Best Banana Cake Recipe

Posted Mar 15, 2020, Updated Jun 10, 2025

5 from 72 votes

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This is the best banana cake recipe ever! It’s easy to make (no mixer required), moist, loaded with bananas and topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting.

a moist slice of banana cake topped with cream cheese frosting, banana slices, and a sprinkle of chopped nuts, served on a white plate with a fork.

Banana cake is a dessert that is completely nostalgic for me. I grew up eating the Sara Lee version, and nothing else compared to that dense yet fluffy cake paired with a thick cream cheese frosting.

Well, I decided it was time to create a homemade banana cake recipe to make all my (and hopefully your) childhood dreams come true, and this is seriously the best banana cake ever (also try my carrot cake, coconut cake and hummingbird cake recipes)!

This banana cake recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients and is out-of-this-world delicious!. It has no buttermilk (because I never have it on hand, if I’m being honest) and doesn’t a require a mixer!

a close up photo of a piece of banana cake with a bite taken out of it, topped with cream cheese frosting, banana slices, and a sprinkle of chopped nuts

Banana Cake: Ingredients and Substitutions

overhead photo of the ingredients in this Banana Cake Recipe like eggs, mashed banana, milk, vanilla, sugar, flour, melted butter, sour cream, cinnamon baking soda and salt

All-purpose flour. Cake flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour for a slightly lighter texture. Bread flour and pastry flour also work well!
Salted butter. Unsalted butter works perfectly in this banana cake recipe. You just may need to increase the amount of sea salt. You can also substitute up to half of the butter with canola oil or applesauce with great results!
Granulated sugar. I found that granulated sugar yielded the lightest, fluffiest cake. You can replace up to 1/2 cup of the white sugar with brown sugar for a little bit of a richer flavor!
Sour Cream. Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream with great results!
Whole Milk. 2% milk can be used in place of whole milk, but I would avoid skim and fat-free milk, because the fat is necessary for the best texture.
- NOTE: you can substitute both the sour cream and whole milk with 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk. I just never have it on hand so I chose to create a recipe without relying on it!

How to Make Banana Cake

Let’s walk through how to make this easy banana cake step-by-step to ensure your success! Don’t forget to watch the video too!

Begin by combining the flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

A glass bowl with flour, baking soda, and ground cinnamon, showing the dry ingredients before mixing for banana cake batter.

A glass bowl with the flour mixture after stirring, the dry ingredients for making banana cake.

Then, mash the bananas in a large bowl with a potato masher or a fork.

mashed banana in a white bowl with a banana masher to make banana cake

Next, add the sugar, melted butter and vanilla and stir to combine.

a white bowl with sugar, vanilla and melted butter added to the mashed banana before mixing to make banana cake

a white bowl with the wet ingredients mixed together to make banana cake

Then, add the eggs, sour cream, and milk and stir. Make sure these ingredients are at room temperature for the best results.

eggs, sour cream and milk added to the banana mixture in a white bowl to make banana cake

the wet ingredients combined in a white bowl to make this banana cake recipe

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout) and there are no lumps (other than the mashed banana)!

the dry ingredient flour mixture added to the wet ingredients in a white bowl before stirring to make banana cake

final banana cake batter in a white bowl

Bake & Cool

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown and the edges are set.

Remove the baked cake from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool completely. While it’s cooling, make the cream cheese frosting!

banana cake batter in a baking pan before baking

banana cake in a white baking dish after baking, with bananas and chopped nuts around the baking pan

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

I have a post dedicated solely to making cream cheese frosting – it’s one of my favorites. See that post if you have additional questions. Make sure the ingredients are room temperature.

To make it: beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Then, add the vanilla and 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat (starting on low speed and increasing to medium-high) until smooth. Add up to ½ cup more powdered sugar until you reach a spreadable, but thick consistency.

How to make cream cheese frosting for the best banana cake recipe!

Assemble the Banana Cake

When the cake is cooled, spread frosting evenly over the top.

cream cheese frosting being spread on top of banana cake in a baking dish with a metal spatula

banana cake in a white baking dish spread with cream cheese frosting surrounded by bananas and chopped nuts

If desired, top with crushed pecans or walnuts and extra banana slices. You could also pipe a design on the top, but for the sake of time I chose to just slather that cream cheese frosting right on top!

sliced bananas arranged around the outside edge of a banana cake with cream cheese frosting in a white baking dish

chopped nuts sprinkled over the sliced bananas arranged around the outside edge of a banana cake with cream cheese frosting in a white baking dish

Chill & Serve

Chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight. I find the chilling time really gives the cake a chance for the flavors to deepen and the banana cake to taste its absolute best! Serve the banana cake cold or at room temperature.

front view of a banana cake with cream cheese frosting toppd with banana slices and chopped nuts

Store/Freeze

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This recipe can also be wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container and frozen for up to 2 months!

To enjoy, simply let the cake thaw in the refrigerator, or at room temperature.

4 plates, each with a slice of banana cake on it with cream cheese frosting. The middle piece has a fork with a bite of banana cake on it. all surrounded by chopped nuts and banana slices

Banana Cake Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between banana bread and banana cake?

Banana cake and banana bread are very similar, but there are some key differences! First, banana cake is fluffier and less-dense than banana bread because of the high amount of liquid/wet ingredients. This banana cake recipe also makes a larger cake with more portions, and it’s topped with frosting, which our banana bread recipe is not!

Do you need to refrigerate banana cake?

Yes. Because of the cream cheese frosting this best banana cake recipe needs to be refrigerated. I also just believe it taste the best when served slightly cold!

Can I make this recipe into cupcakes?

I suggest following this banana cupcakes recipe. They are so delicious!

If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!

Best Banana Cake Recipe

Banana Cake: Ingredients and Substitutions