Easy Banana Cake Recipe

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The banana cake is everybody’s favorite. This can be for dessert or a snack which goes well with any favorite beverage. Learn how to make this easy banana cake recipe and surprise your family and friends!

This is the perfect thing to add to the dessert table with strawberry bundt cake. It tastes just like banana bread, but with a much better texture.

Aerial view of a frosted banana cake

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What Is Banana Cake?

Banana cake is just like banana bread, but with a few differences. Banana cake is light and fluffy, which makes it softer than banana bread.

A slice of banana cake sits on a grey plate, with the rest of the cake right beside it

There are a bunch of different ways to make banana cake, including different ways to mix things into the batter and toppings and ways to decorate it. And I’m happy to share some of my best tips and a no-fail recipe with you.

How To Make Banana Cake

Making banana cake is as easy as making pound cake or a quick bread. All you have to do is mix together the dry ingredients with the wet ones, and then bake it!

Mixing wet ingredients in a glass bowl and a wooden spoon to make our easy homemade banana cake

It really is that easy.

Adding dry ingredients into the wet ingredients

What You Need

Here’s what you’ll need from the store. The exact amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Kitchen Tools

Ingredients

Why You Sift The Flour

If you don’t have a flour sifter, and you want to bake other things, I suggest getting one. You should always sift your flour when you bake cakes and cupcakes. This is because when you sift the flour, you break up the chunks. This makes it easier to mix with the other ingredients and gives you a lighter cake.

A homemade banana cake, sitting on a dark grey plate, topped with homemade buttercream and brown sugar

The Importance of Oil in Cake Making

Cake batters always need an element of fat in its recipe. Butter and oil are the ones that are most commonly used.

For this particular cake, we opted for oil to keep it moist and fluffy.

How To Ripen Bananas

If your bananas aren’t ripe enough, they won’t mix into the cake batter very well, which will make your cake taste more like a bread.

Mashing bananas in a glass bowl to make easy banana bread

Your bananas should be almost completely brown. If you want to speed up the process, put them in a brown paper bag and roll it up tightly, They should be very browned the next morning.

How To Decorate Banana Cake

This banana cake tastes delicious on its own, but even better when garnished and/or frosted. Feel free to get creative. We’ve tried it the following ways:

  • Sprinkling it with powdered sugar
  • Adding thin banana slices on top
  • Frosting it with cream cheese frosting
  • Sprinkling it with powdered sugar and cinnamon

Serving Ideas

Of course, it goes without saying, banana cake tastes absolutely amazing with a cup of coffee or tea. We also love pairing it with:

  • Vanilla ice cream
  • Banana ice cream
  • Rice pudding
  • Tapioca pudding
  • Greek vanilla yogurt
  • Fresh bowl of fruit
  • Candied pecans
A slice of banana cake sits on a grey plate, with the rest of the cake right beside it
5 from 1 vote

Easy Banana Cake Recipe

Print Recipe
The banana cake is everybody's favorite. Learn how to make this easy banana cake recipe and surprise your family and friends!
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:40 minutes
Total Time:55 minutes

SERVINGS

16

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 1 tbsp softened butter
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 2 bananas mashed
  • 2/3 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar plus extra for garnishing
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 cups self-rising flour and extra for the pan

For the Buttercream

  • 1 stick butter softened
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 3 tbsp whole milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a nine inch round pan then coat evenly with flour. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add together milk, mashed bananas, oil, both sugars and eggs. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
  • Slowly add flour and mix until a thick and smooth batter forms.
  • Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean once inserted in the center.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely.
  • As the cake cools, prepare the buttercream frosting. In a large bowl, add butter, confectioner’s sugar and milk. Use an electric mixer to beat until a smooth frosting forms. You will want this frosting to be a bit looser than cupcake frosting. However, if you find it too runny, add confectioner’s sugar one tablespoon at a time.
  • Once the cake is cooled, use a spatula to frost the cake. Garnish with brown sugar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana cake, dessert cake
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 347kcal
Aerial view of a frosted banana cake

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