A standby Banana Cake

At a glance

What stands out: Old-fashioned from-scratch banana cake is hard to beat! Make your own cake with ripe bananas and a hand mixer. This recipe is straightforward, and you can make it all in just one bowl!

How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, 40 minutes to bake
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, mixer, cake pan
Servings: 10

Our Go-To Cake

Our mom often makes this cake and it’s become a bit of a tradition at many family gatherings. It’s straightforward to mix, and it turns out reliable every time. It’s moist (there’s just no other way to say it!), flavorful, and fun to make with different frostings and toppings.

Banana cake with cream cheese frosting is welcome at any celebration but you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to bake banana cake. We think every day is a great day for dessert!

What makes it special:

• Made with real bananas! This straightforward banana cake recipe is moist with lots of banana flavor. The cake is made with three bananas, real bananas, not artificial banana flavoring like most boxed cake mixes. From-scratch banana cake is a evenly rich way to use the overripe bananas sitting on your counter at home.
• Straightforward to mix. This is an uncomplicated recipe. You’ll only need one mixing bowl and an electric mixer. It’s not much more difficult than a boxed cake mix, and it’s totally worth the effort. You can do it!

Toppings For your Banana Cake

Frosting: Our favorite frosting for banana cake is this fluffy from-scratch cream cheese frosting (the recipe is included). Our mom often tops her banana cake with lemon cream cheese frosting, especially in the summer months. Creamy peanut butter frosting or chocolate cream cheese frosting are excellent choices, as well.

Chocolate chips: If you know you’re not going to have time to add frosting to your cake, sprinkle a layer of chocolate chips on the batter before baking the cake (or just put the chocolate chips right in the cake!).

Ice cream or whipped cream: Both are excellent options and you won’t miss the frosting at all! Garnish with sliced bananas and chopped toasted nuts.

Jill Said:

“Yummmmmmmm, it was a standby banana cake we have ever eaten. It was a hit with everyone. Also recipe was straightforward to follow.”

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What goes in

• Bananas: Do you have overripe bananas sitting on your counter? Bananas that are speckled with brown, or even all brown on the outside are exactly what you need because they add so much sweetness to the cake. This is not the time to use the bright yellow/green bananas that crunch when you bite into them. We often freeze ripe bananas so we always have some on hand.
• Flour: The recipe is written for white whole wheat flour but all-purpose flour or a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat works well, too.
• Sugar: Use regular white granulated sugar. You can cut the amount of sugar by a third (to 1 cup) if you’re watching your sugar intake, especially if your bananas are ripe.
• Butter: The butter should be softened, or at room temperature. Substitute shortening if you like. We've tested it both ways and the cake turns out well with either.
• Eggs: It’s best if they are at room temperature but not essential.
• Buttermilk or Sour Milk: If you don’t have either one, make your own buttermilk by mixing regular milk with white vinegar. Don’t use plain milk. The chemical reaction that takes place when an acidic substance is mixed with baking soda is what leavens the cake.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These two leavening agents ensure that your cake turns out light and fluffy. You’ll also need a little salt to balance the flavor.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the cake.
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Love Bananas?

If you love bananas, be sure to try these baked banana donuts! They’re tasty, not difficult to make, and they have a tasty brown sugar glaze. Triple chocolate banana muffins are always a hit, too.

How it comes together

Scroll down for the complete recipe, including measurements! This is just an overview, with some helpful tips and substitution ideas.

Preheat oven. It’s important that your oven is preheated before you bake the cake.

Prep. You can use a 9 x 13-inch cake pan or two 8- or 9-inch round pans for a layer cake. We usually use metal baking pans but a glass baking dish works too. Grease the cake pan(s) with a light spritz of nonstick spray. Mash the bananas and make sure you have the ingredients you need on hand.

Beat butter, sugar, eggs. Using an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer if you have one), beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is fluffy. Don’t skimp on the time here. It’s important to beat the butter and sugar mixture well so your cake turns out light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add remaining ingredients. Add the mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla to the mixing bowl, then measure out the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, adding it all to the mixing bowl (as pictured).

Beat. Blend the mixture on low speed half a minute until everything’s combined, using a rubber scraper to scrape the edges of the bowl as needed, and then beat at medium high speed for three minutes. The batter should look smooth and creamy.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Spread the batter into the pan, smoothing it out.

Bake. Your oven should be preheated by now. Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. It should look golden brown and set in the middle. You can test it by poking a toothpick near the center of the cake. The toothpick should come out clean, not sticky with batter.

Frost. Once the cake is completely cool (we usually cool it on a wire rack for good air circulation), you can frost it as desired, or simply top each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Frosting Tip

If you are going to frost the cake, let the cake cool completely! Do not frost a warm cake, you won’t be happy with the result. Even a little bit of residual heat is going to be bad for your frosting, unless it’s this broiled nut icing from Bless This Mess. We know how hard it is to wait. Believe us, we're talking from experience here.

Straightforward Recipe Variations

• Chocolate banana cake: Replace a half cup of the flour with a half cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. Frost with chocolate cream cheese frosting. You can also add chocolate chips (or try our banana chocolate chip cake!).
• Banana spice cake: Add a teaspoon or two of apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for a banana spice cake.
• Banana nut cake: Stir 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter. The nuts will taste better if you lightly toast them first (see how to toast pecans). To prevent them from sinking to the bottom, toss them with a tablespoon of the flour before adding them. Another option is to pour half of the batter into the pan, sprinkle on the nuts, then top with the remaining batter.
• Banana cupcakes: If you’re looking for a straightforward-to-serve option, try our banana cupcakes.
• Whole wheat banana cake: Make the cake with whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, or white all-purpose flour, or a combination. The texture of the cake will be more dense with whole wheat flour.
• Rather have banana bread? If you’re looking for a banana bread recipe, try our lighter banana bread, chocolate chip banana bread, or banana bread muffins.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: If you frost your cake with cream cheese frosting, cover it well and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep up to a week although you’ll find it’s best when fresh. If the cake isn’t frosted, you can leave it out of the fridge as long as it’s covered well, for a few days.

Freeze: If you want, make the cake ahead and freeze it, unfrosted, for up to three months. Take a look at these tips for freezing cake from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

• Yield: 12
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 40 minutes
• Total: 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

For Cake:

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas ( 3 medium-sized bananas)
• ½ cup buttermilk or sour milk (or ½ cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon white vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt

For Cream cheese frosting (see note):

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened (reduced-fat will work, we don’t recommend fat-free)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
• 1 teaspoon milk, more if needed
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 9 x 13-inch cake pan by spraying with cooking spray, or greasing and flouring (see note).
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, about 30 seconds each.
4. Add mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla extract to the bowl, then remaining ingredients. Beat 30 seconds at low speed to combine; continue to beat at medium high speed for 3 minutes. Batter should be light colored, smooth, and somewhat fluffy.
5. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean (see note).
6. Cool completely before frosting.
7. In a large bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.
8. If frosting seems too thick, beat in additional milk, ½ teaspoon at a time. If frosting is too thin, add powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time.
9. Frost completely cooled cake. Frosted cake should be refrigerated.

Notes

Frosting: For 9 x 13-inch cake, a half batch of frosting is usually enough, unless you like an extra thick layer of frosting. (The nutrition information is calculated with a full batch of frosting.)

For layer cake: Divide batter between two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. You’ll need a full batch of frosting to frost a layer cake.

Banana cupcakes: Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Bake at 375 °F for 14 minutes (see banana cupcakes ).

Chocolate banana cake: Replace a half cup of the flour with a half cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. Frost with chocolate cream cheese frosting. You can also add chocolate chips (or try our banana chocolate chip cake!).

Banana spice cake: Add a teaspoon or two of apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for a banana spice cake.

Banana nut cake: Stir 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter. The nuts will taste better if you lightly toast them first (see how to toast pecans ). To prevent them from sinking to the bottom, toss them with a tablespoon of the flour before adding them. Another option is to pour half of the batter into the pan, sprinkle on the nuts, then top with the remaining batter