Banana Cake
on May 06, 2020, Updated Aug 13, 2025
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A moist, simple banana cake with cream cheese frosting is becoming part of our Mother's Day tradition this year.
Yes, we love our banana bread. Love it so much. But sometimes, you have a bunch of ripe bananas and want to make something that feels a bit more celebratory. This banana cake with cream cheese recipe is perfect for every occasion, from a birthday to a baby shower to a “just because we want cake” moment. The cake is moist and comforting, and the frosting is tangy and sweet.
And it’s basically as easy to make as banana bread; just get out those cake pans instead of a loaf pan and make a quick and easy frosting. This cake is pretty, tender, sweet, and simple, and it will be gone before you know it. It’s a single-layer cake, so it is very easy to frost and transport! Bring this to your next potluck or to a work or school party.
What's In This Post?
If you are always wondering what to do with your almost-too-ripe bananas, I’m right there with you. You can also try Mini Banana Bread Loaves or Banana Bread Pudding, and for a variation on the banana cake idea, try Banana Cupcakes or this Chocolate Banana Cake.
A moist, simple banana cake with cream cheese frosting is perfect any time of year, for any occasion.
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Ingredients
For the Banana Cake:
- Cake flour – For a fluffy structure. All-purpose will work as well, but the cake will be a bit less tender.
- Salt – Just a bit enhances all of the flavors.
- Baking powder and baking soda – The combination of these two leavening agents offers the right balance of texture and lift.
- Unsalted butter – Bring your butter to room temperature so it creams evenly with the sugars.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar– For a balanced sweetness. Using some brown sugar helps keep the cake moist and soft.
- Eggs – Creates structure.
- Vanilla extract – For toasty vanilla-y notes.
- Mashed bananas – Ripe bananas will add moisture, tenderness, and sweetness. Mash those babies up.
- Whole milk – Also for tenderness and moistness. You could also use buttermilk.
- Ground cinnamon – Optional, but it will add warm flavor notes to the batter.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream cheese – For tang and creaminess.
- Unsalted butter – Make sure it is soft so that it can whip into a fluffy frosting.
- Confectioners’ sugar – For sweetness and structure.
- Whole milk – For creaminess and flavor.
- Vanilla extract – To balance out the tanginess.
- Salt – To enhance the flavors.
How to Make Banana Cake
- Mix the dry ingredients: Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon (if using_.
- Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch round baking pan, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the batter: Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and then the bananas. With a wooden spoon, stir half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until almost blended, then stir in the milk. Add the rest of the flour and stir just until everything is evenly blended.
- Bake the cake: Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer or a stand mixer to blend together the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy.
- Frost and enjoy: When the cake is completely cool, frost the top and sides with the cream cheese frosting.
Variations
- Try using whipped chocolate ganache instead of the cream cheese frosting for another topping option!
- You could add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter as well (be careful about nut allergies!).
What to Serve With Banana Cake
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Banana Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Banana Cake:
- 1 ¾ cup cake flour (you can also use all-purpose flour)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed bananas (don’t puree them, leave some little lumps)
- ½ cup whole milk (you can use 1% or 2% if you prefer)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese (softened)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
To Serve:
- 8 ounce glass milk for everyone!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a 9-inch round baking pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon, if using.
- In a large bowl, use a hand blender to blend the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until creamy and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and then the bananas. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in half of the flour mixture until almost blended, then stir in the milk. Add the rest of the flour and stir just until everything is evenly blended.
- Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until a wooden skewer or a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then flip the cake out of the pan and finishing cooling on the wire rack top side up.
- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to blend together the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy.
- When the cake is completely cool, frost the top and sides with the cream cheese frosting.
What a perfect Mom’s Day tradition cake! Next year for sure, practice now. Cheers to your lovely Mom!
We added this to our Mother’s Day celebration this year, too! It was a great way to use up some aged bananas and indulge my love for all things bananas. Thanks for this great idea!
bananas are the name of the game right now, right?
Absolutely!