The BEST Banana Cake
This banana cake is made extra special with extra bananas – creating an incredibly moist crumb with intense banana flavor. I’ve always found that banana cakes don’t stack up against the moist and rich texture and flavor of banana bread, but this cake is the exception. I would happily enjoy this over a slice of banana bread any day, and that’s saying a lot for me! The silky cream cheese frosting on top really seals the deal. It’s truly the best banana cake you will ever have.
What makes this the best banana cake?
Based on my very popular banana bread bars, this cake is just as moist but with deep banana flavor. Typical banana cake recipes use about 3 bananas, but this one uses a whopping 5! Two whole cups of mashed banana go into this cake, adding not only to the flavor but also the rich texture.
For the best results, the ripest and darkest bananas are ideal for this recipe. Truly, they should be on the brink of rotting. These bananas add so much intensity to this cake that just can’t be replicated with barely ripe bananas. I personally love to use ripe bananas that I’ve frozen. Once thawed, they can easily be mashed and mixed in (just ignore the unsightly color and texture).
Aside from the bananas, the cake is sweetened with a mix of sugar and honey. This liquid gold adds extra moisture to the cake, which further enhances its rich texture.
Last but not least, extra whole milk is mixed into the batter. It’s tricky to strike a balance of super moist but not too heavy, and 3/4 cup of milk is the perfect amount. It helps lighten the texture just a bit, while maintaining that dense and rich consistency.
Banana Cake Baking Tips
While this is an easy banana cake recipe, here are a few simple tips to ensure it turns out just right:
- Ripe Banana – For best flavor, use really dark and spotty bananas – like nearly to the point of rotting. Also make sure to mash and measure the banana to ensure you have exactly 2 cups! It usually takes about 5 bananas for me.
- Flour – I always suggest weighing your ingredients but if you don’t have a scale, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge for a light and fluffy cup.
- Room Temperature Ingredients – Since this banana cake is made with melted butter, it’s important that any refrigerated ingredients are brought to room temperature before adding them. Otherwise, their cold temperature will cause the melted butter to harden and curdle up.
- Baking – For the best results, bake your cakes in light aluminum or aluminized steel baking pans. This will give you the most even bake. For this cake, it’s done when the edges are golden, it’s evenly puffed, and the surface bounces back when tapped.
- Frosting – I actually like to mix the frosting by hand as it creates a thick and sturdy cream cheese frosting. This is of course optional, as it’s a bit more work!
- Cooling – Make sure the cake is completely cooled before adding the frosting, otherwise it will melt!
Banana Cake FAQs
Yes! Just swap the flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour. I like Bob’s Red Mill (the blue bag) or King Arthur measure for measure.
I wouldn’t recommend this! Honey is one of the secret ingredients that makes this cake so rich and moist. Alternatively, you can use pure maple syrup.
Yes! If you like to freeze your overripe bananas, make sure to thaw them beforehand and drain any excess liquid.
You can bake unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet at 350F for 8-10 minutes or until they’ve completely darkened. Cool, then peel and mash.
A day or two is best for the freshest flavor! Store covered in the refrigerator.
Cover and store in the refrigerator where it will last for about 5 days.
For more delicious banana recipes, check out my:
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Banana Coffee Cake
- Banana Nut Muffins
- Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram or leave a comment below if you make this banana cake recipe. I love seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
Watch how to make this banana cake!
Print
The BEST Banana Cake
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12 slices
Description
This banana cake is is truly the best you will ever have. It is loaded with sweet banana flavor, which is due to the fact that a whopping 5 bananas are used in this batter! With the addition of honey and extra milk, this cake is incredibly rich, tender, and moist. Topping it with cream cheese frosting is just icing on the cake, literally!
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (80g) honey
- 2 cups (490g) mashed ripe banana (about 5 of the ripest bananas you’ve ever seen)
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups (256g) all-purpose flour or 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup (180g) whole milk, room temp
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temp
- 2 1/2 cups (275g) powdered sugar, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz full fat cream cheese, room temp
Instructions
Banana Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease the inside of a 9×13 baking dish. Line with a sheet of parchment paper to cover the bottom and two long sides for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, and honey. Then whisk in the mashed banana (make sure to measure exactly 2 cups), followed by the eggs and vanilla. The consistency will look a little odd at this point, but trust the process!
- Now whisk in the baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute. Then whisk in the flour and once it’s half combined, pour in the milk and fully whisk to bring the batter together.
- Pour into the pan and spread even. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, about 1 hour.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Once the cake has cooled, make the frosting – In a large bowl, using an electric mixer or by hand with a fork (I like to do this by hand to prevent over working the cream cheese, which can create a thin frosting), mash and mix together the butter with 1 cup (110g) of powdered sugar.
- Once smooth, mix in another cup of powdered sugar with the vanilla. Then mash and mix in the cream cheese followed by the remaining 1/2 cup (55g) powdered sugar. Switch to a whisk at the end and give it a good mix until completely smooth.
- Lift the cooled cake out of the pan and spread the frosting on top. Then slice and enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
FROZEN BANANAS – You can definitely use frozen ripe bananas here. Thaw and then drain excess liquid.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Join Our Community
Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
How long do you leave room temp butter, eggs etc out for to make sure its truly at room temp?
The recipe is awesome. I actually realised mid-process I didn’t have bananas)) I just added more sour cream and a bit milk. Turned out soooo aromatic and rich! Also I browned butter, I always do. So thank you for the recipe)
Es demasiado buena la receta. Hice está preparación en un molde para bundt cake y quedó más q perfecto. 10/10
Outside of chocolate cake, which is my all time fave, this cake has to be THEEE best one I’ve ever tasted. It is seriously so good. And, in case you’re a little hesitant because you’re not a big banana flavor fan, please let me reassure you that this cake will NOT disappoint. Also, normally I don’t dare modify Jenna’s recipes because they are perfect the way they are, but this time around I didn’t have plain yogurt and was a 1/2 cup short of sour cream (calls for 1 cup) so I added 1/2 cup of vanilla bean yogurt and Y’ALL…. (drooling emoji) I just need you to go on and make this cake.
I’m confused.. this recipe doesn’t call for yogurt ?
I made this cake, but with my own cream cheese frosting, and it is very yummy! Super moist! I have other banana cake recipes that I’ve tried and this one is the best yet! I baked it in a 9 X 9″ pan, lined with parchment paper.
How did it fit?
Can I bake it in a 8 inch square cake tin or pls tell me how I should be altering this recipe
both these and your banana frosted bars look amazing! i only have enough bananas for either, and im heading for a gathering this weekend…may i ask what the key differences between these two recipes are? thank you!
The bars are a little bit more dense and moist whereas this is more fluffy and moist.
Can you do this cake in round cake pans and frost it with the pudding mixture?
The pudding isn’t stable enough for stacking! You could make my banana layer cake instead.