Remember that time I told you about the best banana cake I’ve ever had?
I enjoyed obsessed over it at a family reunion the other weekend. My 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.
She told me this cake comes out perfect every time she makes it. And such perfection is reinforced, she told me, when absolutely everyone who has a slice begs her for the recipe. It is, hands down, the best banana cake I’ve ever had.
And I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
How to Make Banana Cake
The recipe starts with 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas, or about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas (above). Now, make sure those bananas are nice and spotty. The bananas you see above are just right (and it’s what you want for banana bread, chocolate banana bread, and banana muffins, too). More brown spots = sweeter, more banana flavor. Your cake will thank you. I simply mash the bananas in my mixer—the same mixer I use for creaming the butter and sugars. Beat the bananas on high speed for a minute, then transfer to another bowl. I don’t even wash the mixing bowl—just throw the butter right in and start creaming!
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.
Here’s the batter. There will be some lumps.
One more thing to note: buttermilk. As you guessed, 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. I rarely have buttermilk in my refrigerator, so I always sour whole milk instead. For this recipe, you need 1 and 1/2 cups of buttermilk. If you don’t keep buttermilk on hand either, you can make this buttermilk substitute: measure 1 Tablespoon of fresh 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 together, let it sit for 5 minutes, then use in the recipe. To keep the cake extra rich, I recommend whole milk when you are souring milk.
Is this not the silkiest and smoothest cream cheese frosting you’ve ever seen? Well, it’s the silkiest and smoothest cream cheese frosting I’ve ever tasted! It’s pretty similar to our cream cheese frosting that we use for carrot cake, but there’s a little less cream cheese for the amount of butter. So, this makes the frosting a little more silky. 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 baking with brown butter, the brown butter cream cheese frosting from my zucchini cake would be fantastic here. If you are not into cream cheese frosting or just want to try something different, try it with traditional vanilla buttercream, this salted caramel frosting, or even white chocolate buttercream frosting instead. All are seriously delicious combinations!
The best banana cake I’ve ever had. We love it so much we turned it into a chocolate marble banana Bundt cake and banana cupcakes, too. And if you can’t get enough sheet cakes, you’ll want to try this fresh apple cake next!
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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
This is absolutely the best banana cake I’ve ever had! It’s supremely moist with cream cheese frosting, tons of banana, brown sugar, and cinnamon flavor.
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 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 is 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 place it in 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 add it). 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.
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 | 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: 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.
- 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: I use this recipe to make my banana layer cake. If you want to make a 2-layer cake, divide the batter between 2 greased and lined 9-inch cake pans, and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 26–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Reader Comments and Reviews
My husband made this for my birthday cake today – BEST birthday cake he could have chosen! SO moist & chock full of banana flavour. We didn’t bother with the frosting as felt the cake really didn’t need it (but will be a nice touch for a party cake).
Next time we’ll try adding the chocolate chips as other comments have recommended. Many thanks, Sally, for your super-clear instructions (plus your tip for how to get round not having buttermilk – VERY difficult to get hold of here in the UK)
I made this cake when visiting my daughter. She had some bananas going bad so I tried you recipe. Now every time I go there I have to make it for them. Good job!
To up the banana flavor, can I use 4 or 5 bananas? If so, I would love to know how that affects the baking time. I’m looking to make this into a beautiful Bundt cake for a brunch. Thanks!
Totally the best banana cake I have had! Super easy even for non-expert baker like myself. My 11 year old and I enjoyed making it together. Thank you for sharing!
Amazing recipe. I made a cake and there was enough mixture to make 12 cupcakes too. Wasn’t sweet I actually blended the banana with a nutri-bullet. I also did it all by hand with a whisk and instead of buttermilk I used a cup of coconut milk. Tasted delicious. I covered it with foil after being cooked. Don’t know if that’s why it was lovely and moist inside. But it was a big hit in my house I have to freeze half of it. I added chocolate chips to the mixture and walnuts and banana chips to the cupcakes. Didn’t need to make the frosting, didn’t need it. Definitely recommend.
Lovely and moist. But left a rather sweet aftertaste in my mouth. Could the sugar quantity be reduced? And by how much would you recommend?
Hi Janet, You can try reducing the sugar in the cake, just keep in mind that the sugar in baked goods is also responsible for moisture and texture so the end result of your cake may be different.
Can mini chocolate chips be added to the batter? Would this change the baking time or temp?
Hi Elayna, Chocolate chips would be a delicious addition! Add about 1 cup of chocolate chips with the last addition of the dry ingredients. Same baking instructions.
Hi thanks very much for allowing us to make this woderful cake. This is the 4th time I’ve made it and my wife says it gets better every time. As a retired truck driver i gotta say it’s definitely the “best banana cake”.
Regards Nick and Karen Smith. Tin Can Bay QLD
Made this recipe for a friend’s birthday lunch tomorrow. It made 24 super moist regular sized and 4 minis (for my youngster). I had to try a mini to check for quality. Delicious! I mostly followed the recipe. Never have buttermilk in hand but I always use a mix of whole milk yogurt (1/3 of buttermilk amount), whole milk (2/3 of buttermilk amount) and a couple tablespoons of lemon juice. Works perfectly every time.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
The cake was delicious and I love cream cheese frosting. I thought the lemon in the frosting was too in strong as it over powered the banana flavor of the cake. I plan to leave the lemon out next time.
I usually opt for box cake but I had to use up my bananas. This recipe did not disappoint! I didn’t even make the icing and it was still bomb! You go Sally!
Mine has a heavy bottom, like the bananas settled to the bottom of the cake. My 9 x 13 pan is more like a coated stoneware so possibly that is the problem? Cooked it 50 minutes and the tester came out clean.
This past weekend, I tried your recipe for the Best Banana Cake I’ve ever had. The cake was fantastic and I got so many compliments on it so Thank You!. I did not change anything in the recipe (I know lots of people like to make adjustments to recipes) and the cake was moist and so delicious and definitely the Best Banana Cake I’ve ever had.
I made this again and again, I think this is my 4th time at least and it has been perfect every time. I’ve had to freeze some to keep from us eating a whole cake in 2-3 days. And it is wonderful out of the frezzer and let warm to room temperature. We even took some camping with us. It was wonderful every time. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Made this today and was absolutely delicious as stated. Soooooo moist, nice and dense and I loved it.
Hi Sally,
I rated this high based on all the other ratings, but I haven’t made it yet. My daughter’s birthday party is tomorrow and she wants banana cake. I’ve used your recipes before & love them. Can I make this into a 9” round 2- layer cake? What would the baking time be? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, See the recipe notes for a layer cake. Happy baking!
This cake is simply unbelievable. Stellar recipe. Thank you so much!! I usually make lots of modifications when trying new recipes, but with this recipe most everything felt just right. Delicious.
I just tried it. Its delicious…I didnt even make the frosting but tastes really good, thanks Sally for sharing .
WARNING: This may be longer then most comments.
I would have to say I would be considered a novice baker. Especially since this recipe is the FIRST home made cake I’ve ever made. First, I wanted to commend you on your directions as they are written perfectly to be able to accomplish the end goal with very little research in regards to the processes taking place. Since I’m so new to baking I end up usually having to research a lot of the directions as I’ve never heard of some of the terms used. This was written so well I didn’t have to do that. It’s also a recipe that I think most people have all of the ingredients on hand at all times which is nice.
Although it probably took me a little longer to finish the cake then most, as I was trying to be sure each thing I did was done as you described. The end result is phenomenal and I’m so happy with it! (So is my boyfriend, who luckily, and unfortunately sometimes, is my taste tester) I do have two questions that I’m sure I’m over thinking is about serving and storing the cake properly. I want to be sure we get to enjoy every last bite.
In regards to storage, I know it says to cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to five days. Does that mean the cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator at all times? Then also, is there a time to take it out before consuming so that the cake has time to warm or is it to be served cold?
Since I’m so new to baking I kept the cake in the 9×13 pan for cooling and then icing also. The only way to tightly cover for me is by using aluminum foil. Is that okay or do I need to try to purchase a container that will snap close?
These may be silly questions but I just want to be sure I understand how to enjoy this cake the way it’s intended. Thanks again for the recipe! I know I will be making this cake over and over again in the future.
Hi Kari, Thank you for trying this recipe – we are so glad you both enjoyed it! After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, I would definitely refrigerate it. Since your cake is still in the pan, covering it with aluminum foil is just fine. You can either eat this cake cold right out of the refrigerator, or leave it at room temperature to warm back up for a little bit if you prefer (I don’t recommend placing cake with frosting in the microwave).
My wife made this today! Best cake ever! My favorite cake used to be carrot cake but this is definitely my favorite now.
I made this cake and I thought, it’s so big…only my husband and I will be eating it. However, it was so delicious that after only 3 days we finished it. This is definitely now going to be one of my “go to” cakes. And even if you don’t like banana cake, this is definitely the best recipe for cream cheese frosting I had ever tried. Also, I have dozens of frozen bananas in my fridge because on my pick up grocery order when I specify 3 bananas they give me 3 DOZEN. I simply let them thaw at room temp and followed the recipe. I will be trying your other banana based dishes as well. As for thinking it was too much frosting….well, you can never have too much of THIS frosting. Thanks so much!
I made this banana cake today, absolutely perfect, incredibly moist & dense but not heavy. Huge winner with my family, this recipe is a keeper. Thank you.
Absolutely loved the cake! I was one of the most dense cakes I’ve ever made! I had a extra banana and a half so I tossed them in too…bananalicuosness What are your thoughts on tossing peanut butter into either the cake mix or icing? Thanks for the great recipe!
Fantastic recipe, thank you. This is an enormous cake & would feed over a dozen people easily, even if you gave them huge slices. In future I will at least halve the recipe. Can’t wait to make it again.
I made this following the recipe, no changes. I did not make the icing (lazy) I used a store bought whipped type instead. I ate a slice of cake when it was still fairly warm and I did not like it. The next morning I tried it and it was good apparently I just don’t like this one warm at all. The texture was light and pleasing, it was quite different than banana bread texture. I always use room temp ingredients and don’t modify recipes on the first attempt, and usually I get the expected results so I imagined unless some went completely awry I would get a good cake but it ended up being a better texture than I thought heavy banana could give. I will try Sally’s other cakes.
Could you frost with chocolate frosting instead of cream cheese frosting?
Hi Mary, definitely! Chocolate buttercream would be delicious paired with this cake!
I made this cake today and it came out beautifully! Made it in one 8 x 8 square pan. Just wanted to thank you for an excellent recipe. This is my go-to recipe from now on to use up those spotty bananas that no one will eat. Great cake!
Hey Sally! I love this cake!! So much Wanted to ask one thing.. can I add cocoa powder to the recipe to make chocolate & banana cake? Thanks so much
Hi Matt, Cocoa powder is a unique ingredient and unfortunately it’s not as easy as swapping some for flour. It would take some additional recipe testing for us to give you a confident answer. You can absolutely add chocolate chips to this recipe. Let us know if you try anything! Or you might be interested in these Chocolate Banana Muffins or Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Banana Muffins.
Fabulous, not too sweet. Shared with friends who had it for dessert and breakfast. I’ll definitely make it again.
Made this cake. Turned out perfect. I used canna butter in the cake and for the icing. Amazing taste!!