The Best Banana Cake Recipe
Posted Mar 15, 2020, Updated Apr 22, 2024
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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.
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 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!
Banana Cake: Ingredients and Substitutions
- 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.
Then, mash the bananas in a large bowl with a potato masher or a fork.
Next, add the sugar, melted butter and vanilla and stir to combine.
Then, add the eggs, sour cream, and milk and stir. Make sure these ingredients are at room temperature for the best results.
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)!
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!
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.
Assemble the Banana Cake
When the cake is cooled, spread frosting evenly over the top. If desired, top with crushed pecans or walnuts! 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!
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.
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.
Banana Cake Recipe FAQs
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!
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!
I suggest following this banana cupcakes recipe. They are so delicious!
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Best Banana Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 bananas mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Banana Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Grease a 9×13” pan, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash bananas.
- Add melted butter, sugar and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Add eggs, sour cream and milk and stir or whisk to combine.
- Add dry ingredients and stir until the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout) and there are no lumps.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- While the cake is baking, make the cream cheese frosting.
- Beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add 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.
Assemble, Chill & Serve
- When the cake is cooled, spread frosting evenly over the top.
- Chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Then serve cold or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- 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!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is bursting with banana flavor. I actually measured 1-1/2 cups mashed banana and it equaled 6 very ripe bananas. Yes, 6! Most kitchens will have ingredients needed. Easy recipe to follow and loved that no mixer is needed. Used 2% milk but that was the only change made, followed directions exactly on everything else. Baked 35 minutes in 9×13 metal pan. If you like a dense banana cake…make this. You’ll love it!!
Thanks for your recipe, I’ve baked for our hotel guests. They all loved the cake,
does the nutrition data include frosting?
Can you substitute melted margarine for the butter?
Yes, you can.
Can I bake this in A bundt cake pan, greased with a light coating of flour? I am going to make this. If not a bundt pan, is the 9X13 a metal pan or a glass baking dish? I can’t wait to bake this!!! thank you for the recipe & confirming dumb ?’s Holly
Can you make this into cupcakes?
Love this recipe! I found myself sneaking into the refrigerator to cut a slice of the banana cake, just like I did as a child, with the Saralee cake in the freezer! The best part was I had all the ingredients in the house, including some very ripe bananas that I had put in the freezer!
YES! I used to do the same thing as a child Louise! 🙂
How long to bake if I made cupcakes with this recipe?
Can I make this into cupcakes?
Do I have to use really ripe bananas for this recipe?
Yes I recommend very ripe bananas for the best flavor and texture!