Banana Bundt Cake

This banana bundt cake has the moist consistency of banana bread, which intense banana flavor and incredibly rich crumb. To kick things up a notch, it’s brushed with maple syrup to create a delicious sticky glaze and sprinkled with sea salt to balance out the sweetness. It’s the ultimate comfort cake and best of all, it’s so easy to make.

Tips for making banana bundt cake

To ensure your cake turns out perfectly moist every time, here are my top baking tips:

Flour – I say this in every post, and for good reason. It’s the number one reason why most recipes fail. If there’s too much flour, this banana bundt cake will turn dry. If possible, measure the flour with a food scale. Otherwise, to ensure the exact amount, gently spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge. If scooped directly into the flour container, the flour becomes packed down into the cup which could leave you with 1/4 cup or more of added flour.

Bananas – For the BEST flavor, use really ripe bananas. The more brown spots, the better. Also make sure to measure the bananas once mashed to ensure you have exactly 2 cups. If there’s too little, the cake won’t be as moist and if there’s too much, the cake could turn mushy. If you’re just short, supplement with some unsweetened applesauce.

Sugars – The secret to making an incredibly moist banana bundt cake is in the sugars. For my recipe, I use a mix of light brown sugar and pure maple syrup. Just make sure to use pure 100% maple syrup and not pancake syrup! These sugars both add so much extra moisture and flavor while allowing that banana flavor to still shine through. In other words, don’t replace them!

Mixing – Mix as much as needed for the wet ingredients, but mix gently once the dry ingredients are added. If the batter is over worked, the cake can deflate in the center and turn out too dense and tough.

The batter should turn into a pudding-like consistency with tiny bits of banana throughout. If it looks like the photos below, then you’re doing it right!

How to prevent your bundt cakes from sticking

Nothing is worse than going through all the steps of baking a bundt cake, only for it to completely stick to the pan. For the easiest and most successful bundt cake release, here’s what you need to do:

1. Thoroughly coat the pan with a thin layer of shortening, getting it into every ridge and surface. It’s important to get a thin, even coat so I like to use my hands to ensure everything is covered. You can also use softened butter, but I find the most success with shortening.
2. When the cake is fresh from the oven, cover it with foil and try to secure it around the sides. This will trap in steam, which helps loosen up the cake from the sides of the pan. Keep it covered for about 10 minutes.
3. Then remove the foil and turn it out! It should easily slide out following these two simple steps.

Sticky maple glaze

This banana bundt cake is delicious on this own, but this quick finishing step really elevates the look and taste.

Once the bundt cake has turned out and cooled for about 20 minutes, it will still be pretty warm. This is the perfect time to brush the exterior with extra maple syrup as some of it will sink into the cake while still leaving a glossy sheen on the outside.

The sticky surface is perfect for adhering some flaky sea salt! I personally think every dessert is better with a pinch of salt as it allows the sweet flavors to really pop. Plus, the flaky while specks look gorgeous on this golden banana bundt cake.

Banana Bundt Cake FAQs

For more bundt cake recipes, check out my:

• Red Velvet Bundt Cake
• Butterscotch Pumpkin Bundt Cake
• Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake
• Apple Cider Bundt Cake

Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and comment below if you make this banana bundt cake recipe. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!

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