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.
Jeannie J
AWESOME!! I made this for fellow nurses and we ALL love it !!!!!
Todd
. Recipe is easy to follow, all directions are perfect, if this didn’t turn out don’t blame the writer. You need to look at what you did wrong. My only comment is it is a bit sweet,FOR ME, yes we all have different tastes and you should adjust to what you like, but never change the recipe the first time then complain about something not being right. When I make this again I may try to cut some sugar, but I know my sweet toothed family will think it is perfect.
Lisa
Made this banana cake recipe over the weekend ! Obsessed it was so good everyone loved it and it was to overwhelming with banana flavor , it was perfect . Thanks Samantha 😊
Erika Flynn
I do not bake. I made this recipe. AMAZINGLY delicious and yes moist. 😋
Gale b
A couple of years ago I was looking for a banana cake recipe that used a significant quantity of bananas. I found it. This was my introduction to your website and I have never looked back. This cake is beyond delicious, and the frosting perfectly compliments the cake. It is hard to eat only one piece. I actually have an unfrosted one in my freezer (can’t waste those overripe bananas). I love Sugar Spun Run!!!
Sam
I’m so glad you have enjoyed it so much, Gale! 🙂
Claire
Delish cake, thanks for putting the effort into creating a recipe so we can all enjoy it! I made x1.5 recipe in x3 8inch pans and baked for approx 50mins, no fan. They’re about 1.75inchs high each.
Paola
Fake reviews. Upon putting 2 stars on this recipe and leaving my review then submitting – I got this message “Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!
« Back”
False as I havent left a review. This site seems to be set up to do this on purpose if you are to leave a bad review.
The cake only smelled great, but ultimately it sank. Baked for 45 min on 175C, it started to get a bit too brown at the top for my liking. Used oven thermometer. At 45 min mark inserted toothpick, toothpick came out clear, and toothpick upon insertion showed how light and airy but moist the cake is and it was nicely risen but when taken out to cool and as it cooled it sank. Unsure why this happened. None of you reasons for why the cake sank are faulty in my case. Not even under/over mixing as I mixed for exact time as you have. All the ingredients except bananas were new, and were tested before using. I used scales for this recipe. Unsure what went wrong but probably wont try this recipe again.
Sam
Hi Paola! The reviews are legitimate. I see you have left the same comment multiple times with various stars. The fact that you left the identical comment multiple times is why you got the “duplicate comment” message (because you left multiple duplicate comments).
There’s no gimmick or game here, all of my comments are held for review before approval, this prevents spam messages as I get many (as in hundreds) of those every day and have to filter them. You’ve also commented on YouTube where I first answered your comment.
In case anyone else runs into this problem I would recommend (as I did on YouTube) simply baking for longer. If it sank and the leavening agents weren’t bad, everything else was followed to a “T” then the only thing that makes sense would be that the cake simply needed more time in the oven. You can see in the photos and the video that it should not sink after cooling, again, I’m not trying to fool anyone, the cake will not sink if prepared and baked properly and I have photographic and video evidence of that 😅. If it begins to brown before it’s finished baking, simply tent with foil as noted in the recipe. I hope this is helpful to someone 🙂
Kathy Stem
She should also check the actual oven temperature, using an oven thermometer. It may not be calibrated properly.
katie p
Sam, you are my first choice for all my baking adventures. Non bakers should understand baking is a science and the recipe should be followed exactly. Fact of life: sometimes you fail… try, try again.
No need to post multiple negative reviews. If you don’t like the recipe, keep it movin. You are great, Sam and EVERYTHING I have made with your recipe has blown the roof off.
Don’t let the haters win! You’re the BEST!
DETROIT LOVES YOU!!
Liz
great cake! easy, moist and tons of flavor.
Camille
Just made the banana cake. Most banana cakes, muffins, etc. just taste like banana bread to me. This one finally made a difference. The frosting is also the best cream cheese frosting I’ve made. I’m nearly 80 and a long time baker. I used chopped toasted pecans to top it. Pecans are about all I use…around 15 pounds a year. I did cut the baking time to 42 minutes. I hate to over bake anything I can always add time. I would send a picture if there was an option, but I’ll just sit here and eat my delicious cake at 10:40pm. 😋
Kristy
How would you suggest baking times if I wanted to use 8-9 inch circle pans to stack them for a tiered cake? Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kristy! We’ve never baked this recipe in round pans, so we can’t say for sure. Just keep an eye on them and use the toothpick test for doneness 😊
Julie
Hi there, I’m planning on making this for my husband’s birthday. Banana cake is his favorite. I read somewhere else that if we stick it in the freezer immediately after taking it out of the oven it will help keep the moisture. Should I try this technique with this particular recipe, or will it make it TOO moist (since it is supposed to be a naturally moist cake)? I love to bake but am not a natural in the kitchen If you catch my drift 🙂
Sam
Hi Julie! This cake is very moist. I would be very hesitant to pull anything directly from the oven to the freezer. Enjoy! 🙂
Kenny
Hello Sam,
Looking forward to trying this recipe. I was wondering about adding crushed Oreo cookie bits into the batter and baking in a 6” round pan. Can you advise on the quantity of Oreo bits please?
Thank you.
Sam
Hi Kenny! If you are making the full batter you could probably break up and add about 20 oreos into the batter. This recipe will make enough for probably 4, 6″ cakes. 🙂
Debbie
Could I use castor sugar in place of granulated sugar
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Debbie! That should work fine 😊
Abby
This cake was amazing!!! We ate it so fast! I am about to make it a second time. I especially liked the silky cream cheese frosting. I’ve never made frosting so smoothly. I don’t particularly like frosting but this one was divine. I look forward to trying more of your recites
Debbie
I need your help. I have been excelling the ripeness by brown bag and apple. Yesterday they spotted nicely, but I am sick. They s there any way to save even though they are brown now. I don’t want this to turn into banana bread. I please advise. The thank you!
Sam
Hi Debbie! Lots of people freeze their browned bananas to use later. I hope that helps!
Misty
Tasted delicious but I took it out to soon. The top was browning and the middle came out clean (I used a fork). While I let it cool the middle sank down & the middle was gooey. We ate around the gooeyness & it was delicious. Will make again soon! Just to note *I took it out a few minutes sooner (due to too browning) than the recommended time.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Oh no! It can be tough to judge browning with banana breads/cakes. We are glad it still tasted good regardless 😊
Rachelle Bishop
I first made this for my son’s first birthday in January 2019. Since then this cake has been a staple in our household and a huge hit! Every year, I ask both my kids (now 5 and 7) what cake they want, the answer is always “banana cake!!”. Thank you for this awesome recipe, perfect as-is!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That so sweet, Rachelle! We love that our recipe has become a tradition for your family ❤️
Maria B Rugolo
I increased this recipe by half, baking it in a 10x15x2 glass pan. Cooking time was 55 minutes, tenting it with foil at the 30-minute mark was necessary. I only had frozen bananas (over-ripe that I froze) which I defrosted in a sieve overnight to remove excess liquid (which was plentiful). I toasted walnuts and chopped them up to top off the amazingly delicious and creamy cream cheese frosting. This cake was moist and delicious and full of flavor as promised!
Sam
Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for sharing your notes, Maria! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Mariah
Can this make a layer cake?
Sam
Hi Mariah! That should work just fine. 🙂
Gigi
So yummy! Added a teaspoon of cinnamon and about an eighth teaspoon of nutmeg for a bit of a banana bread flavor. Super moist cake and the frosting is so creamy and sweet. Will definitely make it again soon!
Kristy
Any idea if I can use 8 or 9 inch round pans instead of traditional rectangular size? If so how long is cooking time? Any tips?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kristy! Either size will work fine here, but we’re not sure on cooking time. Enjoy!