Extra delicious Banana Cake recipe topped with a gloriously silky cream cheese frosting! Made in just one bowl, this easy banana cake is sweet, fluffy and incredibly flavorful! Love cake? Make sure to try my Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Coconut Pound Cake!
I struggled a bit with the title for this post. I wanted to title it “Amazing Banana Cake…” or “Delicious Banana Cake…” or “Amazingly Delicious..”
In the end, I left the title simple and to the point, but let me add here… this cake is amazing, it’s delicious, and it’s quite easy to make! Go now and put your bananas in a paper bag- so they’ll ripen faster, and then you can make this cake!
I experimented with several recipes before settling on the ingredients and proportions listed below. I was so happy when I tasted the first slice of this cake! Then I “sampled” a couple more slices, just to make sure they were equally good! This cake is sweet, fluffy, moist and flavorful.
Banana Cake vs. Banana Bread
To answer the question… “what’s the difference between banana cake and banana bread?”, this cake is similar in flavor to a wonderful banana bread, but lighter and fluffier.
And certainly, the addition of delicious cream cheese frosting makes this recipe sweeter, and more decadent than banana bread.
More Cake Recipes To Try
There is nothing better than a baking a cake to share with friends and family! Take a look at some of our favorite cake recipes:
- Butter Pecan Bundt Cake
- Perfect Pound Cake Recipe
- Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
- Lemon Bundt Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Banana Cake Ingredients
This cake calls for the usual baking ingredients plus banana and a surprise ingredient that makes the cake very moist. You can find the full, printable recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need:
For the Banana Cake
- sugar – for a bit of sweetness
- sour cream – creates a delicate crumb and extra moist cake. You can also use Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream.
- eggs
- butter – the butter will be melted.
- bananas – you’ll need 2 extra ripe bananas for this cake. The more ripe, the more sweet the bananas.
- vanilla extract – use the good stuff!
- all purpose flour
- ground cinnamon
- salt
- baking soda and baking powder – the leavening agents in this banana cake recipe.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- cream cheese
- butter
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- milk or cream – if needed to thin frosting for easy spreading.
- toasted walnuts – completely optional but I love the flavor and texture they add to the cake.
How To Make Banana Cake
For the Cake
- Preheat oven and grease an 8″x8″ pan (with butter or non-stick cooking spray).
- Whisk together sugar, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, mashed banana and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Add flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder, and stir with whisk or spoon until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake a about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Cool (in pan) on wire rack.
Prepare the Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with an electric hand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar, then add vanilla. Add milk or cream, if needed to thin frosting for easy spreading.
- Spread frosting onto cooled cake (make sure the cake is cool, or the frosting will melt).
- Top cake with chopped, toasted nuts, if desired.
Variations To Try
This cake is delicious just as written but I always encourage making recipes your own after trying it my way the first time. Here are some variations to try:
- Add chocolate chips or peanut butter chips or heck, even butterscotch chips to the batter.
- Try adding a cup of blueberries fora blueberry banana cake.
- Go for a chocolate cream cheese frosting instead of plain!
If you’d like to make an 9″x13″ cake, I’d recommend increasing the recipe by 1.5 or doubling the recipe. You will have to adjust the baking time accordingly.
Easy Banana Cake Recipe
This cake comes together quite easily, and would be perfect to prepare and pop in the oven right before dinner, then it can bake and cool during dinner, and be frosted and enjoyed for dessert.
If you’re lucky, there may be a piece or two left over to enjoy in the morning!
Happy baking!
More Banana Recipes To Try
- Banana Split Cheesecake
- Banana Bread Coffee Cake
- Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding
- Banana Caramel Cream Dessert
- Banana Nutella Trifle
How to Make Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 bananas mashed over ripe bananas (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese 1/2 block
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons milk or cream if needed to thin frosting for easy spreading.
- ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Grease an 8″x8″ pan (with butter or non-stick cooking spray).
Prepare cake
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, mashed banana and vanilla. Whisk (can be done by hand, or with electic mixer) until fully combined.
- Add flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder, and stir with whisk or spoon until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes (check after 25 minutes). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Cool (in pan) on wire rack.
Make the frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with an electric hand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar, then add vanilla. Add milk or cream, if needed to thin frosting for easy spreading.
- Spread frosting onto cooled cake (make sure the cake is cool, or the frosting will melt).
- Top cake with chopped, toasted nuts, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published January 20, 2013.