The Best Banana Cake
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This is, hands down, the BEST banana cake I’ve ever had. It’s soft, moist and rich all at the same time! Once cooled this cake is topped with a totally irresistible lemon cream cheese frosting for a perfect dessert your family will love.
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How to Make The Best Banana Cake
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How to Make The Best Banana Cake
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Follow Spend With Pennies on Pinterest for more great tips, ideas and recipes!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
I love a good banana cake, it just reminds me of being a kid because my Grandpa and Grandma made the BEST banana cupcakes. I can still smell them baking in my grandma’s kitchen, waiting impatiently with my sisters.
This cake is reminiscent of my favorite banana cupcakes. It is soft and fluffy and incredibly moist and topped with my favorite ever lemony cream cheese frosting.
As much as I love a fluffy banana cake, I love it even more when it’s topped with an amazing cream cheese frosting! I add in a little bit of lemon zest and lemon juice for extra flavor in my cream cheese frosting but if you prefer, you can leave out the lemon and substitute vanilla.
Regardless of how you top it, once you try this cake, it’ll be your go-to. Every time you have overripe bananas on the counter you’ll want to make this recipe! In fact, I often buy extra bananas to ripen and make this cake!
Tips to ensure a soft moist result:
Ensure your ingredients are at room temperature (eggs and butter)
You need the acidity from the lemon juice (& milk) mixture. Subbing in just milk or cream won’t work. (You can use buttermilk in its place if needed).
When mixing your butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla, beat the mixture until VERY fluffy, almost the consistency of a fluffy buttercream frosting. This should take about 5 minutes.
When adding the flour mixture you want to mix until just combined. Over-mixing will cause a dense chewy result.
The cooking time on this cake can vary! Check your cake at 55 minutes, if it isn’t ready, continue cooking until a toothpick comes out clean (this can be up to an additional 20 minutes depending on your oven). The result will be a moist and irresistible banana cake.
Happy Baking!
This Banana Cake is soft, moist and rich all at the same time! Once cooled this cake is topped with a totally irresistible lemon cream cheese frosting for a perfect dessert your family will love.
- 1 1/3 cup mashed bananas
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice divided
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/3 cup butter softened
- 3-3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest from 1 lemon
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Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
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Place 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice in a measuring cup. Top to 1 1/2 cups with milk. Set aside.
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Mix together mashed banana with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, set aside.
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Beat together butter, brown and white sugar until combined. Add in eggs one at a time and vanilla. Mix on high until light and fluffy (almost the texture of frosting).
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Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to egg mixture stirring just until combined. (Do not overmix). Fold in bananas. Pour into prepared pan.
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Put into the oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Bake 60 – 70 minutes (see note below) or just until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (do not over bake).
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Remove from oven and place in the freezer for 45 minutes to make the cake extra moist. Cool completely before frosting.
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Cream together butter & cream cheese until fluffy. Add in lemon zest and juice.
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Add powdered sugar a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Spread over cooled cake.
The cooking time on this cake can vary! Mine takes about 60 minutes. Check your cake at 55 minutes, if it isn’t ready, continue cooking until a toothpick comes out clean (this can be up to an additional 20-30 minutes depending on your oven).
(Nutriton information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
This recipe has been retested and updated 11/20/16.
Very slightly adapted from food.comHere are a few more recipes you’ll love
Holly
Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
This truley is the Best Banana Cake ever. Made it just a few days ago and family loved it. Only 4 of us here and gone in 3 days. Made it again today for another friend that wanted it.
That’s so great to hear Lynn!
I just made this cake (opted for no frosting) and it came out delicious! I will definitely be making this again, thank you so much for sharing the recipe. :)
You’re welcome Cristina!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! My previous baking endeavors had always been disasters. I tried your recipe today and wow, it was a miracle, the cake not just looks tempting, but is also super yummy, soft and delicious. Being a health freak, I instead used a 2:1 ratio of whole wheat flour and chickpea flour, and replaced sugar with jaggery (got it from Indian store). I am planning to add raisins and nuts next time.
I’m so happy to hear that Amor! Thank you for letting us know about your tips too.
First time I made it turned out perfectly and was eaten quickly. The second time it didn’t rise was dense and not very good. Going to try again.
Hope it works out just as well as the first time!
Hi
can I substitute mashed banana fruit with pure banana extract for a birthday
The mashed banana adds texture and moisture to the cake, I would not suggest substituting the bananas with extract. If you don’t have bananas available, I might suggest making a white cake and adding banana extract.
I’m making the cake for my nephew’s 4th birthday party. He requested a banana cake with chocolate frosting. Thinking of using this recipe but I need to get the ingredients ahead of time so the bananas have time to ripe. Approximately how many would I need to make 2 layers? Also, any recommendations for a good chocolate frosting recipe that would pair well with this?
Thanks!
Each banana is approximately 1/3 cup mashed, so for each recipe, you’d need about 4 bananas. This cake is delicious with my Chocolate Ganache Frosting! I’m sure your nephew will LOVE it!
While I can’t eat bananas, (migraine trigger) my husband is absolutely mad for this cake. I followed your recipe to the letter, and it turned out beautifully. There’s one small piece left, and he’s already begging for me to make another, lol. Fantastic cake. Wonderful blog and killer recipes. : )
Thank you Bev! I’m so glad that your husband loves it. Sorry that you can’t try it :(
Holly, Holly, Holly. Omg – I couldn’t think of a good enough word so I’ll take another commenter’s: DIVINE. Is there a way to make the word ‘DIVINE’ bold print? Lol GIRL – this was amazing beyond description and it’s funny because I didn’t even see it on your blog but another’s. I follow the recipe blogs/sites of so many and yours is absolutely one of them, but due to that I don’t always remember the blogger’s first name specifically so when on this other site I saw ‘Holly’s Banana Cake’, I had to try it as I ALWAYS have a ton of bananas. It is soooooo moist and SO DELICIOUS and doesn’t need a LICK of frosting but with the frosting it’s just out of this world. As many of your other recipes are, this is a total WINNER.
Aww, Lady T, thank you so much visiting my blog and for your review! I’m so glad you loved this banana cake as much as we did! ❤️
I just made this for my elderly home care and it turned out very good, everybody likes it. Thank you for sharing your recipe, i will definitely make again and this will be added to my dessert list.
Glad to hear it was such a success Schey!
What flour do you use plz x
I use all purpose flour in this recipe. Enjoy!
Is the butter salted or unsalted in the cake recipe?
I use unsalted butter. If using salted butter I would omit the salt.
Aw man!! I didn’t realize until reading comments that it was supposed to be 1/2 TABLESPOON of baking soda. I wish you’d change it to 1 1/2 TSP instead, fractions of a T are something you never expect to see in recipes. I hope it’s not too dense anyway! It’s for my husband’s birthday today :)
It’ll taste great even if a bit dense Kaitlin!
Very very moist cake ( loved it) and baked in 55 minutes. Although I loved the cake, I didn’t understand why lemon was added to the frosting…both liquid and zest. For me, the two were competing against one another losing the flavor of the banana cake. I will definitely made this cake every time hands down but add maybe walnuts also. I would replace the lemon zest etc in the frosting and use banana flavoring or the vanilla. It was delicious frosting but maybe on a lemon cake.
Glad you loved the cake Debra!
Best Banana cake I’ve ever eaten. I filled mine with Vanilla Wafers, Banana pudding and real Bananas. It was amazing. Everyone at my work is trying to create a holiday to order one from me :)
I am so glad you loved this recipe Christina!
Hi! Just wondering why we need to put in freezer for 45 mins right after? Is that step crucial?
Sticking your cake in the freezer directly after baking it will help it cool down faster without it continuing to cook while it cools on your countertop.
No one in my family liked this. 3 cups of flour led to a very dense bread-like cake. I definitely measured the flour properly using the spoon and leveling method.
Did you place it in the freezer immediately after baking?
Is there a vegan alteration
I don’t live a vegan lifestyle, so maybe some other readers can help you out Anne!
OMG this is so good! I made it dairy free and gluten free and it turned out wonderful! I subbed the flour for Bobs Red Mill 1to 1, the milk for Almond milk and the butter for Earth Balance. I will definitely make it again!
OMG! Best banana cake I have made! Loved it
So glad you loved it Geetha!
The banana cake recipe looks so yummy I will have to try it. Do the bananas have to be very ripe? Thank you.
They should be ripe with some brown spots.
This cake doesn’t have any baking powder?
My cake dropped like a rock don’t know what I did wrong. Sooo I made it into a dump cake. Pudding
and cool whip topping. Taste good !!
I’m sorry this didn’t work for you. I can’t say for sure what went wrong as this recipe has great feedback. Was your milk soured with lemon juice (or vinegar)? A great idea of using the cake Juanita!
Just made it and it was delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
This is by far the best banana cake I’ve ever had! I made it as directed, but used a thin butter cream frosting. My family LOVED it! It is perfectly sweet and I love the texture. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
You’re welcome Gina, I’m so happy to hear that your family loved it!!
I made this cake and followed the directions exactly. The cake came out beautifully Golden at 70 minutes. It is absolutely delicious!
Personal preference: The icing w/ 3-3.5 cups of powdered sugar is SUPER sweet. I like my cream cheese frosting to have that good twang from the cream cheese. I will reduce to 1.5-2 cups on the next go ‘round.
VERY YUMMY!
So glad you enjoyed it Lindsey!
Great banana cake have made it 3times nice and moist.
I have made this cake so many times I’ve lost count and every time it’s been moist and delicious. The freezer trick is “ da bomb!” I love browned butter icing on this.
:) That sounds great Del! So glad you enjoy the cake!
Can you please let me know if you used salted or unsalted butter for the cake recipe?
I have baked for many years. This does not turn out light and fluffy but dense and mucky. I really didn’t get taking something really hot and putting it in the freezer.
I’m sorry to hear that the cake didn’t work for you Linda. Putting the cake into the freezer is a critical part of making this cake. I have made this cake many times as written, and it works well for me, and other readers. Thank you for trying it.
Okay let me preface by saying I’m still learning to bake. I used my Kitchen Aid Stand mixer for the entire process. Well, I didn’t do so good on this :-(. My cake came out dense, heavy and the bananas were clumped throughout the cake even though I mushed them with a fork. I used cake flour because that is all that I had. I also used one large round deep cake pan to bake it because I didn’t have a rectangle pan. The pan was deep enough that all of the batter filled it to 3/4 full. Could these have made the difference?
I absolutely love banana cake and want to try this again because it looks soooo delicious! Now the icing….OMG!!! That was amazing! I didn’t put the full 3 cups of sugar because by tasting it I didn’t think I needed to, but it came out fabulous!!
Would love some tips and guidance so that I can master this recipe! Thanks!
Yes, Sonja, using different flour and a different pan than indicated will make a difference to how the cake turns out. You may want to mash the bananas even more, as they should be evenly distributed throughout the cake. I hope that you can try it again with the 9 x 13 pan and have great success next time! And yes, I do LOVE the icing. It tops the cake off so nicely!
I made this amazing recipe for my fiance and his sons this weekend and they all had a fit over it. I doubled the icing just because I love icing but I only used about 2/3 of it in the end. I had to stretch the icing out with a bit of water as it was super thick..but just by a few tablespoons.
Super delicious cake and I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for posting it!
First time making this, and im not much of baker, and it came out very delicious. Definitely will make more for family get togethers. Thank you for this recipe.
Yay, so glad it worked out well for you Tish!
Easy PEZ so easy . Frosting was to die for
Yay! So glad you loved it Mary, I agree, I could just have a bowl of frosting and call it a day! :)
Omg the best! Thank you
It was so good,I used halo orange and vanilla in the frosting.Thanks, it’s a keeper!!
Delicious additions, thank you for sharing!
Making the cake now. Do you drain off the lemon juice from the mashed bananas?
You mix it all into the cake. Enjoy!
This cake was amazing!! I used coconut milk instead of regular and it was just fine.
Love this cake. The kids and I make this every few weeks. Definitely a family favorite.
Hi, I am baking this cake right now and had a quick question. I have never baked a cake that goes from the oven to the freezer. Sorry if I sound silly asking this but I take the cake out of the oven then out of the pan …wrap it up in seran wrap and put it in the freezer. Correct?. Please advise.
I put the pan right into the freezer. If I use pyrex, I let it cool slightly (20 min) before putting it into the freezer.
Im A chef that’s always looking for new recipes.
Hate to say it but was not impressed with the outcome
of this one. Followed exactly as suggested. Was a
Disappointment. Take a box yellow cake mix and add three very ripe mashed bananas instead.
I’m sorry that this didn’t work for you. Most readers have had great success with this Banana Cake. I’ve tested and made this recipe many times and it has worked well for me as written.
This banana cake with its wonderful cream cheese icing is definitely the best Ever! I need to have it on hand whenever my adult children and grand children come to visit; good thing though because I am not to be trusted with a whole cake at my disposal!
I know exactly what you mean. Ha ha, I can’t be trusted around this cake either!
Very good moist and flavorful. Will make again.
Glad you enjoyed the cake Toni!
Very good cake. Moist and full of flavor. I found it a little difficult to just whip it up. My fault though as I started it about the same time I started cooking dinner. So many different bowls to use everything stayed a mess. Will be better organized next time.+
Glad you enjoyed it Toni!
I made the cake but not the frosting. I happened to have some leftover frosting I needed to use. I mashed the bananas in a food processor with 1/2 cup of pecans. It was excellent.
I made this last night and it is delicious however it is super dense. I followed the instructions including putting it in the freezer. Any thoughts on what might have went wrong?
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, we’ve made it several times and it always comes out moist and delicious. A few things to consider. Did you use over ripe bananas? Did you mix the flour only until combined? If you over mix, it will make a denser cake. Did you turn the oven down? Hope that helps!
Absolutely delicious!!!! Great for banana lovers!!! Do u suggest storing in fridge??
Glad you loved it! I usually store it in the fridge and try to leave it at room temp at least 30 min before serving.
What if u dont put in freezer after baking? I have no room in mine. This sounds so good! I want to make it.
It doesn’t get quite as moist if you don’t freeze it. I’m not sure what the temp is where you live, but do you have a covered deck or cold area you can put it outside?
I’m sorry Ms. Holly… had wrong name b4
Hi Molly…It was just as you said. It was a much greater hit w/o the frosting… Thanks for sharing it with my family. We will be having this again, and again ☺
So glad you loved it!!
Awesome recipe! First time I made this cake and it was easy to follow family loved it! Can’t wait to make it again thanks for another great recipe.
I just discovered this recipe and wonder if cocoa could be added to make it a chocolate banana cake. If so, would any of the other ingredient amounts need to be adjusted? I will take an educated opinion even if if you have not tried it. Thank you. Brawny
While I have not tried it, I think that you could replace part of the flour with cocoa (maybe a few tablespoons up to 1/4 cup). It may change the texture of the cake. Let us know if you try it Brawny. It sounds like a great idea!
Even after following this exactly it wasn’t like cake. I have baked for years and I do not think this recipe calls for a moist fluffy cake.
Not sure what I did wrong but my cake ended up dry dry and cooked in about 45 min. I did add 1/2 cup walnuts but that it.everything else exactly as the recipe stated. I might increase the milk and brown sugar next time! Onward bakers!!
I’m sorry that this didn’t work out for you. I can’t say for sure why it was dry as this has always turned out for me perfectly as written. How did you measure your flour?
Ugh, I’m so disappointed the receipt changed. If I would have known I would have printed it. :(‘.
I’m so glad you love this cake as much as we do Janet! The only updates to the recipe were changing 4 small bananas to an exact quantity of 1 1/3 cups and increasing 1/2 cup butter to 2/3 cup. Here is the original frosting recipe:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup packed brown sugar
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
Melt butter and 2 tablespoons milk over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, bring to a boil and let boil for 1 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup powdered sugar. Let cool and stir in remaining powdered sugar.
Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add in brown sugar mixture.
My granddaughter and I baked this cake yesterday…. fantastic! I didn’t have cream cheese so wr did a basic lemon buttercream frosting.
This is my new favorite cake, thanks! Followed the recipe exactly and came out perfectly. So delicious!!
That’s fantastic Ty!
Was as it states the best banana cake ever.I was even asked to make it as a birthday cake for one of my coworkers!
Glad your coworkers loved it Joanne!
I was looking at about 5 bananas that were beyond what I wanted to eat. So I was thinking banana cake – not bread, to dense – but cake. Never made one before didn’t even know there was such a thing. Googled it and found this receipe and so glad I did. I love making stuff from scratch and wanted a desert. This recipe makes an amazingly wonderful light cake that doesn’t even need frosting. Just served it warm with a little whipped cream from a can. Followed the recipe to a t. I had never seen lemon juice’s effect on milk. Interesting.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Kathy!
Hi, I want to have a go at these recipe and had a query – I just wondered about putting the cake in the freezer straight from the oven. Do you have to wait for the cake to cool down first before putting it in the freezer?
I usually let it cool slightly (15 min or so).
A good recipe. I thought it would taste more like bananas… And the frosting seemed a bit too sweet. Any way to modify either the cake or frosting to address these concerns?
We liked i, i used lemon ectract in the cake and i shaved orange peel into the icing it was a nice burst of citrus and banana
Love the flavor variation Liss! Happy to hear you enjoyed the cake!
I’ve made this cake many times. It’s the most requested by my family. Everyone loves it.
I am so glad that your family has been enjoying this recipe!
The name of the recipe PERFECTLY describes this cake! Moist and flavorful. My family devoured it!
Yay Sheila!!
Excellent!
February 17 2018, I made this and it is so moist and delicious, I left it in for 55 minutes and it was perfect I could have taken it out at 50, not too sweet I don’t think you could even switch up the lemon juice with lime juice
This cake is so delicious I’m making another, the 2nd in 4 days! Thanks for sharing this tasty recipe
Happy to hear you love this recipe so much Jamie!
I really want to try this cake but the cup conversions are so conflicting wherever i research, could you possibly publish with Uk measurements please?
As I’m not in the UK I only use North American measurements.
I’ve decided this is the best banana cake I’ve ever had!!! It was incredibly moist and not overly sweet. I ate it while it was still warm, slathered in butter!! De-li-cious!!!
Yay! So glad you loved it Tori!
Helo what an interesting recipe but can I subtitute the butter with oil? please reply
We have only tried this recipe as written.
I had some bananas that I needed to use, and I really didn’t want to make more banana bread or muffins. I decided to make a cake instead. I had never made or even had one before. It was absolutely wonderful. I followed the recipe exactly, and it was such a moist cake, I thought it was going to be a bit dense, maybe like the bread or muffins. I took some to my friend and her son, who loves bananas, and they also felt the same way. I will be making this cake with my leftover bananas again. Thanks for sharing this recipe Holly.
So glad you enjoyed it Leslie!
Changed the sugar and brown sugar for sugar substitutes – came out delish! As well, did not make the frosting but the cake was so good, I did not miss it.
I absolutely love this cake…it is now one of my favourites, second time making it Making it for a dinner party tomorrow night hopefully won’t eat it all tonight..lol. Also freezes well.
This cake is outstanding! I made it with Gluten Free flour, one to one ratio!
Hi…I am making this cake for the first time shortly, and looking forward to trying it. However I do have a question. May seem like a stupid question, but I wondered about the freezer part of the instructions. It says to take it out of the oven and put it right in the freezer. My pan is glass and I am concerned it will crack going from heat to freezing. Also, do i need to cover the cake or put it in the freezer just as is? Thanks! :)
If I use pyrex I let it cool slightly (20 min) before putting it into the freezer. I don’t cover it.
Hey Holly,
Just wondering how you store the cake :) fridge or counter :)
Thank you!
I store it in the fridge and bring it out at least 30 minutes before serving to warm.
This is the best recipe that I have found for Banana Cake. The cake was very moist and the icing was a perfect, not to sweet with just the right amount of lemon juice. I will certainly bake this cake again.
If I only have salted butter, should I omit the salt in the recipe?
If using salted butter I would omit the salt.
Excellent cake. I made it into cupcakes and iced with mocha buttercream icing. Also did a second recipe into cupcakes substituting my gluten free flour blend, both cakes were excellent. The gluten free cake was lighter and more tender than the regular flour version, as I have found with all cake I have made into gluten free. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
How long did you bake for cupcakes? Any recipe changes needed? I’ve cooked the cakes many times and wanted to try it as cupcakes this time!
Dani…I just made them as cupcakes today, no changes to recipe…filled 2/3 full, made 30 standard cupcakes….I have a double oven – with one pan in the bottom oven they took 30 minutes….with two pans in the top oven they took 33 minutes!
Made this recipe and it is Sooo salty tasting. I followed the recipe but it should be 1/2 tesspoon of soda (not 1/2 tablespoon) Not good.
The recipe is correct as written.
Just made this tonight per exact instructions except for using vanilla instead of lemon and vinegar with the milk. We loved it!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe!
This cake was a spare of the moment thing. I had 3 ripen bananas left over and didn’t want to throw them away. Looked on Pinterest to find a way to use them and this recipe is what popped up. So glad it did. Family was happy, friends were happy, and I didn’t have to throw away my bananas. Thanks.
I am so glad this recipe was a hit with your loved ones!
Very moist and tender!
This is a very good cake! I am 75 yrs old and bake almost daily. It is dense, heavy, moist, and delicious. I knew it would be heavy because of the 3 cups of flour.
I followed the recipe exactly. There were 3 other recipes like this when I googled Banana Cake, but I used this recipe because it called for lemon juice in the cake batter, which it needs. The frosting is delicious, I also followed the recipe, but added some milk so it would be a little runny; like melted marshmallow, only because that’s the way we like our frosting. If you’re having company, they will love this cake!!
OMG I made this recipe yesterday, it’s an easy recipe to follow and it’s every bit as moist as it says! I’d recommend it to anyone! Can’t wait to share this with family and friends!
Cake came out very good, but I did it exactly like the recipe instruction said. After tasting it I feel I could have put a little more white sugar and a little more brown sugar in it. Family liked it though. Thanks for the recipe, now I know what to do with my leftover bananas.
,
Oh my word lol..I just made this and it’s OUT of THIS world good lol..thanks SO much!!! I added walnuts, other than that I followed your recipe to a T and it was perfect!! My brother loved it too lol
I’m so glad you loved it! :)
Thanks!! My brother said it’s the best dessert he ever had lol
Thanks for the awesome recipe!! Mine is in the oven now!! The batter tastes deelish!! Ha..I added walnuts:)
Awesome recipe. Cake was delicious and moist. I didn’t know about the freezer hack to keep cakes moist. In my case, I put the cake on my deck since it was -15C outside.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and the tip! I too use the deck as a quick cooling option sometimes!
Fantastic! Love the fact that this is a simple sheet cake. It’s moist and delicious and easy to make. The lemony cream cheese frosting is a great compliment. One of the earlier comments said they’d prefer to use vanilla rather than lemon, which would also be good, but, in my opinion, it’s that touch of lemon that takes this cake from really good to great. To each his own I guess.
Sooooooo Delicious!!!!!!! Best ever!!!!!
I see lots of people say the cake was moist, but did it turn out light and fluffy for anyone? Mine is so thick I can barely finish two bites. Does anyone know a trick or ingredient that will actually make the cake turn out light and fluffy? Tia!
Did you follow the troubleshooting tips in the recipe.
hi, I am making the banana cake now. It’s in the oven. Do you mean to put it in the freezer straight from the oven still in the same baking dish that it’s in? Mine is a glass baking dish and worried about it cracking
Thanks
Lesly
If I use pyrex I let it cool slightly (20 min) before putting it into the freezer.
Directly from oven to freezer? Won’t the hot cake thaw food out that’s in the freezer? Could I skip this step?
This really makes a difference in how moist the cake is. If I use pyrex I let it cool slightly (20 min) before putting it into the freezer.
If I make the batter tonight can I wait to bake it in the morning?
I haven’t tried making the batter well ahead of time.
New Family Favorite!
Hi – your recipe calls for putting the cake into the freezer for 45 minutes. Is that directly from the oven? I’ve never done this before – just want to make sure I understand correctly!
Yes, this is directly from the oven.
The cake was off the chain!!! I’m hooked on banana cake. My husband loved it too!!!!
Have made this and will be making it for our Christmas dinner. Was wondering if I could keep it frozen for several days then take out and frost.
I have made this delicious cake and I will be making it for our Christmas dinner. Was wondering if I could keep it frozen until the 24th to put the icing on it.?
Yes, it freezes perfectly.
Thank you. Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to you and your family too!
Hello! I just put my cake in the oven. And I am Still relatively new to baking, does the cake go directly from the oven to the freezer? Or cool for a few min then freezer?
Yes it goes directly into the freezer.
The frosting was TO DIE FOR! Ate a few spoon fulls haha. But I found the same issues as several others have, dense as could be. After the oven portion it looked fluffy enough but putting it in the freezer made it look like a pumpkin pie. It was edible but nothing I would make again. I had to re read that last step like 5 times to make sure I wasn’t going crazy… but I did as I was told and instantly regretted it.
I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you, I can’t say for sure why as I’ve had such great success with this recipe.
I made the Cake in a Bundt Tin wanted to impress guests. It was worth the agrivation as was concerned it might be damp in middle, I baked cake an Extra 20 mins & was perfect Only placed in Freezer after 20 mins & definitively kept the cake moist. Within 24 hrs the cake is 95% eaten and enjoyed by those that Tested this New Recipe rated 5 * !
Hi I don’t have lemon juice or zest… Can I substitute for lemon extract?
You can leave the lemon out of the frosting (if you need it to sour the milk, you can use white vinegar to sour the milk).
Hmm I find it weird when you stated the baking soda 1/2 tablespoon but my measuring spoon goes from teaspoon up to 1 tablespoon max… So I don’t know what is going on but can you give an exact measurement in terms of Grams? like 1/2 tablespoon to gram is…?
1/2 tablespoon is 1.5 teaspoons.
My goodness!!!!! ..This is indeed the best banana cake i ever ate.. Thanks ,Holly.. I got the most amazing comments from my family… Im soo keeping this recipe
So glad they loved it!
The cake is awesome! I love baking and my husband suggested a banana cake instead of banana bread and found this recipe. I will be making this again.
OMG.. This recipe is absolutely amazing and moist. Easy to make and tastes wonderful. I added a half cup of minced walnuts as well. I only wanted to use my leftover ripe bananas and found this amazing cake recipe. Its easy and the instructions are great. Thank you
I’m so glad you loved it!
I was very excited to make this cake! Munkids fsvorite is banana cake and they stopped selling the box mix years ago. I followed instructions to a t. Skmethjng went wrong as it is very heavy. Frosting is delicious! I reread and see during the adding of the flour it states to STIR, not MIX. I was using a kitchenaid so certainly over Mixed this part!!!! Can you add a note at this part of the instructions? I will try again!
Excellent except wouldn’t use lemon in frosting. Prefer vanilla.
Baked for 50 minutes with thermometer in oven reading 300 degeees.
Crust is too dry.
Flavor is good.
Did you place the cake into the freezer once it was removed from the oven? That’s the key to this cake. :)
I just made the banana cake and it is awesome. My husband couldn’t stop eating the cake. Thank you for this great recipe.
Loved this recipe. But only used a quarter of the icing. Thank you
I was getting tired of making banana bread so I found this cake. It is delicious.
Making this banana cake today. Is it ok to use glass instead of a metal pan? If so, will it be less or more time with the gladd or the same in the oven?
Yes, glass works fine in this recipe. The cook time will remain the same.
This IS the best banana cake. I took it out of the oven and uh, hum, that was my dinner! (Not the whole thing. I restrained myself). Couldn’t wait for it to cool. I used butter cream frosting from the fridge. Recipe printed and ready for my next overripe bananas. Or maybe I will try your banana pecan crunch muffins…Thanks!
So glad to hear that you loved this recipe Joyce! You’re welcome!
I made this cake last night after reading a number of the reviews and i am disappointed. To me, the cake was just so-so, nothing to write home about. One thing I would like to mention, and this would be for the newbe bakers, if you are going to use a GLASS 9×11″ baking pan, I don’t think you should put it directly into the freezer as you might end up with glass all over the freeze and whatever you have frozen.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe, it’s one of our all time favorites.
Made this cake today and it is a winner! I usually make chocolate chip banana bread with my brown bananas. So glad I made this cake instead. If you are debating whether to make the lemon frosting, do it! I used lemon and lemon zest and it was subtle but delicious. The frosting is very sweet but a great balance to the banana cake. The only thing different I did was I substituted the cream cheese for 1/3 less fat version…no difference. So glad I made this! It’s delicious!!
I’m so glad you loved it Sasha!
this was very easy to make and came out beautifully!!!!
I work in a coffee shop where all the food is homemade. We had an abundance of bananas getting too ripe so the owner checked Pinterest for a recipe. WOW! This cake is The Best Banana Cake. Just as the title says. Moist and flavorful. And the touch of lemon is very good. I wouldn’t think lemon would go with banana, but it certainly does.
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made this cake today. I followed the recipe exactly as given. The only thing I did is after 55 minutes I covered with foil and baked for 10 more minutes. It turned out perfect. Awesome recipe. Thank you.
baked it last night following the exact recipes and it taste sooooo good. i sooooo love it! thanks for sharing
Great flavor but dense and chewy…guess I over mixed maybe.
I made this last night. Followed instruction precisely. Frosted and placed the cake in fridge over night. Next morning, tried the first piece and WOW!! I am very happy with this recipe. Moist and Delicious. Took to work this morning to share and everybody LOVED it. Thank you for sharing!
That made my day Heidi! Thank you
Delicious the best banana cake I have ever tasted. My family is always asking for me to make it.
My family too Sue. Happy to hear that!
The cake looks really nice. Mine took about 50 minutes to bake. Something went wrong with my frosting though. I think I mixed it too long that it just got too thin, so now I am using it as a drizzle… :)
This was a great recipe but you have to follow the instructions carefully. Thank You so much, the cake smells HEAVENLY!!!
Enjoy!! Did you use regular cream cheese? (Light cream cheese can be a bit runny).
I am in the process of making this cake the 4th time in one month. Everyone who taste it wants one. What would a cake like this sale for?
Hi Essie,
I am glad that you are enjoying the recipe. I wish I could help you on pricing the cake!
We tried this recipe with my 9 year old son and he made it by himself! The cake turned out amazing 10+
So glad it turned out for him!
My husband said this was the best cake he had ever eaten!
I am so glad that your husband loves the cake!
I used a rectangular cake tin and baked it at 140°C in a 900mm oven. It came out perfectly baked in 22min. I left out the icing as I prefer unadorned cakes. This will be my go to recipe for soft and delicious banana cake.
Amazing recipe! Tried it twice and turned out beautifully, moist, high and so full of banana and vanilla flavours. I changed it a little bit to my taste ( 1 cup plain flour, 1 cup chesnut flour, 1 cup almond meal and replace half of the sugar by honey), it was still perfect! Thank you!
Lo from Sydney
So glad you loved it!
This cake lives up to its name! It is so light and moist. I made a few alterations, based on what I had on hand. I had some honey yogurt that I wanted to use up, so I substituted 1/2 c. of that for 1/2 c. of the milk, using only 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in 1 c. of milk. I almost always substitute almond extract for vanilla because I love that flavor, and it was a perfect complement to the banana. I didn’t have cream cheese but did have mascarpone, so I made a mascarpone frosting and its lightness worked well with this light cake. Thanks so much for this recipe! It’s a keeper. I think the base would work well with other additions–peach puree instead of the banana? I’m looking forward to playing with it.
I’ve never tried a marscapone frosting, I bet that is delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Great recipe, made this twice already, but you can just mix the milk and bananas in before the flour and it comes out the same. Best banana cake I’ve had in a long time. Thank you.
Made this cake, instantly became my family’s favorite :) Trying it today with a salted caramel frosting just for a change of pace! Thanks for the recipe
Oh, salted caramel sounds amazing! Thanks for trying this cake, it’s one of our favorites!
Hey quick question is it lemon extract, or fresh lemon juice?
This recipe uses fresh lemon juice.
Amazing cake !! Followed the instructions to the T and wow it turned out great!! Thank u so much !! Is there a substitute for baking soda or could we avoid it ?? Whenever I use it in baking ,it tends to leave a drying feeling on my tongue !!
Made this this morning, along with your Millionaire spaghetti casserole! Both were fantastic! I rarely make a 2nd recipe from a blog, unless I really like the first one. I took a chance on 2 of yours, in one day I might add. I am so very pleased, and so was my family, that I did!!! DELICIOUS!!! Or Dewishus as my daughter likes to say! :) Thanks so much.
Thank you so much Shannon! I love this cake too!
do you cool the cake before you put it in the freezer??
Definitely!
Doesn’t say that in the recipe!! Wondering if going straight to the freezer is what made it so god- awful dense and thick. It wasn’t light and fluffy at all and I didn’t even use a mixer to put the flour in, just stirred by hand.
This recipe has great reviews and always turns out well for me. Did you follow the troubleshooting tips in the post.
Made this today, it came out really good. ♥
Dear Holly,
Your cake seems amazing! For my birthday I would like to do a banana layer cake. So I’m looking for the best recipe :) do you think yours could work ? (I’m a little bit afraid that the weight of the top layer will be too much for the bottom one if they’re really fluffy). I need to make 3 rounds layers of 6” , do you have an idea of how I can adapt the quantities ?
Thanks so much for your help!
(Sorry for my English, I’m French ^^
I haven’t tried this as a layer cake so I can’t say for sure. If you do make it, please let us know how it turned out for you.
I made this tonight after a pregnancy craving for banana cake lead me to your recipe! It did not disappoint! I probably could have cut the confectionate sugar down to 2 cups as I had a ton left and it was a little more sweet than I would prefer but it was still scrumptious! Thanks for being so detailed in your recipe! Can’t wait to eat it tomorrow too!
I am so glad this helped with the cravings Breanna!!
Delicious!!!
Can cake batter be GORGEOUS? This is the best cake I have had in a long stretch. The process reminds me of baking with my mom. I’m opting to serve it without the frosting. The cake stands on its own. Thank you for utilizing the brown bananas on my kitchen counter!
I’m so glad you loved it Jojo! :)
Holly, do you really take the cake out of the oven and put it in the freezer for 45 minutes?
Yes, I clear a space and cool it in the freezer (or in the winter, I just put it out on the deck). :) It makes a big difference!
Thanks Holly! I did put it in the freezer. Delicious cake!
The frosting is particularly scrumptious!
You’re so welcome, I’m glad you loved it Marty!!
Should I use a metal pan? I would think a glass pan would break once you put the hot cake in freezer directly from the oven?
Yes, this works perfectly in a metal pan. If I use pyrex I let it cool slightly (20 min) before putting it into the freezer.
When I made the frosting I only used 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Came out fine.
This is fantastic! Not only tasty but so quick and easy to make.
Very Nice Article…
Going to make the cake. I am wanting to do this using a bundt cake pan. Does anyone think that would make a difference?
Is the brown sugar packed in this kitchen recipe?
Thanks :)
Yes, the brown sugar is packed.
Hi Dear,
I was searching a recipe of banana cake. Recently, I’ve seen your article and read it. You’ve explained very good. I really liked it. So, keep up the good work.
was so good! Followed the recipe exactly. My husband, who is not a huge fan of bananas, love it! Thank you for the wonderful recipe :)
I am so glad this recipe was a hit with your family!
I made this cake last night and changed the sugar to splenda in the cake part but kept the brown sugar for the frosting I used 3cups splenda which I converted to powdered sugar by running it through the food processor and added 1/2cup powdered sugar it came out really good I try to cut sugar where I can because I am diabetic and so is everyone in my home just want to say thank you for such a wonderful adaptable recipe
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe and were able to adapt it to meet your needs!
The cake was great but I felt the frosting was too lemon-y. Wouldve been perfect for a white or lemon cake but I would’ve preferred a banana pudding type frosting.
Could this be made into a banana bread with the same recipe?
I have not tried this, however if you decide to try to make it into banana bread please let me know how it works.
Emily, try the banana bread recipe from Holly. Absolutely fabulous!
Thank you Shannon!! You can find the recipe here Emily: https://www.spendwithpennies.com/easy-banana-bread-recipe/
Do I need baking powder in this at all?
No, baking powder is not needed for this recipe.
The cake is good I added some chopped walnuts on top and the family loved it.
it was good
This cake is absolutely delicious! Very moist. I topped it off with a peanut butter icing and crushed nuts sprinkled on top. Only because I love peanuts and bananas. This recipe will be the one I use from now on. Thank you for sharing. Definitely a winner!
I am so glad you liked this recipe Riki!!
I made this for my daughter’s first birthday and it was delicious! Her name is also Holly :-)
I am so glad she enjoyed it! Happy Birthday!!
I made this cake today using whole wheat white flour. I reduced the amount by 2 tablespoons per cup and then sifted it, as whole wheat flour can be more dense. The cake wasn’t super fluffy, but it was still very moist and flavorful. I used 4 over ripe medium size bananas. The cake was a hit with my whole family!
I am glad your family liked the recipe!
I am not a baker so this may be a silly question…but is it okay to use a glass pan? I am concerned that it will shatter when put directly into the oven after baking!?!
I meant freezer after baking!
You can use glass bakeware! In all of my years of baking I have only had one dish shatter, and that was my fault for sticking a cold dish into a hot oven. As long as your dish is room temperature and not cold it will be fine!
Looks so delish! Just wondering if you think coconut flour or anything different kind of substitute for Celiac’s would work?
I haven’t cooked with coconut flour so I can’t say how it would work out for you.
My bananas are frozen. About how many do you need?
You’ll need 3-4 bananas
I made this cake it’s just sooo good that I made it twice time consuming but it’s delicious
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake Alice!
Im confused about a measurement. Your recipe calls for 1 1/2 tbs lemon juice to be mixed with milk. Since 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons, does that mean to add 4 1/2 teaspoons because I’ve never seen a 1/2 tablespoon before. I’m making it as I write so I guess I’ll find out the hard way if I’m wrong
Yes, 1 1/2 tbs is 4 1/2 tsps. :)
Lorrie,
Both of mine measuring spoon set come with a 1/2 tablespoon.
Made is yesterday, as a birthday cake! They loved it. Sure, germans aren’t that used to “sweet” frosting, so they didn’t like that, but I for sure LOVED it!
Was really good!
I don’t understand. I look for a recipe, I get a picture, but not recipe. What do I have to do to get the actual recipe?
I am seeing the recipe below the images.
Did you change the icing recipe?? The orig had a Carmel icing. Still made with cream cheese, but you cooked butter, milk and brown sugar on the stove.
How can I get a copy of the original??
This is one of the best cakes!! Delish
I’m so glad you love this cake as much as we do! Here is the original frosting recipe:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup packed brown sugar
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
Melt butter and 2 tablespoons milk over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, bring to a boil and let boil for 1 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup powdered sugar. Let cool and stir in remaining powdered sugar.
Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add in brown sugar mixture.
When does the milk and Lemon juice get added?
This is added in step 5.
Am going to try this today, sounds so yummy!!
would this recipe hold up to fondant covering?
I have not tried it with fondant, let us know how it turns out it you decide to try it.
Hi Holly, I followed the recipe exactly and it came out flat and sponge. Not light and fluffy at all. Why would that be??
I can’t say for sure why it came out flat. Did you use the full amount of lemon juice added to the milk?
Can I check if your temperature is Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius?
Thanks!
The temperature is in Fahrenheit.
Ok I have been mixing the egg mixture for 15 minutes now and it is nowhere close to fluffy. Am I supposed to add one egg then fluff, then repeat?
I can’t say for sure why your egg mixture wasn’t fluffy after that amount of time. Were your eggs and butter at room temperature?
I am a pretty good baker. I made this yesterday and followed directions to an absolute
T…and although it tasted good, it looks NOTHING like the photo. It is a good banana bread, but the crumb is FAR from the light airy photo…Someone needs to fess up!
The cake in the photo is actually the cake made in the video… which is the exact recipe you see. Nothing to ‘fess. :)
Holly do you use real butter or margarine
Always real butter!
Is there a Nutrutional Chart for this recipe?
I’m sorry I am unable to provide nutritional information. You can enter your ingredients here to calculate your calories.
I just made the cake and it’s very fluffy and moist. I usually make more of a banana bread with no icing or glaze but this is soooo delish! The lemon adds so much freshness..I added a little extra lemon. Thanks for the recipe. It will be a great Easter dessert. :)
Made the banana cake was a little heavy, used truvia instead of white sugar could that have been my problem. Also took a short cut and used BC canned frosting awful next time I will make the frosting recipe.
The flour is all-purpose and the butter is unsalted?
Yes it is Liza.
Just made it after seeing it on Facebook. Wish I could attach a picture.
I hope you loved the cake Aimee!
cant wait to try this this weekend thanks for posting
I have make a banana cake in 2 round pans cut both cakes horizontally you will have 4 layers get a tub of whip cream, cup of cut strawberries and cup of pineapple(totally drained if canned) , choc syrup, peanuts.
on bottom layer put half of whip cream and one of the fruits put second layer on drizzle with choc syrup and peanuts repeat the other layers with friut whipped cream drizzle top layer with choc syrup and peanuts. This is a banana split cake i found this recipe in a magazine years ago
I would like to make this banana cake. Do you use Ripe bananas, or Overripe bananas?
What do you mean the Website?
Over ripe bananas.
Look good. Thanks for the recipe !!
I’m baking it now, can hardly wait.
Does this have to go in the refrigerator or can it stay on the counter.
You can store it tightly covered in the refrigerator or on the counter. If you refrigerate it, I would suggest you remove it from the fridge at least an hour before serving.
Just made it. Excellent recipe. I used the lemon juice/milk method. Saves on buying an extra item and the cake doesnt taste lemony. I used 5 very very ripe (almost black) medium sized bananas. Didnt use lemon juice on the bananas, but I smashed within 10 minutes of folding into the batter. I used convection, so reduced heat to 275 deg and was done in 55 minutes. I also reduced the frosting by 1/3 since a few people mentioned that there was alot extra frosting left over.
The cake was moist an had great banana flavor. Frosting was great too.
I made this today and it did not disappoint! Thanks for the recipe. I got to use my new KittenAid mixer and finally see what all the fuss is about. It did not disappoint either!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I loved it. It came out nice and moist. Can’t wait to try the rest of the recipes.
Thank you
Thank you! Happy to hear that you loved it!
I tried your recipe in a bundt pan, and it worked beautifully! Making it again this week! Thank you for sharing
Thank you for making this sweet dessert, Stephanie! Let us know if you try our other recipes.
Hello Holly,
Made your banana cake today, and it is amazing! The batter was enough for two 6″X3″ cake pans, and 6 regular size cupcakes. The are not over powering in sweetness (as other recipes). I did however find that once I’ve added the eggs, the batter seemed to have separated at the bottom ( I have a glass bowl kitchaid mixer). Therefore, I had to stop a couple times to scrap the bottom and mix on high for JUST until it back together then quickly added the dry before it separated again. My thoughts were, maybe this is why others were having problems. Anyhow, Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe :)
My cake turned out dense. But the flavour was gorgeously yum.
Getting ready to try this cake!! Can a ceramic pan be used?
Yes, a ceramic pan can be used.
do these bananas need to be really ripe for the flavor?
Yes, they should be ripe.
Just made this cake with cake flour, omitting the baking soda and salt, and accidentally used 1 1/2 c of mashed bananas… but it turned out great!
Nothing wrong with a little substitution to any recipe :) Glad to hear they still tasted great!
OK I made it today. But I just added a bit extra lemon in the icing and I added nuts to the cake and OMG it was good. Thank God I had the first little peace because there is none left, it was gone within minutes lol
I just made this exactly like it read. It did not rise it is mushy I have never had a cake fail before ever I am ticked. All that time all those ingredients in the trash . Yes my baking soda was a new one I used king Arthur flour I had everything it said at room temp . If I score this _0
I’m sorry this didn’t work for you. I can’t say for sure what went wrong as this recipe has great feedback. Was your milk soured with lemon juice (or vinegar)?
I’m trying to find out in your banana cake recipe when to add the milk?
This is added in step 5.
HI Shirley,
Did your batter seem to separate once the eggs were added? If so, this also happen to me, I scraped the bottom, then mixed on high speed until it all came together and fluffed, then quickly add some of the dry before it had time to separate again. Just a thought. I would definitely give it another try, I made it tonight (I’m a hobby baker) and it was amazing!
Good Luck!
Made the banana cake. It was very good. I will be making again.
Thank you! Glad you thought it was delicious!
I made this cake tonight and added double the lemon juice in the icing since it turns out I have no “zester” and I absolutely had pregnant mommy brain when I put the softened butter into the batter because I put two whole sticks!! I’m going on 20 minutes past the 55 recommended so that may be why! Hahaha smells amazing
As long as it tastes great, that’s all that matters! LOL
Is there any sugar alternatives ? That I can use to make this cake ? My sister has diabetes.
I have only made this as written however if you choose another sweetener, there are usually directions on the package that will tell you how to substitute in baking.
I didnt reduce heat to 300 F after I put the cake in and only cooked for 40 mins and it turned out great
I have made many different versions of banana breads, and cakes. This is by far my favorite banana cake I have ever baked. The only thing I would do differently is reduce the amount of lemon juice and/or lemon zest in the cream cheese frosting. This is just a personal preference. I can’t thank you enough for posting this recipe. This is a keeper =)
So glad you loved it Wendy!
Can you add pecans
Sure!
I cooked this today and it was great, I honestly cooked it at 350 degrees for 45 miNUTES and it turned out perfect. very delicious!
I am going to try this recipe this Saturday. I wonder if it will still turn out great in cupcake form?
While I haven’t tried it, several readers have and said they work great.
I was very unhappy with this cake but I used buttermilk thinking that you were making buttermilk with the lemon and milk. Do you think that might be why it was so dense? It did not call for baking powder right? I didn’t see baking powdered in the ingredients. Also I forgot to lower the temp, could that have been the reason as well?. I will try it again
Buttermilk does work just fine in this recipe. If you don’t lower the temperature, the cake will overcook so that would likely be the problem.
Cant wait to have a taste of dem all thank lady
How many bananas did you use? New to this baking desserts and want to make sure I have enough
Just read this on fb and really live banana cake.
Thanks.
You’ll need 3-4 bananas.
In instructions it daid turn oven on 350 then bake at 300 then i c 275 what is it? I bake mine at 300 was done in 50 min. Kind of dark so did i bake it wrong waiting for it too cool down to frost it i put a banana in it
The updated instructions are correct. Enjoy!
Wowzer! This cake was amazing! I make banana bread often, but this cake recipe is way better. So moist. The icing was a little too sweet for me, but top the cake with sliced bananas and it dulls it down a bit. Definitely a recipe I will be keeping in my catalog.
Thank you!
Sarah
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Sarah! We love this cake too!
Well it’s in the oven but it was so incredibly dry and I even added melted butter and more milk. I was pressing it into the pan like clay! I’m so annoyed. Wasted all those ingredients and doubt that dry play Dough was going to make a decent cake! If it comes out by some miracle to be good I will eat my words …and the cake I’ve been craving!
The batter for this cake is definitely pourable, I’ve made it many times over. If you were having to press the mixture like clay (even after adding butter and milk) I am thinking maybe the measurements were off.
Can’t wait to try it
This is a dense cake and will take longer to bake in some ovens. I use buttermilk. Immediately after removing from the oven, place directly in the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake unbelievably moist. Yummy recipe.
Hi, I made the totally irreducible banana cake……bloody horrible to say the least, it was like a brick! I don’t understand why you turn the oven down, mine came out heavy and dense and I followed the instructions to the letter! Will not be saving or recommending this recipe sorry!
Should have said “irresistible” sorry
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, we’ve made it several times and it always comes out moist and delicious. If you don’t turn down the oven, the cake will become overcooked.
I am excited to try this cake! I have never baked a cake that you reduce the oven temp. So does this really work ok? Also can you 1/2 the recipe, as it is only my husband & i
Yes it definitely works well. I would suggest baking the whole cake as directed and freezing half of it once baked for a later date.
I just made this cake. It is absolutely divine! It is everything that I thought it would be. DELICIOUS! thanks for posting!
I’m so glad you loved it Shelly!
I just made this last night and it was DELICIOUS! It’s light and fluffy and the frosting is amazing!!! I absolutely love lemons so I added more than what was called for and it turned out so good!
I’m so glad you loved it Venie!
HI! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I just know that my banana loving family will devour this. I just want to let you know there is a little spelling error in your recipe where it says lemon zest “(form 1 lemon)” should be “from”…(in the icing part) Just thought you would like to know. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you so much for letting me know, i’ve updated it! :) Enjoy the recipe!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Just want to make sure about the temp. I saw that there were some baking it at 275 degree but the instructions say to preheat oven to 350 then reduce to 300 ??
The temperature in the recipe is correct. I used to cook it at a lower temperature however many readers were having trouble with the results. The recipe was retested several times and updated.
Just made this cake it is it delicious!! I was a little worried it would have a strong lemon flavor but it doesn’t. The cake came out moist and just perfect. The frosting is to die for! So unbelievably good! I had three bananas on hand so I went with that and used them up.
I saved this recipe since I will definitely make it again! I was looking for an excuse to use my new Nordic Ware cake pan when I came across this. Thanks so much for posting this recipe.
Yay! We are so glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
Holly, this icing is awesome!!! Just like I knew it would be.
I had success with the cake this time–since I put on my high-powered reading goggles. :)
I just tried this! Was initially quite skeptical as this recipe calls for a lot of flour! Was worried the cake would turn out dense and heavy like some others commented. But to my surprise, it came out very very fluffy, soft and moist! The only modification I made was I reduced the sugar for both frosting and cake batter. Will definitely make this again and again! Thanks for sharing!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Elaine!
It doesn’t say when to add the milk and lemon juice, but I folded it in after the bananas.
It is added in step 5.
If I made this in 2 – 8″ round cakes how long should I bake it for?
I haven’t tried this in 8″ pans so I can’t say for sure but I start checking them at about 35 minutes to test for doneness.
I really can’t wait to try plus enjoy the great thing’s I will be making. Plus try some new thing’s.
Omg the best ever I made this and I couldn’t stay away from it. Thank you so much for sharing
I’m so glad you loved it Marie! :)
I made this cake last night following the instructions to a T. It came out great. My husband who likes both banana and lemon loved it. I plan on sharing it with my parents and in-laws. I don’t have very much experience with baking or cooking so if I were to add some nuts to it next time what do you think would be an appropriate amount to add?
I would suggest adding about 1 cup. If you toss the nuts with a little bit of flour before adding to the batter, they won’t sink the the bottom. :) Enjoy!
Thank you for the tip:)
You’re welcome, enjoy Becky!
Look so good
I’m a traitor to our family recipe but this banana cake is the very best! Thanks for sharing. It’s a keeper!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I agree with the previous reviewer from 12/3/2016 – although it tastes really wonderful, the cake was very heavy and dense. This is probably a result of the 3 cups of flour, baking soda, and 3 eggs. The cooking time is also very low. The icing was heavenly and while I don’t like the density of the cake, I’ll probably make changes in the future.
What in ounces is the equivalent to a cup of flour
You can find a flour conversion chart here.
Worst banana cake I’ve ever tasted. Absolutely no taste and certainly NOT light and fluffy. Don’t waste your time and ingredients, went straight in the garbage so heavy even broke the bag lol
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this cake, it’s one of our favorites!
To each their own, but I thought it was AMAZING!! Have to agree it is heavier than fluffy, but SO moist and tasty!! Looking forward to trying it as cupcakes!
Do you put milk in frosting mix?
I did not add milk to the frosting.
is there no baking powder in the banana cake recipe?
There is no baking powder in this recipe.
Hi, I would like to try your recipe, but could u tell me the quantities in grams? Thank u so much.
I am unable to provide ingredients in grams however you can find conversions here.
I just made this cake using your recipe and it was delicious!!! The cream cheese recipe for the icing was sooooo good! I was licking the bowl I used to make it in. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’m with you, just bring me a spoon and some frosting! :)
I made the banana bread and it was amazing! Best banana bread recipe
I’m so glad you loved it!
PLEASE…If substituting vanilla for 1 teaspoon lemon juice AND 1and half teaspoon lemon zest………HOW MUCH vanilla?
I teaspoon of vanilla can be used in the frosting in place of the lemon juice and lemon zest.
Thank you !
I just made this banana cake today and it is the best. I was concerned at first because the top and edges browned very quickly and I thought it would burn. It was done in less than 55 minutes and it’s perfect. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I have been looking for banana breads ,muffins and cakes I am going to try your and cross my fingers and hope I found some that my husband and I will enjoy.
THANKS
The cake is delicious but frosting with 3 cups sugar is too sweet. Or did I read wrongly . Will half the sugar next time. Thanks for sharing
Did you use powdered sugar and plain cream cheese? I haven’t found the frosting to be overly sweet however if you prefer it less sweet, you can certainly half the powdered sugar next time!
Thanks for the great recipe for banana cake. Will definitely look at the other recipes.
I just put the icing on the cake and it was great! I can’t wait to taste the cake. Serving tomorrow to the family. Should I put in the refrigerator ? I to was in a hurry and just baked on 350 degrees for 60 mins . I think it will be fine. I will let you know. Thanks! Have a great Thanksgiving
You can store it tightly covered in the refrigerator or on the counter. If you refrigerate it, I would suggest you remove it from the fridge at least an hour before serving. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family too!
Could I use heavy cream instead of lemon/milk combo??
You would need something with a little bit of acidity. So either milk & lemon juice (or substitute white vinegar for lemon juice) or you can use buttermilk in its place.
What type of milk? Can I use skim? I want to do whatever is best.
I usually use low fat (such as 2%).
I want to try this tonight for Thanksgiving… do you think I could possibly substitute lemon juice with lemon extract?
The lemon mixed with the milk causes it to thicken and sour. You can use white vinegar in place of the lemon juice or replace the milk with 1 1/2 cups buttermilk.
If you are referring to the frosting, you can use lemon extract but you will need a much smaller amount. Enjoy!
I want try, but I can’t save your recipe, and then, my problem, is I don’t have oven, I’ll have is turbo only, can I use my turbo for the bake,, please help me, and give me some tips for what can I do, thanks.
I’m sorry I haven’t cooked in a turbo so I can’t say for sure how to adapt the recipe. I would suggest looking in your manual for tips.
Oh omg can’t wait to try and my this, banana cake is my favorite…
I was wondering if you ever made the banana cake with wheat flour or almond flour, if not do you think it would taste good?
I have only made this as written. If you try it, please let us know how it works out for you!
What flour and sugar do you use is it self raising or plain flour and granulated sugar or caster sugar I’m from UK
All purpose flour and granulated sugar.
Can I use another pan?
I have only made this in a 9×13 pan. If you read through the comments, there are other readers who have successfully tried other pans (such as cupcake pans).
Did you try another pan? I’d like to do two 8×8 rounds and hope it’ll work.
I want to make this cake dairy free. Do you think I could substitute coconut or veggie oil for the butter in the cake? And maybe dairy free cream cheese for the frosting. Any suggestions are appreciated. This cake looks yummy!
I have only tried this as written however, coconut oil does work in place of butter in many recipes. I can’t say for sure how it would work in this recipe.
Al of yourrecipes look wonderful. Do you have a cookbook? It woul be a Best Seller!
Aww, thank you June! I don’t have a cookbook as of yet.
I was wondering if the butter needed to be unsalted?
I use unsalted butter.
It looks and sounds amazing but I have to admit I’m not a fan of lemon. Can I substitute something for the lemon in the cake?
You can replace the soured milk with buttermilk. As for the lemon in the frosting, you can eliminate the lemon zest and juice and replace it with vanilla for a vanilla cream cheese frosting.
How many bananas will I need to make up 1 1/3 cups mashed, using medium sized bananas?
About 3-4 bananas (depending on size).
Well I wouldn’t make this cake again despite having four bananas in it…it hardly tasted like banana and the frosting is good but very sweet I actually only ended up putting a thin layer of the frosting.
It’s a dense cake not fluffy.
I’ll take my grandma Lois’ banana bread recipe any day and if I want a cake I’ll frost it!
You need to use over ripe bananas to get the banana flavor. Fresh bananas mostly taste starchy and maybe that’s why you couldn’t taste it. She also mentioned in the instructions to not over mix because then the cake will be dense and chewy.
About how many cups of mashed bananas does this recipe call for? I freeze bananas sliced up for easy storage, so I don’t know how many slices equal a small banana. Lol.
You would need about 1 1/3 cup mashed banana.
just got this recipe and can’t wait to cheat and make it. when I use bananas I always use a little lemon or orange juice on them (just a little) so they don’t turn brown, Is that ok??
Hi Pat, I do the same trick to keep my bananas fresh! Yes, a squirt of citrus fruit juice will be fine! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
My icing is lumpy with brown sugarish bumps?? I have never made an icing like this before is this normal?
The icing should be smooth without lumps. Was your brown sugar fresh?
Question on frosting: I “removed from heat” the milk, butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar and let cool. Upon my return to stir in remaining powdered sugar, the contents were hard as a rock! What did I do wrong? Thanks! : )
I can’t say for sure as I’ve made this frosting several times and haven’t had that problem.
Thank you for this lovely recipe. I preheated fan oven to 350 then turned down as instructed. Mine was done at 40 minutes in a 10″ square pan, using buttermilk (that needed to be used up) rather than sour milk. Haven’t tasted yet, but it smells divine while it’s cooling!
Is just half teaspoon of baking soda enough raising agent for the cake or is there a need to add baking powder as well?
There is no baking powder in this recipe and the cake rises perfectly for me.
This cake looks amazing. I know what I’m doing tomorrow morning. I’m making this cake for sure!
I made this banana cake for my friends at a food pantry where I volunteer. I was desperate for a new recipe for bananas and found this one. My only problem was that I was in a hurry and only read the part about preheating the oven to 350. I thought one hour was too long to bake a cake but set my timer for 60 minutes, put my cake in the oven and went outside to do some weeding. After about 40 minutes I went back inside, smelled the cake and thought I’d better check. It was beautiful and perfectly baked. THEN I read the entire instructions and saw that I was supposed to turn the oven down . Duh…. I was worried that it would be dry but it was moist and perfect the next morning. Super delicious and one that I will make over and over. Thank you for this gem.
So glad you loved it and that it worked out great for you!
You made my day. I am usually a stickler for thoroughly reading recipes before I make them. First, I put the batter in the pan and realized I forgot to put the bananas in. Then, I put the cake in at 350 and let it bake for 25 minutes before I saw you were supposed to reduce the temperature. Do, I baked it for a total of 45 minutes. I am bringing it to church in the morning. I feel better.
Holly, would a bundt pan work with this yummy sounding recipe?
I haven’t tried it in a bundt pan so I can’t say for sure if that would work. If you do try it, please let us know how it works out for you.
I tried it in a Bundt Pan this morning and it came out awesome! Here’s the thing….I also cooked the cake gluten free using this Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix: http://glutenfreerecipebox.com/gluten-free-all-purpose-flour-blend/. I doubled the Baking Soda that your recipe called for because gluten free items tend to not rise as much. I can say that was successful because the cake rose to the top of the pan. It’s BEAUTIFUL! The frosting went on runny, which is perfect for Bundt Cakes. Now my kids and I have had one small slice as a reward and the rest is waiting until after dinner tonight–more motivation for them to do their schoolwork and chores! :)
I forgot to add that I did also need to let it bake for an additional 10 minutes in the Bundt Pan.
Oh that sounds wonderful! Thank you for sharing your gluten free tips, I know there are always readers who are looking for gluten free recipes! Enjoy your cake!
I love the idea of making this gluten free, however the link for the GF flour recipe you shared is only available if you have an annual membership to that website
Thank you so much for sharing, this cake was a big hit yummy !!! and so easy too!
What is powdered sugar, I am from Australia
Confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar.
Can nuts be added to this meaning will it work out the same way
I think it would work but I haven’t tried it that way. It’s a good idea to toss the nuts with flour first to keep them from sinking to the bottom. If you do try it, please let us know how it works for you!
Ok im confused on the frosting, I have made it up to the point before adding remaining powdered sugar (its cooling) and cream cheese. The description says you should be able to pour it on the cake but as it is right now its so thick it could stand up…and thats before adding more powdered sugar. Is the cream cheese going to make it that pourable..???
Once added to the cream cheese the frosting consistency will thin out and you should be able to pour it over the cake.
If you are finding the brown sugar mixture too thick to mix in the remaining powdered sugar, you can mix the powdered sugar directly with the cream cheese (and then add the brown sugar mixture). Hopefully that helps!
it was too hard to even scrape with a spoon..it cooled to a crust lol. I reheated it and added a little more milk. Also might want to add that cream cheese should be room temperature (which I tried to get mine too) as its hard to get it completely incorporated into something thats cooled.
Hmm… did you only boil it for one minute? I’ve added in room temperature to the post, thank you for the great tip! Hopefully it tasted delicious! :)
LOL ! I made this cake yesterday ( very good), but I had the exact same thing happen with that part of the frosting instructions , so I just went with the cream cheese & powdered sugar, and spread it on the cake.
My icing seems rather runny. Does it firm up in the fridge?
It’s not thick and spreadable, you can pour it onto the cake but once you pop it into the fridge for a few minutes, it is perfect (although still softer than a traditional frosting)!
If you prefer a thicker frosting, you can add in an additional 1/3 cup butter and 1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar.
Can we add walnuts to this I want to try to make it today
I will try this yumm
I have got to make this. I love banana cake. Thanks for linking up at Tell Me About It Tuesday. We hope you hop over and share with us again next week.
Enjoy
We store it in fridge , till it has to be served?
Is the milk supposed to be curdled from setting aside with lemon juice ? It took me about 10 mins to mix everything after settingilk aside and it is curdled. Not a lot but it is.
Thank you!
It is “soured” so it can look a little curdled yes and it should be a bit thick. Just give it a stir and as long as the milk was fresh it will be great.
I’m making this right now and am super excited to have my family try this out!
One quick question though; the frosting calls for 3 tablespoons of milk in the ingredients, but then in the instructions, it says to melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of milk. Am I to add the rest of the milk at some point, or is this just a typo?
It should read 2 tablespoons milk in the ingredients list. :)
The family absolutely loved this recipe, by the way! This is a keeper for sure; thank you so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
2 tablespoons of milk should be added on the ingred. list for the frosting? Because I do not see any milk listed in the list
Frosting
• 8 oz cream cheese
• ⅓ cup butter, softened
• 3 – 3.5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1½ teaspoons lemon zest (form 1 lemon)
Thanks!
The recipe has been updated and the ingredients list you see is correct.
I was going to make this cake tonight, but I usually read the comments first, with the frosting my ingredients says 8 oz. cream cheese -1/3 cup butter -3-31/2 cups powdered sugar – 1 teaspoon lemon juice -11/2 teaspoons lemon zest, you do not mention anything about milk, how much milk do you add.
Thank you the cake looks wonderful
No milk is added, the recipe has been updated for better results. Enjoy!
Do you think these would work as cupcakes?
I haven’t tried it but I do think it would work.
I will let you know how it turns out. My daughter’s first birthday party is this Sunday. I am going to try making them as cupcakes. Wish me luck!! This sounds amazing!!
Just so you know they came out deliciously. We baked them per directions and they were done at 30 minutes. This will be a go to recipe from now on in our house! Thanks for posting such a delicious recipe.
That’s awesome! THank you for coming back and letting us know how they worked out! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
did you put them in the freezer?
I tried these as cupcakes and they work great. Just needs less baking time.
This sounds wonderful!! I use to make a poke cake with a banana supreme cake mix they no longer sell, poked holes in it, used 1 can condensed milk, layer of slice bananas, and layer of cool whip. Do you think I could do this with this cake? My son would be so hapoy if I could!!! He misses that cake so much! Thank you for the recipe!
I have’t tried it but … WOW! That sounds fantastic. I do think that would work well with this cake. If you do try it I would love if you would let me know how it works out for you! I think my husband would love that cake too!!
Hi Holly, I am sorry to say my idea did not work on this recipe! Probably because the cake is so moist. The condensed milk made it too wet!!! Next time I will follow your frosting recipe for it…
Thank you for letting us know Jodie! I still think your recipe idea sounds fantastic and while it didn’t work with this recipe, I am going to play around with it and find one that it does work with! My hubby will love it@
Maybe over bake the cake and dry it out then try te poke cake , that might work. Worth a shot.
The way you used to make the banana cake with condensed milk sounds similar with the one I make is called tres leches, so just buy a vanilla cake mix fallow the Instructions on box then let it cool off poke holes and add the condense milk and bananas n cool whip or you can also add a can of evaporated milk a can of media crema mix them all together and pour it on the cake and you have a tres leches cake but I whip a small heavy cream n some powder sugar for frosting.
This is THE best banana cake I have ever had or made. It will be in the recipe vault for life. My recipe took much longer to cook. I finally raised the temperature to 325 for the last 10 minutes. Enjoy!!!!
<3 I am so glad it worked out for you!!
Sorry, what happens if you over bake?
Would like to know, what happen if you over bake?
If you overbake it the cake will be dry.
Delicious Does this need to be refrigerated
Absolutely scrumptious and moist.
Why is mine taking so long .its over 50 minutes and its still soupy?
At 275 degrees
Hmm, the temperature is right and mine took about 50 minutes.
I’m reading 275, but the directions say to bring down help to 300 when placing in oven. Which should I follow?
Bring it down to 300.
In the best banana cake recipe, what flour is used, thank you Joan
I use all purpose flour in this recipe.
Maybe altitude
Hmm. I’m not sure why it took so long but I am really glad it was delicious!!
I have had mine in the oven for an hour now and it is still soup! So upset!
I’m not sure why for most the temperature/time works perfectly but for a couple of you it didn’t bake. :/ I’d recommend turning up the heat slightly and baking until a toothpick comes out clean.
The ones that are having trouble with it not baking at 275 degree, did y’all preheat the oven to 350 and then reduce to 275 when you placed the cake in the oven?
Correction of the measurements would be much appreciated. Am I to use 1 teaspoon lemon juice with bananas, or the remaining 1 TABLESPOON ?
Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with the bananas. :) Thank you!
I know you don’t have to use lemon in the frosting, but can you get away without it in the cake too?
Yes. You can substitute lemon juice in the cake with white vinegar and mix it with the milk as directed or replace the milk and lemon juice with buttermilk.
I was afraid the lemon in the cake & frosting would overpower the banana flavor, so I used vinegar to sour the milk and made brown butter frosting instead. It was the perfect compliment to the banana cake! I then garnished the top with chopped walnuts. Here’s my brown butter frosting recipe: 1/3 cup melted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 3-4 Tbsp. milk (thin to desired consistency). Delicately brown the fat solids in the butter by slowly heating (boiling) the butter in a saucepan until small tan specks appear in boiling butter. Once they start to turn brown watch it very closely…Do not burn them. Remove from heat. Stir melted butter that has been “browned” into powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Add vanilla and milk. Beat or whip for a few minutes until it is a good spreading consistency. Spread on the cake right after taking it out of the freezer. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top for garnish if desired. I love the tan speckles in this frosting!
I made the banana cake I used truvia instead of white sugar, cake was a little heavy not light and fluffy. Do you think the truvia caused that. Also thought I’d take a short cut and used Canned frosting terrible next time will follow receipe for the frosting.
Hello there, I find Truvia is not that great in baking and it personally opens my appetite which I certainly don’t need. If you want to use canned frosting, use cream cheese frosting x 2 cans, mix with 2 cups icing sugar and a half tsp lemon juice (fresh). Hope this is helpful.
Sorry I was a pain in the rear end on the instructions, I’m not much of a desert maker. Cake turned out great, took it to thanksgiving potluck at my work last night. Thanks for the recipe!
Not at all Heather! :) So glad it worked out for you!
instead of the lemon/milk combo could I use buttermilk? Is that kind of what you are trying to do with the rest of the lemon juice, sour up the milk a bit? I get putting some on the bananas to keep them from browning. Thanks! I’m going to try this tonight. I don’t have any cream cheese but I may just whip up some chocolate frosting instead.
That definitely should work!
Is it all purpose flour. Just wondering because I have recipes that you use baking powder or baking soda with self rising flour. Sounds really good can’t wait to try it. I just didn’t want to mess up on the flour. Thank you so much
This uses all purpose flour! Enjoy!
Your Banana Cake looks so moist and delicious. Thanks so much for sharing your great recipe with Full Plate Thursday and enjoy your Thanksgiving week!
Come Back Soon
Miz Helen
Oh man, I LOVE banana cake and this version looks great (and now I know what to do with the bananas on my counter :)!
That looks so yummy! I found your blog @ Works for me Wednesday. I would love it if you linked up a post at my new linky party: http://www.joyfocusedlearning.com/2013/11/anything-goes-link-up-1.html
I just make the cake and it is wonderful. And the icing is to die for. Thanks for the recipe
How was it? Dense cake? Light fluffy moist cake? Banana bread like?
The first time it was dense but o didn’t follow the directions properly. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS PRECISELY!! I’m making another one right now and I’ll post another feedback after following the directions accurately. Wish me luck bc this look so darn yummy.
Are the oven temperatures for normal or fan oven please. And is the flour all pulse or self raising?
Looking forward to trying this, sounds and looks great!