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 the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy—about 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber 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 up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three 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 wire 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 switch 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 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 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. (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 around 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 extremely 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.
- Layer Cake: I use this recipe to make my banana layer cake. If you want to make a 2 layer cake, divide batter between 2 greased 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
I’ve made this recipe twice so far. The only thing I did different was to sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon on top of the frosting. Such a great cake!
Delicious! next time I think I’ll make the brown butter frosting and try it that way too. Yummmm..my family loved it, it’s a keeper, that frosting is so creamy OH MY!
I loved the whole recipe…the butter milk helps a lot.
How can I make this gluten free?
Hi Veronica, we haven’t tested this recipe using a gluten-free all-purpose flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you do decide to try anything.
I have an ongoing loss of sight but I had to make this cake one more time! Love it that much! It’s in the oven now and hubby says he will gel me with the frosting and spreading it. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes over the years!
This is the best banana cake I have ever tasted. I made exactly as the recipe says except I added the juice of a large lemon to the frosting instead of vanilla. We can’t stop eating it!
Why did my cake sink in the middle?
Hi Deb, a cake with a sunken middle typically indicates that it has been under baked. A few additional minutes in the oven should help for next time!
I love this recipe. I’ve made it twice now and the result is brilliant. So easy to make and moist. I amped up my icing a bit by browning the butter first. Soooooo good. Thanks Sally!
Amazingly good! I didn’t frost the cake….it was delicious without it! Thank you!
O. M. G. This is legit. Just wow. I’m sitting here shoveling bites of this perfect recipe in my face as I write this. Just so good. This is definitely going in the party-worthy recipe list
This cake delivers on every level- outstanding banana flavor, moist, and the perfect level of sweetness! I totally see why you dessert-stalked your cousin for this recipe! I halved the recipe to make a smaller 8×8 version since, sadly, I’m the only dessert fan in our family! I subbed in coconut oil for the butter too, and it turned out amazing!
This banana cake was great! I ate way too much of it! I can say that next time I make it, I’ll be baking it in 2 8in. Round pans & doubling the icing so I can layer it. I wouldn’t change anything with the cake recipe. For the icing, I used 2 cups of powdered sugar rather than 4 & it was probably the most rounded, most cheesecake like cream cheese ever. I actually saved the recipe bc that will be my go to when making cream cheese icing. My whole family loved the cake. Just 3 of us ate the whole thing!
Could I use almond milk to make the butter milk for the banana cake.
Hi Joyce, in a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich. You can learn more about DIY buttermilk substitute here.
This recipe is so good!! Has anyone tried making it with cake flour? I’m curious if it would come out less dense.
Hi Adrienne, cake flour is too light to pair with the heavy bananas in this recipe. We’re glad you enjoyed it!
This banana cake is the best! I believe my father could live on this, and this alone lol! While I have used the frosting shown in the recipe, everyone who has had the cake prefers the chocolate cream cheese frosting. This is my go to recipe for banana cake! Thanks so much for sharing, Sally!
I made this as a three layer cake to be the dessert for a friend’s retirement dinner. (who else here tries new recipes the day of a dinner party?) Based on the ratings I expected it to be really good but wow. It was a huge hit, nonstop compliments. I used apple bananas which I grow on my property. I needed to make my own buttermilk but didn’t have whole milk on hand so I used heavy cream (with lemon juice). I was a little worried it would make it too heavy or rich but it worked perfectly. The banana flavor is strong with the perfect balance of spice. I used Brown Butter Cream Cheese frosting which in my opinion is the perfect match for this cake… it’s delicious and just different enough from everyday cream cheese frosting that everyone noticed.
Hello James,
Can you please send the the (3) three Layer Banana Cake Recipe, with the I would love to make the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting!!! I’m needing the recipe, and also will the Banana Cake recipe provided be enough ingredients to make a Three Layer Cake?
Here is our Banana Layer Cake with Brown Butter Frosting. Enjoy!
Wish I can share a pic! loved this recipe! Came out great and delicious!
Just made this with my two boys. It’s delicious! I made it gluten free with two cups of Bobs Red Mill 1:1 and one cup of oat flour. I also used half butter and half refined coconut oil. My batter seemed really wet so I omitted the last 1/2 cup or so of the soured milk. Omitted the frosting. It was amazing and you can’t tell it’s gluten free!
Can I use hazelnuts since I don’t have walnuts?
Hi Maria, Sure! Gently stir in about 1 cup of hazelnuts after the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together.
Has anyone tried making this dairy free? My daughter looooves bananas so I want to make this for her birthday but she’s allergic to milk.
Hi Meg, we haven’t tried a dairy-free version of this recipe, but let us know if you do any experimenting!
Hello! I was so excited to make your cake. I have no idea what I did wrong. I measured precisely & thought I followed directions step by step. Everything looked fine, but instead of coming out light & fluffy, the cake was so heavy! The frosting was delicious & came out perfect. What went wrong? The temperature was correct & the cake rose up beautifully, but then sort of deflated.
Hi Monica, if the cake tasted heavy over overly dense, it’s possible the cake batter was over mixed — that’s usually the culprit for dense cakes. We share more helpful tips on how to prevent dry and dense cakes here, that you might find helpful for next time. If the cake is deflating after coming out of the oven, it’s possible it was slightly underbaked, too, which can also cause it to seem dense. Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try!
Hi Monica, are you measuring with a scale instead of standard cups? If you use to much banana in this recipe it will collapse the cake too. I always fold the recipe amount of banana in at the end to keep it light as well. Hope this helps.
Any changes needed if i want to add CHOPPED WALNUTS? How much should i add? And would that even taste good in this recipe? Open to other better-suited nut recommendations too. Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, absolutely. Gently stir in about 1 cup of chopped walnuts after the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together.
Made this for reunion. Only differece was used Truvia in cake per Truvia instructions half as much as sugar. Made 3 days in advance frosted and cut up and put in tupperware containers, put in frig. Must have been GOOD gone in minutes and asking for more. Best compliament was Granddaughter, her birthday is in a month or so and she told me Grandpa I want one of these for my birthday.
Hi, recipe states 3 cups of flour =375gms. Isn’t 1 cup 250gms? I made this cake, followed the recipe exactly and it sank in the middle. Badly. I’ve never had this happen before. Is the flour measurement correct please?
Hi Louise, yes, the measurement is correct. The density of ingredients varies and while 1 cup of some ingredients like semi-liquids and liquids is 250g, the weight of 1 cup of flour is 125g. Sorry you had trouble with this recipe. It sounds like it was under-baked and/or the size of the baking dish was too small. What are the measurements of the size pan you used?
Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Can we just eat it and skip the above directive to ‘store’ it?
Hi Jocko, you certainly can! We hope you love the cake!
Excellent recipe! I cut it in half, ran the bananas through my food processor, and used an 8×8 baking dish. Baked for 45 minutes. I thought I’d try a crumb topping instead of the frosting, but most of it sank into the cake. Any tips on how to prevent that? Still, it is absolutely delicious! I may never make banana bread again since this was so good!
Can I use self rising flour. I don’t have enough AP
We don’t recommend using self rising flour in this recipe. It would take additional recipe testing to ensure accurate results.
I volunteer as a baker at a summer camp and made this for 250 people. Turned out perfectly. I topped it with a maple cream cheese frosting. Thanks for a great recipe.
I didn’t have a tin the required size , so I used loaf shaped tins. There was a lot more mixture than I was expecting it made 3 loaves I also added a couple of handfuls of chopped pecan nuts
This banana cake is ah-maz-ing! SO moist and delicious. I throw walnuts in and often throw chopped toasted walnuts on the (perfect, buttery) frosting. I think I’ve made it four times this summer and doubled my banana purchases. Also, THANK YOU for including the metric weights in your recipes. With fruit in particular, “four medium name-your-fruit” could mean anything. Big love from Canada, Sally and team!