This is the best easy, moist banana cake recipe, and it’s made completely from scratch! My recipe is perfectly balanced with extra bananas and complementary spices and it’s crowned with a silky smooth cream cheese frosting. This is the snack cake of your dreams!
An Easy, Moist Banana Cake Recipe
This banana cake recipe exist solely because so many of you wrote to tell me how much you loved my banana muffins (see, I don’t call them “the best” for nothing) and asked if you could use that recipe to make a cake. The translation from muffin to cake wasn’t perfect, so I headed to the kitchen and, well over a dozen well-browned bananas later, finally have a perfectly moist and yet fluffy version that I think you’ll love.
Why This Recipe Works:
- The bananas do the heavy lifting. Overripe bananas are of course key for intense flavor, but they’re also full of natural sugars and pectin. These help lock in moisture and create a plush, super moist crumb, without making the cake dense.
- Oil for moisture, butter for flavor. Just using butter can leave you with a dry cake, while the flavor can fall flat without it. A balance of both works great here: butter adds rich flavor and oil keeps the crumb tender longer (especially helpful if you refrigerate the cake!). There’s a reason I use this blend of the two in so many cake recipes, like my vanilla cake and chocolate cake recipe!
- Cream cheese frosting, balanced just right. Cream cheese frosting is good enough to eat on its own by the spoonful, but the tangy element of it works especially well here to counter the sweet, banana-rich base. A little acidity balances the whole bite, so it doesn’t feel too heavy! Psst: If you really want to make this cake luxurious, try my cream cheese-based brown butter frosting!)
I went through a lot of overripe bananas (and some not-so-ripe ones, in moments of desperation), and finally ended up modifying my pumpkin cake (of all things) to land on this winning banana cake recipe. It’s incredibly soft, fluffy yet moist, and topped with a smooth and creamy version of my popular cream cheese frosting (though to make things extra decadent try it with my brown butter frosting!).
What You Need:
My banana cake recipe was carefully and intentionally designed to be sweet, simple, super flavorful, and moist. When developing it, I largely drew from my pumpkin cake (of all things), and it worked wonderfully. Let’s talk about a few of the key players:
- Bananas. For the best flavor & moistest cake, you should use ripe, spotty bananas. Have some that are looking a little overripe on your counter and starting to attract fruit flies? Grab those. Ideally I prefer mine to be browner than the too-yellow ones shown in the photo above (but my recipe is versatile, so use what you have on hand!). King Arthur has a great guide on choosing the best bananas to use.
- Butter AND oil. Those of you who have made my Funfetti cake or marble cake recipe know that a blend of the two yields a better cake than simply using all butter or all oil. For my banana cake recipe I sought balance, and a blend of the two yielded a perfect moist cake. For the oil, any neutral cooking oil (canola or vegetable are most common) will work.
- Sugar. Another best-of-both-worlds scenario. Granulated sugar adds sweetness without weighing the cake down too much, while brown sugar adds depth of flavor, thanks to the molasses.
- Leavening Agents. Baking powder and baking soda create a perfect rise. The baking soda reacts with the banana and buttermilk (and helps create that beautiful golden surface), while the baking powder ensures a reliably even lift across the cake. Without the two of them we’d have a dense, gummy cake.
- Buttermilk. While this plays a role in helping the banana cake to rise a bit when combined with the baking soda, perhaps more importantly it adds moisture and a very subtle tangy flavor. You may use my buttermilk substitute if you can’t find buttermilk in stores (or just don’t have any), but the “real” stuff is best here as it will yield the best texture.
This is just an overview of a few of the main ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Banana Cake
Make the cake
- Mash the bananas! A potato masher or even just a fork works well. Try to mash out as many lumps as you can, but it’s OK that you won’t be able to get all of them.
- Beat together the sugars and butter. Look for a light, creamy, well-combined mixture, then stir in the oil until it’s well incorporated.
- Add the bananas to the butter/sugar mixture and stir well to combine.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and stir well. The batter most likely won’t be smooth since your mashed bananas are bound to be a bit lumpy, but everything should be thoroughly mixed (especially since you need to be quite light-handed in the next step.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. You want the ingredients to be thoroughly combined, but as with banana bread or pancakes, over-mixing can result in dense, dry results.
- Spread the batter evenly into a greased baking pan. I use a metal pan, if you use a glass one note that your cake will take longer to bake than indicated.
- Check the doneness of the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center. The toothpick should come out mostly clean, or, preferably, with some moist crumbs (but not raw batter!).
Make the Frosting
- Combine (softened!) cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and salt and beat until smooth and creamy. There should be no lumps remaining (if it’s lumpy, your cream cheese may have been too cold).
- Gradually add the powdered sugar until completely combined.
- Add the cream. If you want a thicker frosting, you can skip this step, but I like the looser, silky feel that adding a splash of cream adds.
- Spread the frosting over the (cooled) cake. Top with regular or toasted pecans or walnuts (or a drizzle of caramel sauce! Or dulce de leche!) for a finishing touch!
Frequently Asked Questions
This banana cake recipe should yield results that are perfectly moist, but certainly not oily. If yours seems more of the latter than the former, consider these possible issues.
1) Using too much banana can make the cake too wet and make it seem oily. While just grabbing 4 ripe bananas might work out just fine for you, if they’re larger than you realize it could cause a wet cake, and for this reason I recommend you mash and then measure your bananas.
2) Not thoroughly combining the wet ingredients, or not thoroughly combining the wet and dry ingredients together. Make sure you stir very well when mixing the butter/bananas etc., then when you combine the wet and dry ingredients do so carefully but thoroughly (remember that over-mixing at this step can yield dense, dry results).
3) Under-baking. Examine your toothpick carefully when testing. With such a moist cake, sometimes the toothpick may appear clean when there’s actually a thin, nearly translucent layer of banana cake batter on it. The toothpick should be dry or (preferably) have moist, discernible crumbs.
I have not one, but 3 secrets to share with you, but know it’s all about a smart selection of ingredients and a little baking science. First: very ripe bananas are key to a good banana cake recipe! As bananas ripen, their starches turn to sugar and the moisture content increases, keeping the cake moist and flavorful. Second: a blend of oil and butter adds both moisture and flavor. Finally: just the right amount of brown sugar. Brown sugar doesn’t just add flavor, it also helps the cake stay soft and tender even after a night in the fridge, thanks to the fact it’s hygroscopic (this just means it loves moisture!).
Banana bread is baked in a bread pan, is more dense and hearty and a bit less sweet. It has more of a “let’s call this breakfast” energy. Banana cake would be hard to pass off as breakfast food. It’s baked in a cake pan, fluffier and even more moist, and dressed up with a heavy-handed swirl of frosting.
Either over or under-mixing can result in a cake that sinks as it cools. If the banana cake is not baked thoroughly, this can also cause it to sink after baking. Finally, if your baking powder or baking soda are expired and/or not properly stored, this may cause the cake to not rise properly. Store these in a cool dry place and make sure they are not expired before you use them.
This cake is very carefully and specifically designed to be moist, so it’s unlikely you’ll run into this issue (I’m not sure anyone has so far!) BUT, if you do it’s likely because:
1) The flour was accidentally over-measured. I recommend that you use a kitchen scale or stir your flour, spoon it into a measuring cup, and then level it off (see my post on how to measure flour).
2) It was baked too long or your oven is running too hot. Unfortunately many ovens do not run true to temperature, and for this reason I recommend keeping an oven thermometer in yours.
More Banana Recipes to Try!
It took quite a bit of tweaking and testing but I’m very proud to finally be sharing my favorite banana cake recipe with you. If you try it, please leave me a comment letting me know how you liked it!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
The Best Banana Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (175 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200 g) light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 2 cups (470 g) well-mashed ripe bananas (this is typically 4 bananas for me)
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Silky Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese softened
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups (315 g) powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
- ½ cup chopped walnuts for topping (optional)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and spray a 9×13" (approximately 23x33cm) pan with baking spray or lightly grease and flour. Set aside.
- Combine butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl and use an electric mixer). Beat until well-combined and light and fluffy.¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) light or dark brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- Add oil and beat to combine.¾ cup (175 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil
- Stir in mashed bananas.2 cups (470 g) well-mashed ripe bananas
- Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined.2 large eggs, ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.2 ½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Gradually add to wet ingredients until completely combined.
- Spread batter into prepared pan and bake on 350F (175C) for 45-55 minutes (see note 1) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with few moist crumbs. Allow to cool completely before covering with frosting.
Silky Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy.8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- With mixer on low-speed, gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined.2 ½ cups (315 g) powdered sugar
- Add heavy cream and gradually increase speed to high. Beat on high for 30 seconds.1 Tablespoon heavy cream
- Spread over completely cooled banana cake. Top with chopped walnuts (if using). Slice and serve!½ cup chopped walnuts
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This banana cake recipe was first published March 2018. The recipe remains unchanged, but the content of the post has been updated to include more helpful information as well as a how-to video tutorial.
Andy S
Excellent!
Very moist, great banana flavor very light as described.
I have a brand new electric oven. So I have not calibrated.
I used a dark metal no stick pan, though I still greased and floured, and found myself tenting with foil at 30 minutes. I probably could’ve tested doneness earlier, as mine was done when I checked at 45 minutes.
I used salted butter that I had on hand. I still added 1/4 tsp salt. Frosting sugar amount was perfect. Often cream cheese frostings are crazy sweet. After tasting I decided on 1/4 teaspoon more vanilla and probably another 2 tsp of cream to get the lighter consistency I wanted.
Rave reviews from some seriously critical taste testers.
THANK YOU!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it, Andy! Calibrating the oven is always such a pain! I am glad you were still able to get it to turn out. 🙂
Barbie
Had overripe bananas. Tried your recipe. Delicious. Easy. Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them! Better than wasting bananas if you ask me. 🙂
Roberta Reynolds
Hi, I’m planning on making the best banana cake for my sister’s bday. Want to do a triple layer. Can I use these ingredient amounts for that? I usually throw stuff together and never measure and this will be the second cake I follow directions.
Thank you
Sam
It would hold up being stacked, however, this would yield three pretty thin layers. The batter would be sufficient for a two layer cake. You would need to increase the ingredients to get a three layer cake if you didn’t want the layers to be too thin. Enjoy! ☺️
Angela Longley
I made this Delicious cake last night and it is exactly what it is….The Best Banana Cake!. So moist and flavorful. This recipe is going in my recipe box for sure. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Sam
Thank you for the feedback, Angela! I am so glad you enjoyed it! ☺️
Charlyn
Hi! My family and I really enjoyed your banana cake recipe. It is really the best!
How long is the shelf life? 5 days max?
Sam
I would say 3-5 days and wouldn’t keep it any longer than that. 😊
Norma
This looks delicious; I will be making this for dessert for a Sunday dinner. I may just freshly whipped cream instead of frosting.
I need to make it today (Thursday), and I’m wondering if I should leave it in an airtight container, or pop it into the freezer, and take it out Sunday morning – or would that make it sticky and weird?? Thanks 🙂
Sam
The cake will be ok in an air tight container in the refrigerator. My recommendation for the whipped cream is to freeze it or to wait until the day of to make it. 😊
Margie
Yesterday I came across your website and today I made your Best Banana Cake with the Silky Cream Cheese Frosting and it was AMAZING!! Since I love walnuts, I also added walnuts to the cake mix and reduced the brown sugar to 3/4 cup. I used a non-stick pan and my cake was done in 45 minutes. I can’t wait to try your banana muffins next. Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe!!
PS – I took a picture but could not attach.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the Banana Cake! I hope you love everything you try! ☺️
Nance C Andersen
Made this cake yesterday to use up 4 over ripe bananas and I was having a guest for dinner. I thought I had cream cheese in the refrigerator for the frosting, but I didn’t. I Googled what kinds of frosting to use on banana cake besides cream cheese frosting. I found brown sugar frosting and used that recipe. The cake is delicious and the frosting with chopped pecans sprinkled over the top made a fabulous dessert! My guest even took a sizable piece to eat for breakfast this morning. It’s 4 PM the day after I made it and half of it is gone! Has anyone used the cake recipe to make cupcakes? If so how many does the recipe make, how many does it make, oven temperature and baking time?
Sam
I’m afraid if you put them in cupcakes they may be too moist. I have never tried it so I would not be able to comment on bake times and temperature.
Storm
How do you store the cake? In the fridge? Any recimmendation for reheating?
I am so excited…baking it now in the oven!
Sam
Just keep it in an air tight container, room temperature is fine. To reheat, I would just microwave it for a few seconds.
Alli
Any tips for subbing the 1 tbsp heavy cream for something else? I don’t have any. Thanks!
Sam
You could use milk (use a bit less as milk is thinner) or leave it out completely
Karla
I only have salted butter, is that ok? Should I reduce the salt in it?
Will salted butter affect the cake taste? Thanks. Hoping to make tomorrow.
Sam
Hi Karla! Just cut the salt that the recipe calls for to 1/2 teaspoon for the cake, and for the frosting I wouldn’t add any but do a taste test and if it seems too sweet add 1/4 teaspoon.
I hope that helps and hope you love the banana cake! 🙂
Maggie
Hi, I usually bake banana bread with my ripe bananas but might try your recipe. I don’t have buttermilk, can I successfully sour whole milk with vinegar for your recipe? Thank you.
Sam
Yes you can! this is how I make “buttermilk” if I don’t have any on hand (I’d bet you do it the same way):
Jasetta
Made this last night and menh… it was delicious. Sugar is not too much, but was very brown inside even though, I used light brown sugar. Hubby took some for work and kids love it.
I’m always on sugarspunrun.com checking out your recipes.The ones I have used have not failed me yet. They come out perfect and yammy.
Telicia
Found your site after searching for somber to make with my over ripe bananas so I would not have to throw out. So glad I found your blog.Made this yesterday. Fabulous!!! Did not have enough AP flour so used cake flour instead of AP. The recipe was so simple and easy and the frosting was perfect, not overly sweet. Super moist and fluffy. I enjoyed a piece with my coffee this morning. I baked in metal pan and the tip to watch carefully after 30 minutes was really helpful because it was beginning to brown rather quickly so I just turned oven down to 325 last 10 minutes and it was done in 40 minutes for me. Thanks for recipe.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this! I’m glad you enjoyed the cake, thank you so much for coming back and commenting how it turned out! 🙂
Gail Hanson
Fantastic!! Couldn’t have more delicious.WOW❤❤
THANKYOU
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it Gail!! 😃
Amina
This cake looks really yummy! I’ve been following your blog for a while, but I think this is my first time commenting.
Please check out my blog that I have recently launched.
Suzanne Mergler
Cake was delish. My family loved it I used a glass pan, baked it 40 min. Perfect.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Suzanne! ç