Banana Cake
This Homemade Banana Cake is delicious, soft, moist, and topped with an easy cream cheese frosting. The perfect way to use up overripe bananas!
Ingredients
For the banana cake:
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar , packed
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (460 grams) ripe mashed banana
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/4 cups (300 ml) buttermilk , room temperature
- 1 cup (120 grams) chopped walnuts , optional
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 1 (8-ounce) package brick-style cream cheese , softened
- 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the banana cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes).
- Mix in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, then mix in the vanilla extract and mashed bananas.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon and salt until well combined.
- Alternate mixing the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with the buttermilk in three additions, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it around into one even layer.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 40-45 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
To make the cream cheese frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly on top of the the cooled banana cake.
Notes
Banana cake may be covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing Instructions: Banana cake will freeze well for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The cream cheese frosting will also freeze well for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature and mix well before frosting the cake.
Room temperature ingredients: It's best to use room temperature ingredients for this cake. Make sure to set your butter, eggs, and buttermilk out ahead of time.
Bananas: The riper the bananas the better! You'll need about 4-5 medium to large bananas to equal 2 cups of mashed bananas.
Buttermilk: If you don't have any buttermilk, you can use my homemade substitute here.
Cream cheese: Make sure to use a block or brick of cream cheese for the frosting and not cream cheese spread in a tub.