This soft, moist, and absolutely delicious banana cake is made from scratch and it’s incredibly easy to make. It’s a great and tasty way to use up those overripe bananas that have been sitting on the counter for a couple of days!
Best Bananas for Banana Cake
This classic dessert is so easy to make and it all starts with using the right bananas. For maximum flavor in this banana cake, use bananas that aren’t bright in color but the ones that seem they are on their last leg.
Bananas that have peels that have turned black have the most flavor and cream incredibly well into recipes.
You can use bananas that have streaks of black or brown as well but don’t use bananas that have not ripened or have just ripened, you’ll lose out on flavor throughout the recipe.
RELATED: Blueberry Banana Bread
Ingredients in Banana Cake
- Bananas - the more ripened the more flavor
- All-purpose flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Ground Cinnamon
- Salt
- Butter - unsalted
- Granulated Sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs - room temp
- Vanilla extract
- Buttermilk - this can be substituted for milk and lemon juice
- Cream cheese - softened
- Butter - unsalted
- Confectioner’s sugar
RELATED: Caramel Banana Muffins
How to Make Easy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat the oven and prepare the baking dish - Preheat the oven to 350º and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper or grease and flour the baking dish instead.
Combine the wet ingredients - Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment makes combining the wet ingredients easy and quick but it’s easy enough to combine by hand as well.
Remove the bananas from the peel and add them to the mixing bowl and beat until the bananas are creamy.
Add the unsalted butter and beat until combined well and smooth. The next step is to add the vanilla extract and the granulated and brown sugars and combine well.
Once this is done, add the eggs one at a time and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Combine the dry ingredients - In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients - Add half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and slowly mix. Add half of the buttermilk mixture to the combined ingredients and alternate once more between the dry ingredients and the buttermilk.
Mix until just combined and then transfer to the prepared 9x13 baking dish.
Pour the banana cake batter into the dish and bake - Pour the banana cake batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
Bake for 45-55 minutes in the preheated oven. Check the center of the cake to see if it is done by sticking a toothpick into the center. If it comes out with little to no crumbs it is done baking and can be removed from the oven and allowed to cool completely before frosting.
If it is still wet, add a few more minutes to the bake time and check again with a toothpick. Once it is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely before frosting.
Make the cream cheese frosting - To make the cream cheese frosting, start with room temperature ingredients. Room temperature cream cheese will cream together much easier and quicker than using cream cheese that is still cold.
Beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and add the softened unsalted butter to the mixture and beat until well combined.
Add in the vanilla extract and the ground cinnamon.
Slowly add in the confectioner’s sugar and beat until the cream cheese frosting is well combined.
If for some reason, the frosting is too thick for frosting the banana cake, add one to two tablespoons of milk to the mixture to thin it out.
📖 Recipe
Easy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
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Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 3 bananas the darker the better
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Banana Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350º and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper. (You can also grease and flour the baking dish instead.)
- Remove the bananas from the peels and beat them until they are creamy.
- Add the unsalted softened butter to the bananas and beat until creamy.
- Beat in the granulated sugar and the brown sugar until combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat in the eggs one at a time and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat half to the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Pour in half of the buttermilk and beat until combined.
- Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the last of the buttermilk.
- Do not overheat, mix until just combined.
- Pour the banana cake batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven 45-55 minutes. Check the center of the cake with a toothpick to check it if is done. Add a few minutes at a time if needed for the center of the cake to come out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the softened cream cheese until creamy.
- Add the unsalted butter and beat until smooth.
- Pour in the vanilla extract and the ground cinnamon and combine well.
- Slowly beat in the confectioner’s sugar until the ingredients are smooth and creamy.
- If needed, add 1 to 2 tablespoon of milk to the mixture if the frosting is too thick.
Nutrition
Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
Megan says
This recipe really reminds me of what me and my nan would make together when she was still with us. Thanks for such a great recipe.