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
SOOOO YUMMY. Very moist, lovely flavour, cant stop eating it
I made this using the browned butter version of the frosting from the tiered version, but put it in the 9×13 pan for the sake of easiness. It is absolutely delicious, definitely reminiscent of banana bread vs a cake with the density. Making it again, I would use cake flour to attempt a lighter crumb. If you love banana bread and want a slightly lighter cake version, this will be your new favorite.
Hi,I made the banana cake using buttermilk today,but there was a wet layer at the bottom of the cake.is 360ml buttermilk too much?
Hi Roberta, the buttermilk measurements are correct, but it sounds like your cake may simply be underbaked. A few additional minutes in the oven should help for next time. Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
Can I half this recipe?
Hi Tabitha, you can halve this recipe for an 8×8- or 9×9-inch baking dish. The bake time will be shorter, though we can’t say exactly how long. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. For the eggs, use 1 egg then crack a 2nd egg, beat it, and use half of the mixture.
We made this recipe and we were very disappointed We love all the other recipes but this one not so much
Another total hit! I made this for company and everyone loves it. I agree that I thought there might be too much frosting (I am not a frosting lover… No haters lol) however per bite, it was perfect because it wasn’t overly sweet or heavy on cream cheese flavor. I’m at a VRBO and the oven is off I know. However mine started to get a little dark on top so I pulled it 5.min early (toothpick came out clean) and thought it should have stayed in the full time. I don’t think the darker color would have been a detriment to the flavor or moistness or even noticeable once the frosting is on.
Can you substitute some of the sugar with honey?
Hi Larry, we haven’t tried a sugar substitute here. You could use plain sugar here instead of honey. Brown sugar contains more moisture so the texture of your cake may be slightly different than intended, but you can certainly try it!
This is a good recipe! It’s moist and the frosting is lovely. I’d make it again.
I found. That 1 and 1/2 cups of buttermilk makes the batter very thin. Am I doing something wrong?!
Hi Steph, how are you measuring your flour? It sounds like it could be undermeasured if the batter is on the thinner side. Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure just the right amount to soak up those wet ingredients. Did you measure out your mashed bananas to be 1 and 1/2 cups? If you went just by # of bananas, there could be too much banana in the batter, causing it to be thinner, too. Hope this helps!
I’m the taste was alright but nothing special.
The main thing I didn’t care for was that it was more like banana bread than banana cake.
This recipe is amazing! I didn’t do the cream cheese frosting, but instead put the peanut butter filling from your peanut butter chocolate cake on it with chocolate shavings. Delicious!
This cake is made weekly at our house! Amazing. Love everything you make. It always turns out exactly like it’s supposed to!
Cheers from Australia!!
Thank you, Matilda! We are so glad you are enjoying our recipes!
I love your cake recipes! I need to bake a gluten free, non dairy cake. I think I can substitute GF flour, but will oat milk work as a buttermilk substitute? And coconut oil work as a butter sub?
Hi Joanne, we haven’t tested any of those substitutes, so we’re unsure of the exact results. You can try using oat milk to create a DIY sub, and solid coconut oil can be used in place of the butter. Make sure it is solid so that it can be creamed properly with the sugars. The taste will, of course, be a bit different. Hope it’s a hit!
This is the best banana cake recipe ever! Thanks so much
I have made this recipe several times and the last two times I used a Bundt pan and combo baked it in my convection microwave on the combination setting. It turned out excellent. Love this recipe. It’s a hit!!
Than you for sharing. God bless you!
This is the second time that I’ve done your banana bread recipe and it is DELICIOUS !!! I’m gonna make it forever!
Sally, Thanks for the banana cake recipe & the tip on freezing bananas!
I tried this amazing recipe without out the cream cheese. And it came out exactly as displayed and just as yummy.
Definitely giving this another go, thanks Sally!!
My friend is undergoing chemo and had a craving for banana cake. So I came straight to Sally’s for the “best ever” recipe. In the course of the conversation with friend, she was talking about peanut butter and chocolate too. So I made the cake then put a layer of chocolate ganache on top, chilled it, then added Sally’s creamy peanut butter frosting. Incredible! My friend LOVED it. Thanks, Sally!
Used a 9×9 ” square pan Delicious..used less cinnamon!
Fabulous recipe..thnx
What is a substitute to for Buttermilk. I’m having a hard time finding it.
Thanks.
Hi Pamela, See recipe Notes for details on making your own DIY buttermilk!
Hi Sally: I’m planning to make this cake soon but only have a metal 9×13″ pan. Does time vary with metal over glass, and approximately by how much? Additionally, the pan is new and the instructions say not to use cooking spray. Should I use solid shortening or butter? I have six frozen bananas, and I’d planned to make banana bread until I saw this recipe, and now I just have to make this.
Hi Pamela, opinions vary but we love baking quarter sheet cakes in a glass pan. We love being able to see when those edges brown. We also find that metal quickly over-bakes/browns the edges, so keep an eye on your cake! You can use oil or shortening to grease the pan.
Thank you Michelle. I’m really a novice when it comes to baking, and what a joy it is to have this website.
Hi Sally, I’d like to make a 1/4 sheet cake with this recipe for a birthday party. Would I just double the recipe and how long would I bake it for?
Hi Susan! This recipe as written is for a 1/4 sheet cake (a 9×13 inch pan).
Sorry, I should have told you I am using the Wilton 11×15 sheet cake pan. So should I double the recipe? How long to bake it? Thanks so much!
Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
This was so good and a step up above the typical banana bread! I used 4 large bananas (500 grams mashed) and reduced the white sugar to 100 grams but everything else was kept the same. I didn’t make the frosting but the cake was so good even without it, so moist and just the right level of sweetness.
This was the best recipe I have ever found! This cake was so moist, and my friend said that it was even better the next day!
Great recipe! Super moist and lots of banana flavor. This will be my go-to banana cake forever. THANKS!
I want to make this to take with us camping. It seems like I can freeze it with the frosting, is that right?? Otherwise I’ll make the frosting at the day before and frost when we are there!
Hi Susan, Yes! Frosted or unfrosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months.
Your website and recipes are our first stop anytime my daughter, Beth, or I want to bake something. We have not been disappointed yet. Your recipes are easy to follow and I love your tips and tricks. I do have a question about your best banana cake recipe. I’ve baked it many times and we are going to a ball tournament next weekend for Father’s Day and I want to take a few cakes with me. Can I mix the batter today and bake it tomorrow? I’d like to do all the prep work on a hot day and bake on a rainy day. Keep up the great work and thank you for making our lives sweeter.
Hi Brenda, thank you so much for your kind note! The leaveners are activated once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together, so for best rise and texture, we recommend making the batter right away.
Thanks for the quick response. I ended up making it and following the instructions for freezing it. I tend to bake this instead of banana bread now all the time and consider myself fortunate if there’s any left to freeze. My husband and teenager eat it as quickly as I make it
Not banana-y enough! followed this recipe to the Gram (except for the amount of sugar, which I reduced by 1/3 because recipes are always way too sweet), but that wouldn’t affect the banana flavor as much as the moistness.. Makes a big cake, and the icing does the heavy lifting (used a low sugar recipe instead of the one provided that required 3c).
Hi Anne, thanks so much for giving these a try. Were your bananas not ripe enough perhaps? The ripeness of the bananas can definitely play a role in how banana-forward the cake is. Thanks again!