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
The softest banana cake I made. I didn’t bother to make the frosting though, i like it plain. I used 4 bananas but still only took 55mins baking.
Thanks for the recipe
I love baking and trying new recipes. I always make banana bread never the cake so for being the first banana cake recipe I tried I think I’ll just stick with this one. Moist and just delicious!! Now to try the carrot cake recipe… thanks a bunch!!
Hopefully the cake will be moist as everyone is saying… I didn’t get round to icing it till a couple days later.. still felt good… the icing OMG absolutely beautiful… I added way more lemon as I love the zing… nice recipe… will let you know how it tasted!
I made this today and it’s good though not the Best Ever. Cake took exactly 70min to cook and it is a moist yet almost wet cake. I did forego adding lemon juice to the cream cheese frosting though.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Eilish. :)
I love this cake! I am going to make it again this weekend for Canadian Thanksgiving! It is delicious!!
Happy Thanksgiving Marg! Enjoy your cake :)
The claim that this is the best banana cake recipe ever is a far stretch. I followed the recipe to the T, my oven is perfectly calibrated. This is the densest cake I have ever made. To say it was inedible is being polite. The propitious seemed off from the beginning and batter was way too funny and decreasing the baking temp resulted in a solid block. Very disappointed and total waste of ingredients and time. The dog even refused to eat it.
Sorry to hear that Al. We find this cake soft, moist and delicious every time we make it.
Usually when the batter is funny, I just have a little chuckle to myself ;)
“AL” I’m sorry you had a bad experience with making this, but I honestly think you need to read the COMPLETE tips and instructions again. Did you reduce your oven temperature? Did you beat the eggs and sugar 5 minutes? You might want to try again, as this really is a fluffy delicious cake. Good Luck!
This is a brilliant Bannana cake recipe congratulations I put 4 Bannana in mine took a bit longer to cook but still came out nice and fluffy .
Thanks Ross! So happy you enjoyed it.
I made this in a bundt pan and turned out perfect! I followed the recipe exactly as posted. I have a gas oven and only took 60 minutes. I did not use the frosting recipe because I know using confectioners sugar it comes out too sweet. I did one with heavy whipping cream, white sugar, and cream cheese. This cake is heavenly! I buttered the bundt pan and floured it to avoid sticking.
I am so glad you enjoyed this cake Nicole. I love bundt cake in any flavor!
I want to make this cake tonight for a birthday party tomorrow. After spending time on the comments, I do have a question: Can I make 2 cakes to layer? And after freezing initially, can I keep it in the fridge overnight and ice/decorate in the morning? My intention is to use crushed pineapple in the cream cheese filling between the layers and add fresh berries for decorations to create the taste of a banana split. I just don’t want to cause the texture of the cake to change with weight.
Hi Lisa, we have only made this recipe as listed but I think it should work. Let us know how it turns out!
I like your page so much !! No sending me to other links, etc. in which you get lost trying to find the complete recipe with printing instructions so easy. Thanks :)
Thanks Alice, so happy you are enjoying it!
This recipe is excellent! I kept beating with flower and milk addictions due to not reading further and thought I ruined it but it came out wonderfully!!! The addition of lemon juice in the icing makes this cake irresistible.
So happy to hear that it turned out great Catherine! Enjoy!
This is soooo good! Incredibly moist, just as advertised! I think anyone who had issues either measured incorrectly or overmixed, because mine came out fluffy, moist and perfect! I halved the recipe and it still turned out great! The only difference is I used just regular cream cheese frosting.
So happy it turned out great for you Melissa!
Even after a day in the fridge it is still perfectly moist! I can definitely stop my search now!
That’s awesome Melissa! Add this one to the keeper pile for sure!
I live in Australia and can’t wait to try this recipe … you just say .. flour .. as one of the ingredients .. I take it that this is .. self raising flour?
Hi Christine, this recipe uses all-purpose flour.
I love this cake. Probably the best and moistest banana cake I’ve ever made! I also made muffins out of this recipe- one dozen extra large. My oven is hot, so I cooked the muffins for 37 minutes, and I don’t ice muffins because we use in our lunches.
Followed the good clear instructions and just made the best banana cake ever. Try it everyone, it’s delicious.
Thanks Deborah! Happy to hear you loved it!
This cake was amazing!!! So moist after putting in freezer and fluffy! I was one banana short but still tasted delicious! I added some cinnamon too. the frosting was excellent and I’d recommend just adding some zest for a milder flavor. Will definitely make this again!!!
So happy Em! That sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed it!
Best Banana Cake I’ve had. My Husband was skeptical but it is now his favorite. He took it to work and now everyone wants the recipe. I followed recipe as directed. Mine cooks in 55 minutes.
So glad you loved it Nicole!
This is such a wonderful cake!
I am so glad you enjoyed it Penni!
Your banana cake recipe is seriously life! It is a huge hit every time
Yay Lillian! We love this recipe too!
I honestly may never eat a different banana cake recipe again . Amazing
Thanks Kyla! It really is delicious so we understand!
Without a doubt, this is the BEST banana cake I have EVER put in my mouth. Thank you for a fabulous recipe.
So glad you loved it Angela!
Hi..do you think this recipe will work in a bundt pan?
I haven’t tried it in a bundt pan. Other readers have baked it in a bundt pan with success. Let us know if you try it Abbie!
What type of pan is being used
Hi Val, We used a 9×13 pan. Hope that helps!
This is a delicious cake.
Has any one baked it in 2 8 inch pans? If so at what temp and how long?
I am glad you enjoyed the recipe Karen!