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
I tried many times to do a good banana cake but this was the first recipe that resulted in the perfect balance between texture and flavour! I’ve used frozen bananas, it worked perfectly. Thanks!
I followed the recipe to a T. It was so dense and dry. I even weighed my bananas and flour and timed the mixing, not over mixing the dry into the wet. I baked it for 45 minutes – I should have checked sooner, perhaps. The recipe says 45-55 min.
Unfortunately, it was for my husband’s birthday and a group of 12 people. It was eaten but not enthusiastically. I assumed, based on the name and other reviews, it was a good one. I don’t know how it gets such high reviews.
I followed the icing recipe but used another site’s suggestion of using lemon juice and zest. The icing was the only thing that saved the day. It helped with some moisture, plus some ice cream.
I will definitely be looking for another banana cake recipe because it is my husband’s favourite. I don’t have any suggestions on how to save this recipe except check it well before 45 minutes, maybe at 30. I’ve made many cakes and never had a fail like this one.
Hi Lottie, thanks so much for sharing your experience. This banana cake should be super moist and tender with the bananas and buttermilk, so I’m sorry it didn’t turn out that way for you. Sometimes small differences like banana ripeness, oven temperature, or baking time can make a big impact. Checking the cake a little earlier, like around 30-40 minutes, can help prevent drying out. I really appreciate you giving it a try, and I’m glad the frosting and ice cream helped save the day a bit! If you ever want to give it another go or have questions, I’m here to help.
Absolutely love this recipe! I can’t say how many times I have made it. Thank you for posting it
Thank you! I will see how my cake tastes before I sign up
Hi! Can I substitute whole wheat pastry flour?
Hi Sarah, we haven’t tested that substitution, the cake may be more dense. Let us know if you try!
I am going to try this cake as a poke cake using Biscoff butter mixed with a little cream before I frost it!!
This is a new favorite in our household! I used Sally’s not-so-sweet whipped frosting instead of the regular cream cheese suggested here and it was FABULOUS. Thanks again, Sally!
Can you use a square cake tin
Hi Lisa, you can halve this recipe for an 8×8 baking dish. The bake time will be shorter, though we can’t say exactly how long. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. For the eggs, use 1 egg then crack a 2nd egg, beat it, and use half of the mixture.
Hi
I don’t know if you got my first email.
Re your banana cake recipe is the oven temp for a fan forced oven? In Australia most ovens are fan forced.
Susan Nicholls
Hi Susan, All of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings. Convection ovens are fantastic for cooking and roasting. If you have the choice, we recommend conventional settings when baking cakes, breads, etc. The flow of air from convection (fan forced) heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake. We hope this helps!
I used frozen bananas ,every one loved this cake . Very moist. I also used KA cake flour, cut the sugar a little.
Frosting Is delicious.
I wish I had seen this comment before trying this cake! I baked it at the temp in the recipe, using a fan forced oven. Could that explain why the cake came out a bit dense and dry? Still yummy, but not moist and fluffy as described in this post.
My husband loves this even more than your banana bread recipe! I’ve only made it the one time so far, and made two small changes. I used brown butter instead of regular butter and I think it added another dimension of deliciousness. And I added some nutmeg, but just because it’s my favorite baking spice and I add it where I think it will work and it did! Thank you, Sally!!!!
Would it work if I made this in a jelly roll pan?
Hi Charlotte, some readers have reported success with baking in a jelly roll pan, but we are unsure of the baking time. Keep an eye on it and start checking fairly early for doneness.
I have made this several times, it always turns out moist and with great flavor. I do add 2c of mashed banana, and have experimented with a few tablespoons of dark rum in the cake (and a few teaspoons in the frosting)-excellent FYI! I just add a small amount (25g) of additional flour. I make it when I want banana bread, but also cream cheese frosting. Great recipe as written & has room for some experimentation!
Thank you so much! It is really the best banana cake recipe – moist, delicious! I just cut amount sugar, used just 1 cup if brown sugar altogether. Used 4 bananas, had almond milk (added some apple cider vinegar to make buttermilk from it). For cheese frosting added much less butter and very little of icing sugar, some lemon juice and salt.
Thank you again!
Made this cake with a browned butter frosting. Oh so good
Hello
Can you swap the buttermilk for sour cream?
Hi Lee, you can learn more about using sour cream as a substitute for buttermilk in this post. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Thank you!
I made this banana cake for the first time this week … and what Sally has named it is absolutely true! The Best Banana Cake I’ve Ever Eaten pretty much sums it up. As does this paragraph in her description of said cake: “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 IS a dense cake, but it is NOT heavy! The crumb is very soft, and tight and it is such a beautifully moist cake! Once again, Sally’s recipe does not disappoint!
Easy amazing moist cake!
Used soya milk instead of buttermilk until mixture was a smooth thick batter
I used closer to 3 cups of bananas (because I hate to waste) and it turned out so good! Best banana cake ever! Family loved it, even the finicky eater!
The only recipe I use for banana cake now – it really is the best. My husband’s work friends love it and one even told his wife about it! I feel like the buttermilk makes a world of difference and I use the lemon juice hack to make my own. Excellent
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!!!
Best cake recipe
This cake is soooo yummy that it finished in a snap… Made it with plantains actually coz I didn’t have bananas the day I baked it…but honestly my family loved it sooooo much…
Thank you for the recipe ♥️
Mine came out extremely claggy and gummy. I used kefir instead of buttermilk but other than that I followed the recipe. Was it the kefir?
Hi Camila, we haven’t tried baking with kefir before, so are unsure of how that would change the taste and texture of a cake. It could be the reason yours turned out this way, but we can’t know for sure without testing it!
Hi Camila!
I used Keffir Yougurt too but I must say that it was a lovely cake! Maybe the measurements? Better luck next time!
very good better than my old recipe
Do you think this cake would pair well with your peanut butter frosting recipe?
Yes, absolutely – yum!
I think I got the measurements wrong. The mixture ended up like pancake batter (runny), and the cake was dense and dry (not moist and crumbly). I ended up using a cup of buttermilk, otherwise it would have been *very* runny.
The cream cheese icing was the highlight, and I’ll use that on my carrot cake.
This was so delicious! I made it with chocolate buttercream frosting instead, and it was absolutely to die for. If you like chocolate, I would recommend!!
(this is the recipe I used for the frosting: https://natashaskitchen.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/ )
Can I make the frosting ahead of time?
This has been a go-to recipe for me for a couple years now! It’s just perfect. I want to make some more today, but I am realizing I don’t have any more butter… can I substitute it with canola oil?
Hi Esperanza! You need a fat that is solid at room temperature so that it can be creamed with the sugars. You could try solid coconut oil in its place, but we fear the texture will be greasy (and, of course, lacking butter flavor).
Hi there! Can you please confirm whether the bananas should be ripe?
Hi Gabby, the more ripe, the better! Ripe bananas are sweeter and have more flavor.
This is a delicious banana cake. I added chopped pecans to mine to make it even better! The cream cheese frosting added just the right amount of sweetness to complete a great dessert!!
I mixed this cake up totally wrong and it still came out spectacular….going to make another and follow the directions!
Kudos on this great recipe….those who wrote negative reviews must have done something wrong!
Best banana cake ever was delicious!! Served to two lots of visitors and both loved it!!