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
Salted or unsalted butter?
I use unsalted butter.
Great recipe!
I halved it simply because I didn’t have enough ingredients, and even accidentally mixed the ingredients in the wrong order, but it still turned out great.
Thank you for sharing this recipe with us all!
Very good, easy cake recipe. I alternated the flour and milk starting and ending with flour and only mixing until blended per the recipe and the result was light and fluffy! The only thing I did differently was I substituted lite canned coconut milk in place of regular milk because it’s all I had but it turned out great.
Hi Holly I usually make banana bread with any leftover bananas that are overripe, but my daughter wanted something different for a change. Well of course you’re my go to for recipes and we decided to make this cake. I followed the recipe as is and it came out perfectly!! It’s the best! My family devoured this cake and my husband said this one is a keeper. I found that for the frosting one cup of the powdered sugar was perfect for the consistency I was looking for, not to thick and to runny just right for spreading.It was so light and moist!!:)
We are so happy you guys loved this recipe, Erma!
Should you refrigerate the left overs?
I usually store it in the fridge and try to leave it at room temp at least 30 min before serving.
I wanted a super banana-ey cake so I basically tripled the amount of bananas, and it turned out great! Super moist. Maybe a bit dense (presumably because all of the added bananas) for some people but I love it that way (imagine a brownies consistency). I don’t make the frosting because I don’t want to and also the recipe works well even without the frosting, especially with added bananas because it’s already pretty flavorful. I kept everything else the same except a few simple substitute that I knew work well (brown sugar with white sugar + honey, lemon juice with vinegar).
Hi! How long should you bake this if using an 8” round pan?
While I haven’t tried it, I know readers have successfully made this in different pan sizes. I would suggest two 8×8 pans if dividing in half and to start checking the cake around 30 minutes for doneness with a toothpick. They should still go in the freezer out of the oven. Let us know how it goes!
How long bake round pan 8”??
Baking in an 8″ pan, you will want to check your cake around the 35-40 minute mark and every 5-10 minutes until it’s done! This pan is smaller than a 9×13 so it should be done sooner. Hope that helps!
I am soooo wanting to make this banana Cake… I don’t have a 9X13 baking pan but want to make the full recipe, so so hate breaking everything down…My question is .. what size pans should i use to make two smaller cakes? also do you have to put the cakes directly in freezer upon coming out of the oven? Thank you in advance :)
While I haven’t tried it, I know readers have successfully made this in different pan sizes. I would suggest two 8×8 pans if dividing in half and to start checking the cake around 30 minutes for doneness with a toothpick. They should still go in the freezer out of the oven. Let us know how it goes!
Tried your recipe today. It was super soft moist and delicious.
Thank you for the recipe. How much powdered sugar is needed for the frosting? 3 1/3 cup, right?
The frosting will need between 3 and 3½ cups.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have been making a banana cake from the same recipe for years and this is my new go to cake recipe. Great cake.
Just made this recipe, and it is a phenomenal cake. Super moist and fluffy. I did a slight change and added 5 bananas instead of just 3. I was worried it could cause an issue, but it definitely did not. Will definitely make this again as it is a hit with my family. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Hi, why do we add baking soda instead of baking powder?
Recipes that contain an acidic ingredient like buttermilk or lemon juice generally tend to use baking soda as a leavening agent.
Moist and Delicious.
I will be making this recipe again and again.
Thank You!
OMG! made this forgot the 1/2 c brown sugar, and it was perfect anyway. I had made another cake before same ingredients but it was dense. Don’t know if putting it in freezer made this one light and fluffy. It was absolutely delicious
What kind of flour do I use all purpose flour or unbleached all purpose flour? How can I make these into cupcakes?
This recipe uses all-purpose flour. While I haven’t made this into cupcakes, many readers have. I would suggest to fill your cupcake liners ⅔ full and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Can you make this cake without lemon? Can you taste the lemon if you put it in?
You can skip the lemon in this recipe. You will need soured milk or buttermilk. White vinegar can replace the lemon in the milk (step 2) if you prefer.
This banana cake was so delicious and moist added sone maple extract so goid everyone loved it. Gave the recipe to some of the girlsthey made it ane all cskes came out great.This is a keeper for sure.
When do you add the milk?
In step 5.
Very good! Should you put this in the refrigerator or can you? Thanks!
You can refrigerate this but I would recommend leaving it at room temperature for a bit before serving.