I just can’t say enough about this banana cake recipe. Except maybe you need to make it now. This cake is easy to make, moist and fluffy, and topped with a cream cheese frosting. Ready to be baked in less than 30 minutes!
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 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
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 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: Combine dry ingredients.
Whisk your dry ingredients together and set aside.
Step 2: Combine butter and sugar.
In a second mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and melted butter.
Step 3: Add eggs and vanilla.
Whisk in your eggs, one at a time. Add your vanilla extract.
Step 4: Add the bananas.
You want to mash them up first in a small bowl then mix them into the wet mixture.
Step 5: Alternate the flour mixture and sour cream.
You will start 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!
Heather’s Baking Tips
- 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.
Recipe FAQ’s
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. (if it’s frosted you want to refrigerate it because of the cream cheese).
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!
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.
For 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.
For bundt cake: 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.
More Banana Recipes To Try
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 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup (227 g) sourcream
- 4 ripe medium bananas mashed about 1 cup
For the cream cheese frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 8 Tablespoons (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) confectioners sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the cake:
- Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 pan.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a second 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.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven on a center rack for about 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- For the cream cheese frosting
- Combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Add the confectioner sugar, one cup at a time. Mix on low until combined.
- Add vanilla and mix until combined
- Mix on medium sped until smooth and creamy.
Video
Notes
-
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.ÂCan 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.
Tina says
Hi! I just made this and they turned out super light and fluffy! However, they lacked a bit of banana flavor and I don’t know why! I measured all my ingredients by weight and used 340g of bananas as I saw you wrote on your banana bread recipe that 4 med bananas is around 340 (I live in a different country so I wasn’t sure if my med is your med). I did use half butter and half oil, and yogurt in place of sour cream if that helps. You can see the difference in color, it didn’t have the streaky banana look like yours do in your pics! Please let me know where I went wrong!
Heather says
Hi Tina! I’m wondering if maybe your bananas weren’t ripe enough? The darker and more speckled in color the more intense the banana flavor would be, so perhaps they just weren’t as ripe as they need to be. Glad you liked the cake though otherwise!
Stacey says
I used 5 medium left over bananas and 4 goose eggs from my flock, super yummy recipe. My family loves it. The frosting rocks super easy. Thank you Sunday morning easy peasy.
Heather says
Aw that’s awesome Stacey! So happy to hear that 🙂 and love that you are using your own eggs from your Geese!
Eden says
The title of this recipe is enough to make me want to try it! It sounds absolutely heavenly!
[email protected] says
Thanks Eden! I hope you love it!
Nicoletta says
If is so moist! Love banana bread but I think I found a new love in this banana cake!
Moop Brown says
This cake seems super easy to make and has the perfect texture as well. Can’t wait to try!
Marisa F. Stewart says
This recipe looks just like the one our neighbor used to make and gift to our family. We loved it!! The recipe brings such good memories. I’ve got extra bananas and I’m so happy to have the recipe to make the cake.
Kim says
Don’t forget to add the baking soda to the dry ingredients. Its mentioned in the ingredients but not in the instructions.
Heather says
Thank you Kim for that catch! It’s updated now 🙂
Leslie says
What a wonderful banana cake recipe! I love the cream cheese frosting with this. Such a great choice of flavors!
Heidy Linn says
This banana cake recipe came out perfectly moist and delicious! I enjoyed every morsel, and so did my family. Excellent is the word I would use to describe this banana cake. I will be sharing this recipe link with a few friends!
Have a great weekend!
Heidy
Veronika says
Yes, please! Can I have a slice or two of these delicious banana cake? It’s one of my favorites and I can eat it any day of the week!
Tammy says
Not even going to lie, I would be eating this for breakfast and dessert!! It looks absolutely perfect…so light and moist! 😀
Marta says
I don’t make enough banana cakes and I have no idea why. This was a great way to break the no-banana cake-baking streak. Delicious and moist!
Amanda says
This banana cake turned out beautifully! It had the perfect level of moisture, and I loved the fluffy texture. I’ll definitely make this again!
Heather says
Thanks Amanda! I’m so glad you liked the cake!