If you’re searching for the best banana cake recipe, your search is over. Not banana bread masquerading as cake—this is a soft, buttery, ultra-moist sheet cake loaded with real banana flavor and topped with silky cream cheese frosting.
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
My Go-To, Never-Fail Banana Cake
This is my go-to banana cake when I have a bunch of overripe bananas sitting on the counter—and once you try it, you’ll understand why. It’s unbelievably soft and moist with a rich buttery crumb and plenty of bold banana flavor in every bite. We’re not making banana bread here—this is a true cake, tender and fluffy, topped with a thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting that takes it over the top.
It’s simple enough for a casual bake, yet special enough for birthdays, gatherings, and holidays. One bite and you’ll understand why this is a reader favorite!
One reader, Paul, commented: “I have been baking for 15 years. I use nothing but the finest ingredients. This banana cake IS by far the best banana cake I have ever made or tasted!!! ★★★★★“
Another reader, Lorena, commented: “Words don’t do justice to what happens to your taste buds as they experience the first bite. The texture is perfectly moist, the flavor is exquisite. Hands down the best banana cake ever. It’s one of those recipes that you want to pass down as family heirlooms. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Jacqui, commented: “The title of this recipe definitely holds true… this is a keeper for sure! ★★★★★“
Another reader, Barb, commented: “My husband tried it and said that this was the best banana cake he’d ever had. I told him that was the name of the recipe! … We’d give it 10 stars if we could. Great recipe, Sally, thank you! ★★★★★“
Remember that time I told you about the best banana cake I’ve ever had? I enjoyed obsessed over it at a family reunion. My husband’s cousin made it and I stalked her down like a dessert creep and proceeded to talk her ear off about cream cheese frosting and spotty bananas for 35 minutes straight.
What? You don’t do that at parties?
It was the moistest cake I’ve ever eaten. Stick-to-the-back of your fork moist. The perfect cream cheese frosting, both sweet and tangy, sinking into the top of the cake made it even moister. Sweet, but not overpowering. Mega banana flavor, certainly more banana flavor than any banana bread I’ve ever eaten. Very buttery and cakey from creaming the butter and sugars. Just a ridiculously rich, decadent dessert.
The banana cake was dense, but not heavy. If that makes any sense? (Coming from the lady who talks about rotting bananas at social gatherings, but stick with me here.) The crumb was very soft, but they were tight crumbs. The cake didn’t fall apart when you took a forkful.
It was, hands down, the best banana cake I’ve ever had. And I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
Start With Spotty Bananas
The recipe starts with 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas, or about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas. Now, make sure those bananas are nice and spotty. More brown spots = sweeter, more banana flavor. It’s what you want for banana bread, chocolate banana bread, and banana muffins, too. Your cake (and everyone who eats it) will thank you.
I simply mash the bananas in my mixer—the same mixer I use to make the rest of the batter. Beat the bananas on high speed for a minute, then transfer to another bowl. No need to wash the mixing bowl before you cream the butter and sugars.
Can I Use Frozen Bananas?
Yes and I do this often. Thaw the frozen bananas at room temperature. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe below. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
Other Ingredients You Need:
- Flour: All-purpose flour creates the structure of this banana cake.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: For lift. Be sure they are fresh—expired leaveners will leave you with a dense, stodgy cake.
- Cinnamon & Salt: For flavor.
- Butter: Be sure to start with proper room-temperature butter.
- Sugar: You need both white granulated and brown sugar to sweeten this cake.
- Eggs: To bind everything together and add tenderness and lift.
- Vanilla: Essential for flavor in all banana desserts!
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is the moist-maker in this cake. The cake wouldn’t be what it is without it! You also need the acid in buttermilk to help the baking soda do its job. If you don’t keep buttermilk on hand or can’t find it at the store, you can make this buttermilk substitute: measure 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Pour into a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups. Stir, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then it’s ready to be added to your batter.
Here’s the batter. There will be some lumps, and that’s fine!
You can use either a metal or glass 9×13-inch pan. I usually bake this cake in a glass pan, which works really well and bakes it evenly. If using glass, the bake time may be on the slightly longer end.
The Best Frosting for Banana Cake
This is the silkiest and smoothest cream cheese frosting I’ve ever tasted! It’s similar to the cream cheese frosting that we use for carrot cake, but the ratio of cream cheese to butter is different. For this banana cake, we’re using a 2:1 ratio of cream cheese to butter, instead of the carrot cake’s 4:1 ratio. So this makes the frosting a little firmer, silkier, and definitely more buttery!
There’s also a lot of cream cheese frosting. When you begin slathering it onto the cake, you’ll probably go “Sally, this is way too much frosting!” But it’s not. You want a nice thick layer. It’s essential.
If you love the flavor of brown butter, the brown butter cream cheese frosting from my zucchini cake would be fantastic here.
Not a fan of cream cheese frosting or just want to try something different?
More frosting flavors for banana cake:
- Vanilla Buttercream
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Salted Caramel Frosting
- White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
- Not-So-Sweet Whipped Frosting
This banana cake recipe is simple, reliable, and perfect for everything from casual baking days to celebrations, and I have a feeling it’ll earn a permanent spot in your recipe rotation. Just scroll through the many, many reviews below by home bakers who swear by this recipe for the best banana cake!
Other Banana Cake Sizes
- Layer Cake (Pictured Above): You can make this as either a 2-layer or 3-layer cake. For a 2-layer cake, divide the batter between two greased and lined 9-inch round pans and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 26–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For a 3-layer cake, divide the batter between three pans and bake for 22–26 minutes.
- Cupcakes: I’ve gotten a few questions about turning this cake into cupcakes. For about 2 dozen cupcakes, fill the cupcake liners halfway and bake for about 20–22 minutes. Same oven temperature. Or use this very similar banana cupcakes recipe.
- Bundt Cake: I recommend using my similar recipe for chocolate marble banana Bundt cake instead. (There’s a little extra baking powder for lift, which is helpful when baking in a large Bundt pan.) You can leave out the chocolate swirl in that recipe if you wish, and top with the cream cheese icing from this recipe for hummingbird Bundt cake.
The Best Banana Cake I’ve Ever Had
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft, buttery, and ultra-moist, this is truly the best banana cake. Made with ripe bananas and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting, it’s a longtime reader favorite.
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large bananas)
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a metal or glass 9×13-inch pan.
- Make the cake: Mash the bananas. I usually just use my mixer for this! Set mashed bananas aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until creamed together, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the mashed bananas. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps are OK.
- Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually transfer it to the refrigerator to speed things up.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (I usually do). Spread the frosting on the cooled cake.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 6. Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, make the frosting, frost, and serve. Frosted or unfrosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature, and then frost if needed and serve.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Pan (Metal Pan or Glass Pan) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Icing Spatula
- Frozen Bananas: You can use frozen bananas here. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute if needed. Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough room-temperature whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups (360g/ml). (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Cupcakes: For about 2 dozen cupcakes, fill the cupcake liners halfway and bake for about 20–22 minutes. Same oven temperature. Or use this very similar banana cupcakes recipe.
- Can I Turn This Into a Banana Bundt Cake? I recommend using my very similar recipe for chocolate marble banana Bundt cake instead. (There’s a little extra baking powder for lift, which is helpful when baking in a large Bundt pan.) You can leave out the chocolate swirl in that recipe if you wish, and top with the cream cheese icing from this recipe for hummingbird Bundt cake.
- Layer Cake: You can make this as either a 2-layer or 3-layer cake. For a 2-layer cake, divide the batter between two greased and lined 9-inch round pans and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 26–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For a 3-layer cake, divide the batter between three pans and bake for 22–26 minutes. I often like to pair the layer cake with this brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Wow… this is literally the best! My husband and I both love banana bread and this cake recipe blew or minds! To be honest, we never got to the cream cheese frosting bc the cake was so amazing by itself!!!! The recipe is so easy and I loved the buttermilk hack you included. I’m a novice baker so reading the science behind room temperature ingredients and having the buttermilk equivalent was so helpful! I must confess I made a mistake…even though my eggs and butter were at room temperature, my bananas were frozen 🙁
I tried to warm them up in the microwave but didn’t wait long enough so my batter looked curdled after added them! But I let it sit for a bit to warm up to room temp after that and the recipe still came out deliciously. Thanks so much for sharing!!! I can’t wait to try other recipes on your site!
Amazing!!!
Tried baking this cake for my mom’s birthday! It was a hit <3 Thank you!
Great recipe thanks for posting it. The cake came out excellent. First time baking a cake from scratch thank you
I made it, was so easy and simple thanks to the video. It made 3 cakes not just 1! friends and family all loved it and was so Delicious. I cant wait to make it again. Thanks 🙂
This IS the best banana cake I’ve ever eaten…and I’m not even keen on bananas! The cake is subtly flavored and moist. And the cream cheese icing is delicious – not overly sweet or gritty like other recipes. This rates an A+++++!
I tried making this today. It is indeed the best banana cake recipe. I used muffin tin instead, it didn’t need as long as 40 mins. So mine was a little bit burned. Even so it didn’t spoil the cake my family still loved it! Highly recommend this.
This is my go to banana cake recipe. We dont have buttermilk so we just use milk I know that they are completely different but it still works! Me and my family love this. Would recommend
This is the second time I’m making this recipe. Hands down the best banana cake I’ve ever tasted. One note from my experience is that the batter is much more thinner than the instructions say & I must bake it for about 15 minutes +/- than called for, but it turns out great. Could be because my bananas are really ripe & I made the buttermilk using fresh lemon juice. Anyway a great recipe and something my wife always asks me to make. As an aside; I’ve been cooking since I was a little boy growing up & it just seems to come naturally to me.
Great job Sally’s! I tried your recipe and it was very delicious and fluffy. My clients keep coming for more. I just made a little twist to the sugar quantity but cake turned out so perfect and yummy. God bless you for sharing!
Hello Sally. I tried this recipe after reading the great reviews. I followed the recipe, only I used Demerara sugar instead of granulated. I used a round cake tin. My cake was in the oven for 2 hours because the knife kept coming out moist. After 2 hours, I took it out thinking it must be cooked. After cutting it, the bottom third was still not cooked. The top 2 thirds was delicious though!! Any ideas where I went wrong please?
Hi Jodie, I’m concerned that it didn’t bake through after that long. What size pan were you using? If using 9 inch round pans you should divide this batter between two 9 inch pans (see recipe notes) as it’s too much batter for just one.
Hi Stephanie. Thanks for getting back to me. Yes it was a 9 inch!! My fault! Ok I’ll try it again using 2. Thank you
I made this before and it came out fantastic! I plan to make it again today using two round cake pans…will this work? Also, I happen to have cake flour on hand, is this a no go? Thanks for all your great recipes!
Hi Sally,
I was success in making your pineapple carrot cake and you’ve become my Bible ever seen. But experiencing underbaked cake for this one. The toothpick came out clean after 45minutes, but once I cut, the bottom half is not fully cooked yet. Any idea to prevent this in the future? FYI, using glass pan just like the carrot cake. Thanks love!
Hi Sol, Yours may simply take longer to bake, batter baked in glass often takes longer. An easy fix if you try it again is to bake it longer and if you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
Thank you! It’s so moist but not overly dense, and yet again, your recipe is not overly sweet, just like the carrot cake. Of course I’ll bake it again and try it this way. Stay safe!
I have a request for banana cupcakes so I made a test batch of these and omg they are sooooo good. I tasted without frosting and I’m in love. I will be pairing with a buttercream as that is what the customer is requesting but I have a red velvet cake I am making with cream cheese frosting at the end of the week I will be saving some of these to try with cream cheese frosting. Definitely saving this receipe.
I must have made some mistake because this was the worst cake I ever made. It was dense and heavy, no lightness, no flavor. I’m 65 and know my way around a kitchen. I threw it away.
This is insane! Best banana cake I’ve tried! Family loved it! I added some crushed cashew nuts and bam! Next time I’ll add chocolate bits to it. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks for the recipe, came out amazing!
This Banana Cake comes out perfect! I am very happy I found this recipe.
This cake is DELICIOUS!! I froze some of it because we didn’t want to eat it all in one weekend; or one day – who am I kidding? It’s that good. I thawed it out overnight and just had a piece for breakfast and it’s still perfection. Make this cake!!
Hi Sally! Awesome recipe—tried it out today and got two in loaf pans. Also, I substituted brown sugar with jaggery and it came out lovely. Thanks so much!
Wow! This really was a major hit. I used spelt four & half a cup less of sugar. Was so yummy! & the Icing nom nom! I made it in a kugelhopf tin- Perfect!
So great! Perfect consistency and really lovely. It deserves it’s title as the “best” for sure!
Excellent banana cake. Great flavor and the texture is delicious. It’s great with or without the frosting. Going to try your cinnamon cream cheese frosting with it next. Thanks Sally.
Made this for a family birthday and received rave reviews from kids and adults. Thank you for sharing!
Going to try this. Sounds delicious. Can I put a little coconut flakes in this?
Hi Jean, I can’t see why not! Add about 1 cup of sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut.
Came out perfect. Thank you! My family loved it.
Omg tried these today and it came out absolutely yummy!!!! I cut everything in half and made cupcakes instead. I got about 17 cupcakes. I didn’t do the frosting lol trying a be a little healthy
I’m so glad I found your website. I made this last night and know why it’s called the “best”! It is such a moist and high cake…thank you!
I made this cake several weeks ago. Getting ready to make again and want to say thanks for sharing. This recipe is true to it’s name!
I have always been a fan of banana cake! This one is so moist and flavorful. Since it’s just the two of us, I cut the recipe by 1/2, pour in 9” round pan and ice the top generously. Major yum!!!