Moist, tender, and speckled with the sweet, fruity taste of ripe bananas, this easy Banana Cake recipe boasts old-fashioned flavor, slathered in a dream of cream cheese frosting.
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A simple but heavenly cake recipe.
While I’m all for a scrumptious loaf of Healthy Banana Bread, it’s not quite the same as a mega-moist, frosting-slathered banana cake.
When the occasion calls for dessert—be it a birthday, a dinner invitation to a friend’s, or a potluck when you want to bring everyone’s favorite dish—this easy moist banana cake delights. It’s perfect for sharing and celebrating.
What really separates it from more virtuous banana bread is the rich cream cheese icing. The tang is so delightful (just ask this Cream Cheese Banana Bread), before you realize what’s happened, you’ll be licking the leftovers right out of the bowl.
Maybe you’ll use a spoon. Maybe not. (Whatever your method, I support you.)
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Ripe Bananas. Mash the bananas, then measure them. Don’t skip the measuring! Bananas vary in size and it’s important to go by measurement, not number, to get the right texture for this banana cake.
- Sugar. A combination of granulated white sugar and brown sugar sweetens the cake, adds extra moisture, and makes it tender.
- Flour. To add some whole grain goodness to this cake, I use a combination of all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour. If you’d like, you can use additional all-purpose flour instead.
- Buttermilk. To make homemade buttermilk, mix 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice with 1/2 cup of 2% or whole milk. Let sit for 5 minutes, stir, then use as directed in the recipe.
- Cream Cheese Frosting. Made with light cream cheese to make this cake a little less indulgent and mixed with butter, powdered sugar, and a few drops each of vanilla and almond extract, this cream cheese frosting is proof of pure goodness in the world.
How to Make Banana Cake
Mix the Wet Ingredients. Whisk the mashed banana, eggs, sugars, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl.
Mix the Dry Ingredients. Whisk the flours, baking powder and soda, and salt in another bowl.
Finish the Batter. Fold half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then stir in the buttermilk, followed by the remaining dry ingredients. Don’t overmix! That over-develops the gluten, giving your cake a denser texture.
Bake. Pour the batter into a cake pan coated with nonstick spray. Bake the banana cake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Make the Frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter until they’re well-combined and creamy, then beat in the extracts, followed by the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time.
Frost the Cake. Once the cake is completely cool, slather the frosting over the top. Chill for 20 minutes, then slice and ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Add Some Mix-Ins. Mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or pecans add some texture and flavor to this banana cake. Use 1/2 cup.
- Top It. I love banana cake topped with toasted coconut, but you could also use mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts here.
- Try a Different Frosting. Swap the frosting for the chocolate cream cheese icing used in this Almond Joy Cake.
Banana Cake
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Ingredients
For the Banana Cake:
- 1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas about 3 very large
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour or additional all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup buttermilk
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously coat a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas.
- Whisk in the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and fold in by hand, just until combined.
- Gently stir in buttermilk. Fold in remaining dry ingredients, just until blended, being careful not to over mix.
- Pour into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely (once the cake nears room temperature, you can pop it into the fridge to speed things along).
- While cake cools, prepare the frosting: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and then reduce the speed to low. Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating just until combined.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the frosting over the top. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the frosting to set. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Cover the cake and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO FREEZE: Cover the cake layers tightly in plastic wrap, and place in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. If you plan to freeze the cake, wait to frost it until after you’ve thawed it.
Nutrition
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Good cake and looks great !
Thanks so much!! Hope you love every banana-coconut bite :)
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ON YOUR BLOG AND I MADE THE BANANA COCNUT CAKE. IT CAME OUT SO MOIST AND DELICIOUS….AND WHEN I SAW YOU USED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING WHICH IS MY FAVORITE, I KNEW THIS CAKE WOULD BE GREAT!!!!!
HUZZAH!!!!!! Aida, this is one of my all-time favorite cakes, and I’m so excited that you loved it too! Cream chese frosting is where it’s at. Thanks so much for trying the recipe and for taking time to leave your review. You rock my socks!
I am making this as we speak for Easter and I can’t wait to eat it with family tomorrow. Quick question – since I am making it a day ahead, should I keep it in the fridge overnight? I don’t know if it’s best to keep the cream cheese frosting cold.
Thanks!
Carin, i’m so excited that you are making this cake and I hope you love it! I would definitely refrigerate overnight (and go ahead and refrigerate the leftovers too.) You maybe can get away without plastic wrap, but I would cover it just to be safe.
Hi! Can I use cake flour for this recipe? I need to make a cake using cake flour for my school project but im afraid the texture wont be as good. Thanks! hope you’ll reply as youve post this a long time ago
Hi Lenny, I have never made this with cake flour, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Good luck with your project.
Delicious. My kids and I made for Fathers Day. I did it with gluten free flour mix and it was very good. I think it did not rise quite as much as it would have with non-GF flour but still really delicious. I may have eaten too much.
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Jessica! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
My partner mentioned to me earlier on in our relationship that he loves banana cake so for his birthday, 2.5 months into dating, I made this. Has very quickly become his absolute favourite (and his colleagues’!).
And I’ve made it at least 5 times in the last year!
I may or may not have another one ready to be frosted on the kitchen counter as I type this. He brought home some overripe bananas from his office specifically for this cake hahaha! Safe to say, we are grateful for this recipe :D
This MAKES my day, Angela! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Great recipe! Although I tweaked the cake a bit – 1/2 almond flour 1/2 all purpose flour but it still came out wonderful. Also, with 2 cups of flour, I could get only an inch heightened 6 inch cake.
But totally enjoyed the process of baking & will try again. I wish i could post a pic. Will follow more recipes from the website !!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Priyanka! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Made this banana cake with my nieces over the Memorial Day weekend and it is off the charts good! We haven’t even finished eating the first one and I may bake another one tomorrow! The combination of banana and toasted coconut is to die for! Thanks for sharing!
That is so great to hear Lisa, so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
This looks delicious. Could this be a 9×13 sheet cake? How long would it need to cook for? Thanks! I may make this this week. Mouth watering.
Hi Tonya! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so it would be an experiment to try it out in a 9×13 pan. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I just make this cake as a sheet cake 2 days ago and it is SCRUMPTIOUS!!! Shared it with neighbors and it was a big hit! Thank you for another great recipe Erin!
Yay! Thank you Bella!
How would you adjust this for high altitude baking?
Hi Janine, I don’t have enough experience to know how to adjust it for high altitude baking. Hope you are still able to give it a go!
Making this deliciousness for my daughter’s birthday this week. So excited, sounds amazing. I don’t have whole-wheat pastry flour… should I just use another cup of all purpose flour? Still want her cake to be light and fluffy ✨
Hi Helen! Yes, we had this listed in the post under the section “substitution tips”. Hope you enjoy it!
Can I use Greek yoghurt in place of sour cream, thank you! Amazing cake, already made a few times!
Hi Felicia, this cake actually does not include sour cream. It has buttermilk in it, which can easily be made at home. We did provide a note in the post that says: “readers have also reported swapping the buttermilk for light sour cream with success, however, I have not personally tested this method, so it would be an experiment” Hope this helps!