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.
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!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice divided
- 1 ⅓ cups mashed bananas about 4 medium bananas
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest from 1 lemon, optional
- 3-3 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
- Place 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice in a measuring cup. Top to 1 ½ cups with milk. Set aside.
- Mix together mashed banana with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, set aside.
- 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).
- 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.
- Put into the oven and reduce heat to 300°F. Bake 60 – 70 minutes (see note below) or just until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (do not over bake).
- Remove from oven and place in the freezer for 45 minutes to make the cake extra moist. Cool completely before frosting.
FROSTING
- Cream together butter & cream cheese until fluffy. Add in lemon zest and juice.
- Add powdered sugar a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Spread over cooled cake.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This recipe has been retested and updated 11/20/16.
Very slightly adapted from food.com
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.
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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!