Best Banana Cake Recipe

This is the Best Banana Cake recipe EVER! It’s moist and sweet and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting!

If you love bananas or Banana Bread, you’re going to love this classic recipe!

This really is the BEST Banana Cake ever. I have been making this cake for several years now and everyone loves it and always asks me for the recipe.

I had some ripe bananas on the counter and rather than making Banana Muffins again I decided a cake sounded better. Cake almost always sounds better! When life gives you ripe bananas…make banana cake. Then, frost it with a cream cheese frosting. SO GOOD!!

How To Make Banana Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F and grease and flour a 9×13-inch metal cake pan.
2. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and then pour lemon juice on top; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
6. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
7. Stir in banana mixture.
8. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes.

A tangy cream cheese frosting is the best way to frost a banana cake since the two go together so well! You might even crave a piece at 2:00 in the morning when you’re unable to sleep.

Unfortunately, I was caught.

I had the fridge door open and was eating the cake straight from the pan. My husband asks, “what are you doing?” LOL!! I guess I need to be a bit quieter.

How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
2. Beat in vanilla extract.
3. Add powdered sugar and heavy cream and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
4. Make sure you allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

Tips For Making Banana Cake:

• This cake is best served at room temperature.
• You could also sprinkle chopped walnuts on top of the frosted cake if you’d like!
• I have always followed this recipe as is since it was given to me. However, sometimes I have had to bake it longer than an hour depending on the pan I’m using, use a dark non-stick pan for best results.
• Also, this recipe requires the cake to be placed in the freezer immediately from the oven. Make sure you’re using a pan that will not crack and have adequate space in the freezer.

The next time you have brown bananas sitting on your counter, do yourself a favor and make this banana cake ASAP! It’s addictive and delicious and is sure to hit the spot!

More Delicious Banana Recipes:

• Frozen Banana Dog Treats – Your pup will love these!
• Classic Bananas Foster – A delicious classic!
• Dirty Banana Cocktail – Basically a boozy milkshake!

Let’s Connect!

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!

Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges!

This recipe was originally published in February 2015 and was updated in September 2019.

4.64 from 22 votes

Banana Cake

Author Rebecca Hubbell

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Freeze Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 15 slices

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This is the BEST Banana Cake! It’s moist and sweet and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting!

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Ingredients

  

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Cake

• ▢ 1½ cups ripe bananas mashed (I used about 4 medium-sized bananas)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 2 cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1½ cups buttermilk

Frosting

• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 8 ounces whipped cream cheese softened
• ▢ 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 3½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Cake

• Preheat oven to 275°F and grease and flour a 9×13-inch metal cake pan.
• On a dinner plate place the peeled bananas and use a fork to mash them.
• Then place bananas in a bowl and pour lemon juice on top; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream ¾ cup butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Then stir in the vanilla extract.
• Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
• Stir in banana mixture.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes.

Frosting

• Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
• Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Add powdered sugar and heavy cream and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
• Spread on cooled cake.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 190mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 605IU | Vitamin C: 2.2mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1.4mg

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