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!
Print
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
Thank you this truely was the best banana cake and frosting, so easy to make and delicious to boot.
I have been making Sally ‘s best banana cake for years. When we run out,I bake another. Just my husband and I live here. A whole cake is too much. . I freeze the entire cake until it is hard but not completely frozen. I remove the cake and cut into single serving squares. I put the pan back in the freezer until it is thoroughly frozen. Then I remove the squares I cut and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. I put all the frozen mini cakes in a large ziplock bag and label and date the bag. Any time that a slice of banana cake sounds good, one or more pieces can be thawed at 30% power.
This cake turned out perfect! I love that you included grams in your recipe. I find using a kitchen scale helps recipes turn out well. Thanks.
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday. Tried my best to follow the recipe and then realized I forgot to add the buttermilk alternately with the dry ingredients. Guess what? I didn’t affect the results in the least. I shimoly blended it in by hand mindful not to over mix. Added 3/4 cup of toasted pecans too. I wasn’t sure about the frosting (too much butter) but trusted Sally and it is divine. Only change was to sprinkle in some cinnamon.This cake is absolutely amazing. We waited overnight to let the flavors “marry” and the “oohs” and “aahs” told me everything I needed to hear.
This is the best I am addicted I’ve just baked another! I took one into work and everyone loved it!
I would like to make this a a three layer 8inch round cake, my friend has requested chocolate chips in it, any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Jane, here’s our very similar banana layer cake recipe. You can try adding some mini chocolate chips to the batter. We recommend tossing them in a Tbsp of flour first before you fold them into the batter, to help prevent them from sinking. See this recipe for a chocolate chip layer cake for more on this.
Hi Sally. I was wondering if i could use sour cream instead of buttermilk..unfortunatly i dont have the buttermilk..i understand i could put some vinager in the milk, but i need to use up my sour cream..i remember a banana bread i made had the sour cream in it.
Hi Tracy, you can learn more about using sour cream as a substitute for buttermilk in this post. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Hi, I baked this banana cake this afternoon, but unfortunately it turned out disappointing. I followed the recipe carefully and added 2 oz of pecan nuts. I baked it at 170°C for 50 minutes and did not open the oven door during that time. When I checked it at 50 minutes, the cake looked beautiful and passed the skewer test perfectly in the center and at the corners.
However, about 40 minutes after removing it from the oven and taking it out of the pan, the center turned out to be uncooked and collapsed.
I am a regular baker and was very careful in following the method, so I’m wondering what might have gone wrong. Could it be the pan size or the oven temperature? I divided the batter into two pans. The smaller pan, which I baked afterward (after removing the first pan), turned out perfectly.
I would really appreciate your advice on what might have caused this issue.
Hi Kalthum, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. What size pans did you use? It could be that there was too much batter for the pans you used. We generally fill our pans no more than about half way full. This allows for the batter to rise and bake through properly. This cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be a helpful resource for the future. Overmixing can also cause the cake to become squat and dense. Were your bananas over-mashed by chance? You’ll want them to still have some small chunks throughout. If they are completely mashed to liquid, this will alter the consistency of the batter and cause it to be wet/gummy. We hope these tips help for next time!
hii can i add choc coin and chips to make it into a banana choc cake or will it disrupt the structure of the cake?
Hi Mar, chocolate chips would be a delicious addition! Add about 1 cup total with the last addition of the dry ingredients, no other changes necessary.
Would it be an issue to add walnuts in with the dry ingredients, or would they weigh the cake down?
Hi Lindsay, walnuts would be a delicious addition! Add about 1 cup total with the last addition of the dry ingredients, no other changes necessary.
Perfect, thanks Trina!
Fantastic recipe – came out perfectly every time. I made this for a family gathering a year ago and now everyone asks for it. I’m making for the third time for my mother-in-law’s birthday. I’d like to try is as a layer cake. Would you make any suggestions for how to adapt? 8 in. v 9 in. pans, more time vs less?
Hi Chris! Here’s our very similar banana layer cake recipe 🙂
Hi,
Love all of Sally’s recipes that I have made!! Just wondering if Lowfat Buttermilk can be used in this recipe. Seems like that is all the supermarkets in my area are selling these days! I do know I can make my own… but was just wondering.. thanks
Hi Bernice, that will work just fine in a pinch!
I agree. I have made banana cake for many years and it was really good. Until I found this recipe. This one is so moist yet light. Not too dense and not too much banana. Excellent recipe Sally!
Sally,
Is it possible to use this for a Bundt cake?? How would you adapt the time etc???
Hi Gary, yes it is! See the recipe Notes for details.
Hi, would love to add this recipe to my favorites, but there’s not a button on this recipe page to do so.
Hi Kate! There is a heart button in the bottom right hand corner of the page, or you can use the “Save Recipe” button at the top of the gray recipe card. We hope this helps and we’re so glad you enjoy this cake!
D-lish! I was getting tired of banana bread. This is the perfect alternative. Everyone loves it.
I was a little leary about banana cake, but I’ve been baking new things this year and my husband didn’t want banana bread again. Friends and family loved it! I’ve been given the “thumbs up” when asked if I can make it again!!
Hi Sally and team. Thank you for your website and for sharing your wonderful recipes. You are my go-to when looking for something good to make. I plan to make the ‘best banana cake’ this weekend. It appears you’re using a 13×9 glass pan for this recipe? Is your oven temperature and time based on a glass pan? Thank you.
Hi Maureen! Yes, we use a glass baking dish here. You can use metal or ceramic, baking times may vary slightly so keep an eye on the cake as it bakes and use a toothpick to test for doneness. We hope you love this cake!
This banana cake was delicious. It was super moist. The frosting was delish as well. We ate the banana cake for dessert after dinner and everyone loved it. I will definitely make it again.
Delicious! I made them into cupcakes and they were amazingly moist and cakey. The frosting is a little sweet, but it goes with the cake perfectly. Will definitely make again!
Confirm! It’s the best! So fluffy and delicious
Exceptional Banana cake!
You really taste Banana!
My whole family loved this !! Thank you so much for posting!
Rob
We are not able to eat ocream cheese frosting . Any alternate suggestions and wondering how it tastes without frosting. Thanks
Hi Robyn, vanilla buttercream works well here, too!
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.