If you’re searching for the best banana cake recipe, your search is over. Not banana bread masquerading as cake—this is a soft, buttery, ultra-moist sheet cake loaded with real banana flavor and topped with silky cream cheese frosting.
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
My Go-To, Never-Fail Banana Cake
This is my go-to banana cake when I have a bunch of overripe bananas sitting on the counter—and once you try it, you’ll understand why. It’s unbelievably soft and moist with a rich buttery crumb and plenty of bold banana flavor in every bite. We’re not making banana bread here—this is a true cake, tender and fluffy, topped with a thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting that takes it over the top.
It’s simple enough for a casual bake, yet special enough for birthdays, gatherings, and holidays. One bite and you’ll understand why this is a reader favorite!
One reader, Paul, commented: “I have been baking for 15 years. I use nothing but the finest ingredients. This banana cake IS by far the best banana cake I have ever made or tasted!!! ★★★★★“
Another reader, Lorena, commented: “Words don’t do justice to what happens to your taste buds as they experience the first bite. The texture is perfectly moist, the flavor is exquisite. Hands down the best banana cake ever. It’s one of those recipes that you want to pass down as family heirlooms. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Jacqui, commented: “The title of this recipe definitely holds true… this is a keeper for sure! ★★★★★“
Another reader, Barb, commented: “My husband tried it and said that this was the best banana cake he’d ever had. I told him that was the name of the recipe! … We’d give it 10 stars if we could. Great recipe, Sally, thank you! ★★★★★“
Remember that time I told you about the best banana cake I’ve ever had? I enjoyed obsessed over it at a family reunion. My husband’s cousin made it and I stalked her down like a dessert creep and proceeded to talk her ear off about cream cheese frosting and spotty bananas for 35 minutes straight.
What? You don’t do that at parties?
It was the moistest cake I’ve ever eaten. Stick-to-the-back of your fork moist. The perfect cream cheese frosting, both sweet and tangy, sinking into the top of the cake made it even moister. Sweet, but not overpowering. Mega banana flavor, certainly more banana flavor than any banana bread I’ve ever eaten. Very buttery and cakey from creaming the butter and sugars. Just a ridiculously rich, decadent dessert.
The banana cake was dense, but not heavy. If that makes any sense? (Coming from the lady who talks about rotting bananas at social gatherings, but stick with me here.) The crumb was very soft, but they were tight crumbs. The cake didn’t fall apart when you took a forkful.
It was, hands down, the best banana cake I’ve ever had. And I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
Start With Spotty Bananas
The recipe starts with 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas, or about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas. Now, make sure those bananas are nice and spotty. More brown spots = sweeter, more banana flavor. It’s what you want for banana bread, chocolate banana bread, and banana muffins, too. Your cake (and everyone who eats it) will thank you.
I simply mash the bananas in my mixer—the same mixer I use to make the rest of the batter. Beat the bananas on high speed for a minute, then transfer to another bowl. No need to wash the mixing bowl before you cream the butter and sugars.
Can I Use Frozen Bananas?
Yes and I do this often. Thaw the frozen bananas at room temperature. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe below. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
Other Ingredients You Need:
- Flour: All-purpose flour creates the structure of this banana cake.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: For lift. Be sure they are fresh—expired leaveners will leave you with a dense, stodgy cake.
- Cinnamon & Salt: For flavor.
- Butter: Be sure to start with proper room-temperature butter.
- Sugar: You need both white granulated and brown sugar to sweeten this cake.
- Eggs: To bind everything together and add tenderness and lift.
- Vanilla: Essential for flavor in all banana desserts!
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is the moist-maker in this cake. The cake wouldn’t be what it is without it! You also need the acid in buttermilk to help the baking soda do its job. If you don’t keep buttermilk on hand or can’t find it at the store, you can make this buttermilk substitute: measure 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Pour into a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups. Stir, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then it’s ready to be added to your batter.
Here’s the batter. There will be some lumps, and that’s fine!
You can use either a metal or glass 9×13-inch pan. I usually bake this cake in a glass pan, which works really well and bakes it evenly. If using glass, the bake time may be on the slightly longer end.
The Best Frosting for Banana Cake
This is the silkiest and smoothest cream cheese frosting I’ve ever tasted! It’s similar to the cream cheese frosting that we use for carrot cake, but the ratio of cream cheese to butter is different. For this banana cake, we’re using a 2:1 ratio of cream cheese to butter, instead of the carrot cake’s 4:1 ratio. So this makes the frosting a little firmer, silkier, and definitely more buttery!
There’s also a lot of cream cheese frosting. When you begin slathering it onto the cake, you’ll probably go “Sally, this is way too much frosting!” But it’s not. You want a nice thick layer. It’s essential.
If you love the flavor of brown butter, the brown butter cream cheese frosting from my zucchini cake would be fantastic here.
Not a fan of cream cheese frosting or just want to try something different?
More frosting flavors for banana cake:
This banana cake recipe is simple, reliable, and perfect for everything from casual baking days to celebrations, and I have a feeling it’ll earn a permanent spot in your recipe rotation. Just scroll through the many, many reviews below by home bakers who swear by this recipe for the best banana cake!
Other Banana Cake Sizes
- Layer Cake (Pictured Above): You can make this as either a 2-layer or 3-layer cake. For a 2-layer cake, divide the batter between two greased and lined 9-inch round pans and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 26–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For a 3-layer cake, divide the batter between three pans and bake for 22–26 minutes.
- Cupcakes: I’ve gotten a few questions about turning this cake into cupcakes. For about 2 dozen cupcakes, fill the cupcake liners halfway and bake for about 20–22 minutes. Same oven temperature. Or use this very similar banana cupcakes recipe.
- Bundt Cake: I recommend using my similar recipe for chocolate marble banana Bundt cake instead. (There’s a little extra baking powder for lift, which is helpful when baking in a large Bundt pan.) You can leave out the chocolate swirl in that recipe if you wish, and top with the cream cheese icing from this recipe for hummingbird Bundt cake.
The Best Banana Cake I’ve Ever Had
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft, buttery, and ultra-moist, this is truly the best banana cake. Made with ripe bananas and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting, it’s a longtime reader favorite.
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large bananas)
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a metal or glass 9×13-inch pan.
- Make the cake: Mash the bananas. I usually just use my mixer for this! Set mashed bananas aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until creamed together, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the mashed bananas. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps are OK.
- Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually transfer it to the refrigerator to speed things up.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (I usually do). Spread the frosting on the cooled cake.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 6. Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, make the frosting, frost, and serve. Frosted or unfrosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature, and then frost if needed and serve.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Pan (Metal Pan or Glass Pan) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Icing Spatula
- Frozen Bananas: You can use frozen bananas here. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute if needed. Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough room-temperature whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/2 cups (360g/ml). (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Cupcakes: For about 2 dozen cupcakes, fill the cupcake liners halfway and bake for about 20–22 minutes. Same oven temperature. Or use this very similar banana cupcakes recipe.
- Can I Turn This Into a Banana Bundt Cake? I recommend using my very similar recipe for chocolate marble banana Bundt cake instead. (There’s a little extra baking powder for lift, which is helpful when baking in a large Bundt pan.) You can leave out the chocolate swirl in that recipe if you wish, and top with the cream cheese icing from this recipe for hummingbird Bundt cake.
- Layer Cake: You can make this as either a 2-layer or 3-layer cake. For a 2-layer cake, divide the batter between two greased and lined 9-inch round pans and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 26–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For a 3-layer cake, divide the batter between three pans and bake for 22–26 minutes. I often like to pair the layer cake with this brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Reader Comments and Reviews
YUM! I love all of your recipes, they are always my go-to when trying new bakes. I will be attempting this this weekend!
If I wanted to add some peanut butter to the cake, could I swap out part of the butter and/or buttermilk for natural peanut butter? I’m thinking of adding about 1/2 a cup of natural peanut butter, but don’t want to loose the butter flavor entirely or end up with the wrong consistency.
Hi Teresa, We haven’t tried adding peanut butter directly to the batter but this cake is wonderful with Peanut Butter Frosting!
This cake turned out amazing, I wasn’t such a big fan of banana cake until I made this recipe, the cake was super fluffy and an amazing taste. Definitely would recommend and do again
I LOVE THIS CAKE!!! It is the best banana cake I’ve ever had! I make this all the time now. My family, friends & coworkers really enjoy it. They’ve all asked for the recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it! I make a browned butter cream cheese frosting for it. That compliments it so good!
This cake was so good, I’m breaking my “I don’t comment on websites” rule. It was just WOW. I had to use buttermilk substitute (2% milk and lemon juice) and somehow resisted the urge to use only milk. It was absolutely the best banana cake I’ve ever tasted. The frosting was also amazing… I would actually make this cake instead of banana bread even when I didn’t feel like frosting. Thank you!
I made this a few weeks ago, subbing plant-based ingredients and it was great! Thank you! I have a box of cake flour I’d like to use up–would it work? Thanks again!
Hi Dawn, we’re so glad you loved this banana cake recipe! Unfortunately, with the addition of heavy banana, cake flour is too light for this cake recipe. Best to stick with all-purpose flour here.
Ok I never comment on recipies, but wow this was great, and I want people to know! The cake was delicious. I saw in the comments that someone added chocolate chips so I decided to try that as well, and I highly recommend it ! I used dark chocolate and it matched really well. Will definitely make again!
it is so so so delicious. Brought it to a dinner party and the guests were crazy about it…much better than any banana cake they have ever eaten..they asked for the recipe and all had second helpings.Sarah Lee has nothing over this one…will make it again and again.
Just tried this banana cake and it’s gorgeous. Really light fluffy and with the frosting it’s just perfect.
I made this cake for my family and coworkers, they all loved it. At first I was nervous it would turn out dry because of some other comments I’d seen sprinkled in with your overwhelmingly positive comments. However, I followed the mixing instructions exactly and sure enough, it came out the moistest cake I’ve ever made. I’m not huge on super sweet icing, so I cut down on the icing sugar by 2 cups. Everyone thought the icing was perfect as well. The icing had more tang, it was good. Sorry for the long-winded comment, but thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi sally,
If I want to add chocolate chips how much should I reduce the sugars by?
Thank you!
Hi Sheetal! Chocolate chips would be a delicious addition! Add about 1 cup of chocolate chips with the last addition of the dry ingredients, no other changes necessary.
excellent, very moist,a lovely recipe, thank you the best banana cake ever ,I haven’t put the frosting on, its really nice with out too.
HOLY MOLY. I have made this recipe several times and it is now my “go-to” whenever we have spotty bananas on the counter. It is so delicious fresh but my favorite way to eat it is chilled out of the fridge. Thank you for getting the recipe!
Oh My God!! So Delicious!!!!! Usually after you bake a cake it doesn’t taste that good till the next day but this one was delicious freshly baked I can’t wait to try it tomorrow the best banana cake I’ve ever had with a wonderful name that’s true!!! That was the best frosting!!!!
Yum!!!!! And So Moist!!!!!!! I was so surprised it’s so moist!!!!!!
your flour cup vs weight measurements are off, this is probably why some had good results and some had the worst- three cups is definitely over 400gms.
Hi Lara, 1 cup of spoon and leveled all-purpose flour is around 125g. Do this 3x to yield 3 cups, which is about 375g.
Not sure what all the complainers did wrong. If you follow the recipe you can’t muck it up – not difficult to follow and the team loved it! We used chocolate icing and added walnuts at the end. Absolutely delish! Used frozen bananas but after I prepared them I let them sit to be able to drain of excess moisture. It actually is the best! My advice would be stick to the recipe people, saves your dry complaints 🙂
The flavor is good however, this was like banana bread with frosting as far as texture. That is how my husband described it and I would agree. Was looking for a cake texture rather than a dense texture.
If I used a 1” thick sheet pan how should I adjust the baking time? Also would there be enough batter or would I need to double it? Thanks!
Hi Kyla! What size sheet pan are you planning to use? We haven’t tested it, but other readers have reported success using the batter as written in a 15×20 inch sheet pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time – begin checking it after 15 or so minutes.
the cake had a weird hard texture on the lower end- Maybe I should have mixed it more prior to pouring It into the pan? The cake was fully cooked for 45 min and When you check it on the inside you would think it wasn’t cooked enough (though it was) and taste is good but slightly dry without the topping. Thank you.
Please advise,
Thank you
Hi LY! If there was too much moisture in your batter, it could cause a gluey, dense cake. Did you use fresh or frozen bananas? Frozen will sometimes be too wet to use. Also make sure not to over-mix your batter. Mix just until combined to prevent a dense cake. Here’s more tips for next time!
Despite using low-fat buttermilk and cream cheese spread, this cake turned out to be AMAZING. I used really ripe bananas so the banana flavor was able to shine through. I followed your tip to add a quarter cup of powdered sugar to the frosting if it was too runny, and that solved my cream cheese spread problem. I’ve noticed that my ovens run hotter than yours, after trying 15+ of your recipes, so I’ve learned to adjust my baking time and reduce by a few minutes.
To the people who left one stars on something that is so conceptually great and easy to make… maybe think about how you screwed up first. Pretty sure y’all screwed up something. And stop being rude. It’s a FREE website full of good recipes. People who leave negative comments are the same as people who complain about Facebook changing their layout. It’s free; you don’t have to use it if you don’t like it!
I made this today and it is delicious! I totally agree it is the best!
We added a teaspoon of rum on the plate before plating each piece. Very delicious. Next time I will use block cream cheese at it didn’t set up as hard as it should have although flavour was great. Thanks for recipe!
I love how this turned out. I made it for my sons birthday because he loves banana bread so why not banana cake. The frosting was ok a little sweet.
Can cinnamon be swapped for another spice such as nutmeg or something else? The main eater of this (my husband) cannot tolerate cinnamon.
Hi Jeni! You can replace the cinnamon with more of the other spices. Hope it’s a hit!
Best banana cake/bread ave ever made.I have repeated this recipe over and over any it turns out the same
The nicest cake I’ve made in years. Husband loves it. Made it with gluten free flour which made it taste so nice and smooth. Many thanks. You have a new follower!
I have made lots of banana cakes and this recipe is the best. Easy to make and tastes great.
This came out so good! Not too sweet and very moist (in a good way). Love the frosting too! Did not think I would since I am more of a glaze person but this was not too sweet either! I used a bundt pan and I did read your review where you said it was not as moist so I added an addl. banana to the batter. Yum!
Too dense and heavy. Closer to bread than cake. Frosting was awesome though.
It was dry and a waste of time and energy
Oh this is heaven on a plate!!
Best part is the calories just all leak out when you cut it (don’t they?)
This recipe is a keeper!!
Enjoyed it a lot. Changed the recipe a bit. Felt 200g of granulated sugar too much so I left it out and put in 120g brown sugar. Used Oat Milk rather than Butter Milk. A really good banana cake. Thankyou!!
i followed recipe exactly . it turned out wonderful everybody liked. i was less careful the second time. it was ok but not wonderful tom