, yes please. So, sorry banana bread you’re just going to have to wait today. Because today we are making this cake.
Why You Will Love This Banana Cake Recipe
- Quick And Easy To Prep – You don’t need to cream anything, or use a stand mixer. It uses melted butter so this batter comes together quickly.
- Moist And Fluffy – Because we are using brown sugar, melted butter, and sour cream you end up with a rich, moist cake in the end.
- Great way to use up those bananas. I don’t know about you but I always have some leftover at the end of the week! Banana bread is delicious but this cake is an amazing fun alternative to make with them instead.
Ingredients Needed To Make This Banana Cake Recipe
This banana cake was adapted from my banana cupcake recipe. I doubled the recipe and made a few other changes to turn those cupcakes into this delicious easy banana cake.
For the ingredients:
- Dry Ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: about 4 ripe bananas, melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: cream cheese, unsalted butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
How To Make This Banana Cake- Step By Step
I think the best part of making this banana cake is that it doesn’t require a lot of time or fancy equipment to get the job done. A couple mixing bowls, a whisk and a spatula and you are good to go.
Step 1: Whisk your dry ingredients together and set aside.
Step 2: In a second mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and melted butter.
Step 3: Whisk in your eggs, one at a time. Add your vanilla extract.
Step 4: Mash the bananas and add to the wet ingredients.
Step 5: Alternate the flour mixture and sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Be sure to mix just until the flour is incorporated.
Step 6: Pour Batter Into Pan.
Once your batter has been mixed together go ahead and pour it into your 9×13 pan.
Step 7: Bake Your Cake!
Time to bake! You want to bake this cake in the center of your oven for about 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and a cake skewer (or toothpick) comes out clean.
Making The Cream Cheese Frosting
Once the cake has cooled it’s time to frost. I used my cream cheese frosting recipe for this cake, but you could use my cinnamon cream cheese frosting version and it would be delicious! Or maybe mix it up a bit and try a peanut butter frosting.
This frosting couldn’t be simpler made with softened cream cheese, unsalted butter, pure vanilla extract, and confectioners sugar.
Just make sure you DON’T frost your cake until it’s completed cool!
Tips For Making This Banana Cake:
- Use ripe bananas. All those black specks means a ripe banana and that’s the type of banana you want to use! These have more flavor and will make a moist cupcakes.
- Measure your flour properly. Read this post on how to measure your flour. Too much flour = a dense cupcake. So measure correctly and end up with a light, fluffy cupcake!
- Make sure your eggs are room temperature before you begin. To bring them to room temperature quickly, place the eggs in a bowl with warm water for 10 minutes.
Banana Cake FAQ’s
Can I Make This Cake In Advance?
You absolutely can! Just don’t frost it. You can bake the cake and let it cool then cover it and let store it at room temperature for 2 days OR freeze the cake for up to 3 months. Just wrap it well. I like to use plastic wrap and then tin foil as well.
Once you are ready to enjoy the cake, if frozen, let it thaw at room temperature then frost and enjoy as normal!
Can I Use Greek Yogurt Instead?
I haven’t tried it but I think swapping out greek yogurt would be fine.
Can I Turn This Recipe Into Cupcakes?
Yes! I actually transformed my Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes recipe into this banana cake. This recipe should make about 24 cupcakes, and you would bake them for about 20 minutes.
Can I Bake This Cake In A Bundt Pan?
Baking in a 10-12 cup capacity bundt pan might dry it out a bit but it can be done. Just bake the cake for a little longer – about 50-60 minutes.
Can I Bake This Into A Layer Cake?
I haven’t done this, but I would divide the batter between two greased 9-inch cake pans and bake them for about 26-30 minutes.
More Cake Recipes To Try
- 5-Minute Chocolate Crazy Cake (+VIDEO!)
- Momofuku Milk Bar Cake
- Grapefruit Pound Cake
- Gluten Free Clementine Cake
- Checkerboard Cake
Tools Needed To Make This Banana Cake:
- 9×13 square pan – (If you only have an 8-inch cake pan then you will need to increase the baking time)
- Whisk (I love this whisk because it’s also a scraper)
- Dry Measuring Cups and Liquid measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons <– these are my new favorite set
Let’s Connect!
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Banana cake
Ingredients
For the banana cake
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbs cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (99 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup sourcream
- 4 ripe medium bananas mashed about 1 cup
For the cream cheese frosting
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter softened (2 1/2 sticks, 20 Tbs.)
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 Tbs. heavy cream
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the cupcakes
- Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a large bowl with a whisk together the melted butter and sugar.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla and bananas.
- Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sourcream in 2 additions, mixing until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Whisk until no traces of flour remain, about 30 seconds; do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. 18-20 minutes until the cupcakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to the rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
- For the buttercream
- Combine the butter and confectioners sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on low speed at first, then increase the speed until combined. Add in your heavy cream and vanilla extract, and mix on medium to high speed until incorporated. Add in the peanut butter then mix for 8 minutes until light and creamy. If not using immediately, store in a container in the refrigerator until ready to use, mix again until light and fluffy.
Notes
Use ripe bananas. All those black specks means a ripe banana and that's the type of banana you want to use! These have more flavor and will make a moist cupcakes.
Measure your flour properly. Read this post on how to measure your flour. Too much flour = a dense cupcake. So measure correctly and end up with a light, fluffy cupcake!
Make sure your eggs are room temperature before you begin. To bring them to room temperature quickly, place the eggs in a bowl with warm water for 10 minutes.
Don't overfill your cupcakes! Fill the cupcakes 2/3 to 3/4 full. Overfilled cupcakes can result in your cupcakes sinking in the middle.
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