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
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, 1½ tbs is 4½ 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!!