The BEST Banana Cake
This banana cake is made extra special with a vanilla pudding frosting! The cake itself is so soft and moist but paired with an ultra creamy topping? It’s a match made in heaven. Although it’s incredibly simple and easy to make, it’s always a crowd pleaser.
What makes this the best banana cake?
Based on my very popular banana bread bars, this cake is just as moist but with a slightly fluffier texture! It also brings in all that delicious banana flavor but without being too heavy.
The batter is also mixed by hand and all in one bowl so it’s a super quick and simple recipe! But what I love the most is the frosting.
Inspired by banana pudding, this cake is topped with a super creamy homemade vanilla pudding. This may sound intimidating, but it’s actually way easier to make than buttercream!
Just heat milk with sugar and cornstarch until thickened, then whisk in cream cheese, white chocolate, and vanilla. Once chilled, it’s the perfect soft frosting consistency that spreads like a dream.
It also doesn’t harden when chilled like regular frosting, so it stays soft no matter the temperature!
I first tried out this technique on my chocolate sheet cake recipe by topping it with a chocolate pudding. If you’re wanting to switch it up, that pudding recipe would also be great for this cake!
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:
- Whisking the Frosting – When making the pudding, it’s important to continuously whisk once the mixture starts to heat up. This will prevent any lumps.
- White Chocolate – Use a good quality bar of white chocolate here! I like Lindt (in the candy aisle) as this will melt the best and produce the best texture.
- Straining the Frosting – This is optional, but it helps remove any tiny lumps from the cream cheese and white chocolate.
- Ripe Banana – For best flavor, always use really dark and spotty bananas! Also make sure to mash and measure the banana to ensure you have exactly 1 1/2 cups.
- 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.
- Level Ingredients – For the rest of the ingredients, always measure level amounts. For example, scrape the top of the sour cream cup for a level measure. Never add a heaping amount.
- 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.
If you’re worried about flavor, you can’t taste it one bit as long as you use refined coconut oil. Otherwise, you can replace it with vegetable or canola oil.
Full fat Greek yogurt is always a good substitute for sour cream. Otherwise, buttermilk is another option. Or use 1 cup whole milk, remove one tablespoon and replace with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and sit for a few minutes before use.
Yes! This cake would also work well with a cream cheese frosting or vanilla buttercream. You could even top it with my strawberry cream cheese frosting or chocolate pudding frosting.
Don’t worry, you can’t taste it! It’s really just there to help thicken the pudding into a more spreadable frosting consistency.
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 a week.
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!
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The BEST Banana Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices
Description
This banana cake is made extra special with a vanilla pudding frosting! The incredibly moist and tender cake paired with a rich and not-too-sweet pudding on top will leave you wanting more than just one slice.
Ingredients
Vanilla Pudding Frosting
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 3/4 cups (420g) whole milk
- 4 oz white chocolate, chopped (I use Lindt)
- 4 oz full fat cream cheese, room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- Walnuts, finely chopped (for topping)
Banana Cake
- 1/4 cup (55g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (55g) refined coconut oil, melted
- 3/4 cup (150g) light brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 1 1/2 cups (395g) mashed ripe banana, measured (3 to 4 large bananas)
- 1 cup (240g) sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 1/4 cups (290g) all-purpose flour or 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour, spooned and leveled
Instructions
Vanilla Pudding Frosting
- Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan.
- Slowly pour in the milk as you whisk. Once the mixture has smoothed out and there are no lumps, whisk in the rest of the milk all at once.
- Place over medium heat and whisk occasionally for the first few minutes, then keep whisking as the mixture starts to steam and bubble. Once bubbling, heat for another minute until thickened.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the white chocolate, cream cheese, and vanilla.
- Press the pudding through a fine mesh strainer and into a medium bowl. Once it’s all through, press a sheet of plastic wrap up against the surface of the pudding and place in the refrigerator.
Banana Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, coconut oil, and sugars.
- Once combined, whisk in the eggs and vanilla until completely smooth.
- Now whisk in the mashed banana (make sure it measures to exactly 1 ½ cups), sour cream, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk in the flour just until combined.
- Pour the batter into your pan and spread even. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cake to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, about 1 hour.
- By the time the cake has cooled, the pudding should also be ready. Remove the plastic wrap and give the pudding a good stir to smooth it back out.
- Spread over the cooled cake and top with chopped walnuts. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
FROSTING – You can also try my chocolate pudding frosting for this cake or my brown butter frosting!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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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!
