My banana cake has everyone asking for more

The first thing I did after eating a piece of this banana cake was cut off another slice. That’s how good it is. If you have a weakness for banana bread, you’ll love banana cake. This subtly sweet cake has all the flavor you expect from banana bread and a hint of cinnamon, but its texture places it firmly in the dessert realm. Unlike a dense slice of banana bread, this cake is soft, tender, and incredibly moist. While this cake is great on its own, a generous layer of cream cheese frosting makes it truly incredible. Best of all, like many of my favorite cake recipes, it’s simple, no-fuss, and easy to make.

Why you’ll love it

• It tastes exactly like a really good banana bread. The banana shines through without being overpowering, and the cake has a soft, moist texture that screams cake. The cake itself isn’t too sweet either, leaving room for the sweet cream cheese frosting.

• It’s easy and no fuss. The cake is baked in a 9×13-inch pan, so there’s no dividing the batter and no layers to manage.

Key Ingredients of Banana Cake

• Overripe bananas. Just like with banana bread, the riper and browner the bananas, the better. Overripe bananas add more flavor to the cake.

• Unsalted butter. You will need whole sticks in total to add richness to the cake and cream cheese frosting.

• Buttermilk. This gives the cake a fuller flavor than using regular whole milk and contributes to the moist texture of the cake.

• All purpose flour. Three cups is the perfect amount to give the cake structure, without making it too dense.

• Granulated sugar and brown sugar. There is just enough granulated sugar to give the cake a subtly sweet flavor. You will also need light or dark brown sugar. I prefer dark sugar because it gives a richer flavor, but both work well.

How to Make Banana Cake

1. Bring dairy products to room temperature. Let the butter, buttermilk, and eggs sit at room temperature until the butter is softened. Room temperature ingredients work better in the dough than cold ones.

2. Mash the bananas. Use a fork or potato masher to mash the peeled bananas until smooth with only a few small lumps.

3. Mix the dough. Beat softened butter, sugars, and kosher salt in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in bananas and vanilla extract. Beat in eggs, then alternately add dry ingredients to batter with buttermilk.

4. Bake the cake and let cool. Bake the batter in a 9 x 13-inch pan lined with greased parchment paper. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool.

5. Prepare the frosting and ice the cake. While the cake is cooling, beat together the softened cream cheese and butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt until smooth. Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake.

Useful exchanges

• An equal amount of ground cardamom, nutmeg or allspice can be substituted for the cinnamon.

• You can mix whole milk with lemon juice or vinegar for an easy buttermilk substitute if you don’t have buttermilk.

• If you are Really If you don’t have buttermilk and can’t make a homemade version, whole cow’s milk will do. It’s worth noting, however, that the taste is much better with buttermilk.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• The cake can be baked up to 1 day ahead, cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature. The frosting can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Let the frosting sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before frosting the cake to allow it to soften and become spreadable again (beat it briefly with a whisk if it is a little stiff).

• Because of the cream cheese frosting, leftover cake should be stored in the refrigerator, ideally in an airtight container. It will keep for up to four days.

Banana Cake Recipe

The flavor will remind you of banana bread, but this one sits firmly in dessert territory.

Preparation time 25 minutes

cooking time 50 minutes to 55 minutes

Makes 1 cake (9 x 13 inches)

Serves 24

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 stick) Unsalted butter

• 3 big eggs

• 1 1/2 cups Buttermilk

• Cooking spray

• 4 medium bananas or 3 large, very ripe bananas

• 3 cups all purpose flour

• 1 1/2 coffee spoons baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 3/4 cup Powdered sugar

• 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 coffee spoons vanilla extract

For the icing:

Instructions

Make the cake:

1. Place 12 tablespoons unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer). Place 3 large eggs and 1 1/2 cups buttermilk on the counter. Let sit at room temperature until butter is softened.

2. About 30 minutes before the butter is ready, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper hangs over two long sides to form a scarf. Lightly coat the paper and pan with cooking spray.

3. Peel and mash 4 medium bananas (or 3 large ones) in a medium bowl with a fork or potato masher until smooth with only a few small lumps (about 1 1/2 cups).

4. Place 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

5. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl of butter. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed, using a flexible spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until fluffy, about 2 minutes total. Stir in the bananas and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. The batter will look curdled. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

6. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until well combined. Beat in half of the buttermilk. Repeat, adding in half of the remaining flour, remaining buttermilk, and finally remaining flour. Beat until batter is smooth and well blended, scraping down sides as necessary. Transfer to pan and spread into an even layer.

7. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze.

Prepare the icing:

1. Wash and dry the stand mixer and paddle attachment. Place 120g cream cheese and 4 tbsp unsalted butter in the bowl and let sit at room temperature until softened.

2. Add 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat with the paddle attachment, starting on low speed for 30 seconds, then increasing the speed to medium-high, until well combined, smooth, and fluffy, about 3 minutes total.

3. Grabbing excess parchment paper, remove cooled cake from pan and place on cutting board. Spread frosting over cake in batches. Cut into 24 pieces to serve.

Recipe Notes

To prepare in advance: The cake can be baked up to 1 day ahead, cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature. The frosting can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Let the frosting sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before frosting the cake to allow it to soften and become spreadable again (if it is still a little hard, you can beat it briefly with a whisk).

Storage: Store leftover frosted cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Do not freeze.