Banana Cake- This is not your average cake recipe. This really is the BEST BANANA CAKE around.
I have been making this cake for about 7 years now. Everyone loves it and will always ask me for the recipe.
I had some ripe bananas on the counter and rather than making this again I decided a cake sounded better. Cake almost always sounds better!
When life gives you ripe bananas…make banana cake. Then, frost it with a cream cheese frosting. SO GOOD!!
The tangy cream cheese frosting is the best way to frost a banana cake. The two go together so well! You might even crave a piece at 2:00 in the morning when you’re unable to sleep. Unfortunately, I was caught. I had the fridge door open and was eating the cake straight from the pan. My husband asks, “what are you doing?” LOL!! I guess I need to be a bit quieter when sneaking into the kitchen for a late night snack. 😉
I have always followed this recipe as is, since it was first given to me. However, sometimes I have had to bake in longer than just an hour. About an hour and twenty minutes is usually how long I need. Also, this recipe requires the cake to be placed in the freezer immediately from the oven. Make sure you’re using a pan that will not crack and have adequate space in the freezer before you begin.
The next time you have brown bananas sitting on your counter, do yourself a favor and make this banana cake!
Banana Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups ripe bananas mashed (I used about 4 medium sized bananas)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1 ⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 3 ⁄4 cup butter softened
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1 ⁄2 cups buttermilk
Frosting
- 1 ⁄2 cup butter softened
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 1 ⁄2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275.
- Grease and flour a 9 x 13 metal cake pan.
- On a dinner plate place the peeled bananas and use a fork to mash them.
- Then place bananas in a bowl and pour lemon juice on top; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream ¾ cup butter and 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- Then stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
- Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
- Stir in banana mixture.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes.
Frosting
- Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
- Spread on cooled cake.
- Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.
Notes
Madaline
Making this! I keep talking about banana bread/cake to my inlaws here in Italy and they are just like WHAT? It doesn't exist here!
Katrina S.
Awesome!! We are lovers of bananas and almost always have some sitting on the counter. I will definitely be making this sometime soon. My youngest would eat a banana all day long if I let him...so this will probably sent him a notch higher in his love for bananas.
Trish
YUM! This looks delicious. I had to pin this to my Desserts-to-Try board on Pinterest.
Krayl @ An Appealing Plan
I have a bunch of bananas calling out to be in this recipe! So this is perfect timing! AND I might even have a container of cream cheese in the fridge!
Kallee
It looks amazing. I always have bunches of ripe bananas and this would be a fun change from banana bread.
Erica @ The Crumby Cupcake
This looks like one of those snack-all-day type cakes - a dangerous thing in my house. If it's anything like my banana bread, my husband will polish it off in 2 days, tops! Looks great!
heather @ divas run for bling
Oh my goodness does this look fantastic. I LOVE bananas in breads and cake so this looks right up my alley:)