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
Do you have a recipe you could recommend for a brown sugar cream cheese frosting?
Hi Flavia! We would Google search for one with good reviews – this one from Dessert for Two looks tasty: https://www.dessertfortwo.com/brown-sugar-cream-cheese-frosting/
This banana cake is the first of your recipes that I’ve tried and the name, perfect for it.
My husband tried it and said that this was the best banana cake he’d ever had. I told him that was the name of the recipe! The whole family enjoyed it very much but I think my husband ate about two thirds of the cake himself. Since he finished it, he hasn’t stopped asking me to make it again. We’d give it ten stars if we could. Great recipe, Sally, thank you!
You didn’t mention how long to cook the banana cake for? Only 20 to 30 min in 2 halves so I guess 55 to 60 min..
Hi Felicity! See step 5: Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours…
The chocolate banana bread is amazing! It’s delicious. My husband can’t get enough of it.
Holy moly, you weren’t kidding when you said this was the best banana cake you ever had! This is amazing!! Just made this today and it definitely will be in my baking rotation.
It was a really excellent cake even though I messed up. Somehow I picked the wrong size pan and overfilled it so my cooking time was off the charts. Probably closer to 2 hours. That being said, in order for the middle to cook I had to increase my oven temp to 375 degrees for 2 x 15 minute intervals as I had to check it regularly. And I had to cover it with foil to prevent burning. I also cut the icing sugar in half which was just the right amount of sweetness. I personally think 3 cups is way too much IMHO. Anyways it turned out fantastic when I was stressing it wouldn’t. It was loved by all including 2nd servings I’m pleased to say. I also added 1 cup of chocolate chips only because we like chocolate chips in our banana bread. Great recipe when you use the right size pan lol. Oh and I used parchment paper to line the pan instead of greasing it. Just a personal choice. Definitely will make again.
Hello!
I just did this banana cake and it is currently in the oven!
Questions:
1. Hubby is asking, can I add choc chips or walnuts to this sheet pan recipe? if yes, how much?
2. Another question from hubby > he wants it also to be a choco banana sheet pan cake, how much cocoa powder can I add to this recipe? =)
Looking forward to your answer.
Laura
Hi Laura, chocolate chips and/or walnuts would be a delicious addition! Add about 1 cup total with the last addition of the dry ingredients, no other changes necessary. 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 on making this a chocolate banana cake. Or, here are a few other recipes you might enjoy: chocolate banana bread, chocolate banana muffins, chocolate banana Bundt cake. Hope you enjoyed the cake!
Have been making this weekly now as we LOVE them for our daily lunchbox… Kids and hubby demands that it should be always on hand.. even kept a backup inside the freezer! that’s how much they like it!
Can I make this into a banana bars by using a 10×15 inch pan?
Hi Otto, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions.
Can I use Crisco All Vegetable Shortening in place of the butter?? I know it would not have the butter flavor.
Hi Marie, we really recommend sticking with butter for best results.
I like more healthy recipes. Can I substitute 3/4 cups oil for the 3/4 cups butter?
Would it be too much liquid with also having 1 1/2 cups sour milk ?
Hi Marie, 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).
The cake batter tastes delicious. I added some chopped pecans and in one section of the batter in the cake pan, I put in softened raisins for my husband. I think I’ll hold this comment till we try a bite! I’ll get back to you. Ok. All done. I was out of cream cheese so I made a simple confectioners sugar glaze with some banana flavor. My husband and 25 year old son loved it! Thank you!!
H Sally, after removing the cake from the oven, did you leave it to cool in the tin? Or removed from tin and onto a cooling rack? Thanks!
Hi Serena, you can leave this sheet cake in the pan to cool and serve – that’s what we do!
When freezing the cake, does it have to remain in the pan or can I wrap it in plastic wrap instead? I’d like to keep my pan available for other recipes and save room in the freezer.
Hi April, yes, you can certainly remove the cake from the pan and wrap completely in plastic wrap. Here’s more on how to freeze cakes.
Hi, I made the cake but its height after cooling was only an inch! Am I doing something wrong? It smells delicious though!
Hi Serena, be sure that your baking soda and baking powder are fresh. We find they start to lose their effectiveness after about 3 months, even if it’s not technically expired. Be careful not to over-mix the batter, too, as that can cause the cake to bake up squat and dense.
This truly is the best banana cake I have ever had! It is so delicious. The only thing I do different is that I crumble up walnuts and put it on the top. It’s a yummy treat and it makes the cake just beautiful! Definitely follow the directions and let it cool completely and put it in the fridge after frosting it or it will be runny. I do not add extra powdered sugar and the cream cheese is then tasted and not so sugary.
Could I add ground nuts?
Hi Cathy, absolutely. Gently stir in about 1 cup of chopped nuts after the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together.
How do I made this into a layer cake?
Hi Lucy, here’s our banana layer cake.
I took mine out at 40 minutes and the toothpick came out clean. I hope it’s not dry!
My husband was excited to see that the bananas were too ripped to eat. He asked me to do a dessert with them instead of throwing them in the garbage. This recipe is the bomb. Perfect cake even if I didn’t have the mixer!!! I had nutmeg in mine. My husband is in heaven!!!
How much for the recipe I just gotta go to store and buy some of the stuff
Hi Donna, a complete list of the ingredients needed for this recipe can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Hope this helps!
Hi! Just wondering if I can use cake flour for this recipe?
Hi Mista, with the addition of heavy banana, cake flour is too light for this cake recipe. Best to stick with all-purpose flour here.
Is there any way to double the recipe? I’m going to try to make this for a party but I don’t want to make 2 cakes.
Hi Kathryn, for best results, we recommend making 2 separate batches rather than doubling. Doubling makes it easier to over or undermix the batter, which can both negatively impact results.
I made this today as a layer cake. Haven’t tried it yet though. Does it need to store in the refrigerator or can I leave it out on the counter?
Hi Susanne, we recommend storing it in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting. Hope you enjoy the cake!
This is an amazing recipe. I had to add 5 minutes to the baking time, but it turned out moist and delicious.
Thank you for the great recipe it’s a keeper.
Is an electric mixer absolutely necessary? Or can I do it with just my whisk?
Hi Hailey, we always recommend an electric mixer for a recipe that requires creaming butter and sugar. If you want to try creaming butter and sugar by hand, here is an article you can read for some guidance. Hope this helps!
I substituted buttermilk with natural yoghurt. I blended the eggs, sugar, butter until super fluffy and whipped in the rest. My bananas were super ripe (more black than yellow).
This cake is crazy. Amazing banana flavor, so moist and fluffy.
This is my new go-to banana cake.
Could I use your chocolate cream cheese frosting instead of the plain for this cake? I haven’t tried either, so would appreciate your opinion on the taste!
Yes, absolutely – yum!
I want to make this for my son’s birthday, but he wants green frosting. What would you recommend adding? We try to avoid artificial dyes if we can.
Thanks!
Hi Danielle, we’d do a quick search for natural green food dyes to see what might work best for your needs. We hope the cake is a hit!
The best cake you have ever made- The Banana Cake- Sounds amazing and I want to make it.
Is it okay to use all Brown sugar instead of the granulated sugar?
Hi Elizabeth, that should work in a pinch, but since this is already a very moist cake and brown sugar adds more moisture, we’d recommend sticking with the combination of granulated sugar + brown sugar if you can. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Absolutely fantastic! I halved the recipe for the 8X8 tin, then cut the cake into 2 bars – one for us and one for my son-in-law. I’m now extremely popular!! Thanks heaps.