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This Ultimate Banana Cake Recipe is a simple, made from scratch banana cake filled with walnuts and slathered with amazing buttercream frosting. Perfect for special occasions or anytime you have ripe bananas! Move over banana bread, banana cake is here!
Why You’ll Love This Banana Cake Recipe!
Looking for the ultimate banana cake recipe that’ll have you licking your lips and reaching for seconds? Look no further! This easy recipe guarantees moist, flavorful banana cake with a heavenly frosting. If you have browning bananas on your counter, this would be a great treat for your weekend!
Ingredients Needed to Make the Ultimate Banana Cake
You only need a few simple ingredients, ripe browned bananas and about an hour to create this easy banana cake recipe:
- All-Purpose Flour: For that perfect crumb texture
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder: Leavening agents that help with rising
- Salt: Enhancing flavors, one pinch at a time
- Cinnamon + Nutmeg: Adds spice, warmth and depth
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetening the deal
- Oil: any light colored oil (coconut oil, vegetable oil, canola oil etc.) Keeps the cake moist and tender
- Unsweetened Applesauce: My secret ingredient for moisture and softness
- Eggs: The binding agent for a perfect bake
- Vanilla Extract: Because vanilla makes everything better
- Overripe Bananas: The star of the show, mashed to perfection
For the Frosting
- Butter: For our decadent frosting
- Powdered Sugar: Sweet, fluffy goodness
- Heavy Cream: Adding richness to our frosting
- Chopped Walnuts (Optional): For a delightful crunch
Variations:
- Swap the walnuts for pecans or almonds for a different twist.
- For a healthier option, use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose.
- Experiment with adding chocolate chips for a delightful surprise.
- Brown the butter first before making the frosting!
How to make the Ultimate Banana Cake Recipe
This homemade banana cake recipe is made in an 8×8 cake pan. Another idea is to make this cake into muffins by using a muffin tin. Feel free to double this recipe and use a 9×13 size cake pan. For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are step-by-step instructions for making the best banana cake recipe:
1. Preheat Oven + Prep Pan
Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray an 8×8 square dish with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Make the Cake Batter
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg). Stir to combine and set aside.
In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix sugar, oil, and applesauce together. Add eggs, vanilla extract and mashed bananas and mix just until combined.
Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the wet until just combined.
3. Bake Cake
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
4. Make the Frosting
Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the butter melts, start swirling the pan in small circles. (If you’d like to make this a brown butter frosting, this is the point where you would let it keep cooking until brown and nutty.)
Remove from heat immediately and pour into a different container. Cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip together cooled melted butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar and heavy cream until smooth and creamy.
5. Frost the Cake + Garnish with Walnuts
Spread over cooled cake and top with chopped walnuts, if desired. Slice into even squares and serve!
Storage + Make Ahead Directions
Store any uneaten cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To freeze this recipe: Simply wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead Directions: Bake the cake, cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Frost before serving.
Banana Cake Tips + Tricks
All ovens vary but here are some tips and tricks to try to work out some issues.
Over time ovens become less accurate, there’s no way to prevent this, it just happens with repeated use. My suggestion is to use an internal oven thermometer to make sure your oven is accurate.
A darker pan usually always results in darker edges. If this is happening, try placing tin foil on top of the cake to try and prevent browning. You can also try reducing the heat and increasing baking time. If you do this check your cake often with a toothpick until it comes out clean.
If you live at a higher altitude than most, you’ll need to change some baking measurements to get this cake right. Check here for some tips and tricks with this particular problem.
Like this banana cake? Try these other banana recipes:
- Homemade Banana Pudding Recipe
- Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies
- Banana Bread (no nuts)
- Banana Pancakes with Chocolate Chips & Walnuts
- Magnolia Bakery Pumpkin Gingersnap Banana Pudding
With this ultimate banana cake recipe in your arsenal, you’ll be the star baker of every gathering. Moist, flavorful, and downright irresistible. The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends! 🙂
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
Ultimate Banana Cake Recipe
Ingredients
for the cake-
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup oil neutral oil like vegetable or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup applesauce unsweetened, plain
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large bananas mashed
for the frosting-
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray an 8×8 square dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix sugar, oil, and applesauce together. Add eggs, vanilla extract and mashed bananas and mix just until combined.
- Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Pour into prepared dish and bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool completely.
for the frosting-
- Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the butter melts, remove from heat immediately and pour into a different container. Cool to room temperature.
- In a small bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip together cooled melted butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar and heavy cream until smooth and creamy.
- Spread over cooled cake and top with chopped walnuts, if desired.
- Slice into even squares and serve!
This was absolutely AMAZING! Serve it with coffee & tea at a little gathering we had, and everyone RAVED about it!!! I’ll be making a few more (since I have so many spotted bananas) to freeze for future company. Thank you so much for this!!!
One of the best and easiest cakes to make. Perfect for a small family. Baking it at 325* took 45 minutes in my oven, but it was worth the wait. I love brown butter frosting, but opted to make penuche frosting this time. Superb!
This dessert always gets rave reviews but I too find I have to add extra time to get the middle of the cake to be as baked as the edges. Today it was an extra 20 minutes and I still was uncertain but flavor, texture and color were still great! Love it!!!
Loved it!
Perfection, I love how the cake isn’t crazy sweet, the frosting complements it perfectly. You can still taste the banana without the frosting taking over. Thank you so much for this!
I made this for the first time today. Delicious!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Doing it this weekend !😃
[…] Ultimate Banana Cake Recipe […]
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I LOVE this recipe, thank you for sharing!!!
-My substitutions: I did 1/2 cup of oil, since I did not have any applesauce. And, I went 1/2 cup of brown sugar and about a 1/3 cup of regular, coarse sugar, not refined. It came out so moist and awesome!! :o)
This is sooo good! And, it’s pretty , too.
I realize that you just re-did your website but no one can print your recipes…just sayin’
Some of my recipes have the wrong html coding. I just switched this one over so it is now printable!
when I use banana in any desert I roast them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, it intensifies the flavor of the fruit, let cool and add to favorite recipe
Made this cake today and it’s very good – a wonderful alternative to banana bread. I doubled the frosting so that I’d be able to cover the top and sides. The recipe is a keeper!
Can you recommend what i substitute with the apple sauce ? Thks
Is this cake heavy like banana bread?
No, more like a cross between cake and banana bread. Not too heavy at all.
Do I have to use apple sauce?
Unable to get recipe to print….print link just lists web address, same thru pinterest.
I always cut and paste into word
So, I have made this a handful of times. The first time I did it came out wonderfully. Almost every (except maybe one more time) it just doesn’t turn out right. I change nothing, I’m not at a high elevation, I’ve tried different ovens and it either doesn’t cook all the way even though I keep it in longer and the middle sinks, or I try to keep cooking it and it gets too dry.
The flavor is wonderful when it’s right but I’m so frustrated! Any advice? It has been in 30 minutes now, the edges are getting golden so I put some foil over top hoping it wouldn’t brown too far and get dry…crossing my fingers for some awesome banana cake!
I’m not able to print this. Anyone else have this problem? When I click on the “click to print” the recipe isn’t there and nothing prints.
It is not printing for me as well. 🙁
I made this for my son’s first birthday. Amazing! I left out the nutmeg because I was out, used flax instead of eggs, and did cupcakes rather than cake. Thanks for sharing!
Ooh yum!! Your version sounds so yummy!
If I were to make this in cupcake form, would you suggest any alterations?
I also have cake flour (and regular flour)
Which would produce better results?
And what will the cake flour produce texture wise?
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I just made this last week and it was wonderful!!! We ate the WHOLE cake is less than 24 hrs! I followed the directions exactly and only had to add a little time to the total baking time. LOVE IT!!!
Is 325 degrees correct? I made this cake but it it took way long than 30 minutes to bake. It was pretty good :0)
I’m not sure what I did wrong, but I just tried making this and mine has chunks of cooked egg (I think…) in it. Also, the middle didn’t cook as much as the outside. Is it because I used a darker, nonstick pan? 🙁
The only thing I can think of is the egg wasn’t evenly mixed in. A darker pan always gets darker edges, but it’s weird that the middle didn’t cook. Sorry it didn’t work! Darn!
[…] Banana Cake with Brown Butter Maple Frosting (Adapted from the Lauren’s Latest recipe) […]
Love the flavours in that cake – I prefer spiced cakes over any other type.
Yummy! Brown butter frosting with banana cake sounds wonderful. I’ve always had cream cheese with banana cake. Must try this.
So I made this last night/this morning to take to my parent’s house for dinner tonight. It was so quick and easy and SO delicious. I left out the walnuts, and my baking time took about twice as the recipe calls for. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I see many more of these in my family’s future.
Brown butter frosting… Sounds so, so good! Bananas are back to normal prices after being about $12/kg for a few months (due to flooding up north). Now I’m just looking for excuses to bake with them, and you have provided a perfect one!
Enjoy Nashville… haven’t been there in years but have fantastic memories of it.
This cake looks so moist and delicious. The frosting sounds so good. I’m looking forward to trying this.
Discovered your blog via Pinterest (Nutella topped Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecakes-divine by the way). Anyway, this sounds delish! I may have to go get bananas just so I can let them turn brown! Look forward to reading more from you!
Mmmm… sounds great! I love browned butter, I’ve never put it with banana before, but I bet its super good.
Pure bliss!! looks heavenly delicious. I’ll have to make this son. Have a safe trip 🙂
I <3 brown butter frosting…. and banana cake!
I totally pinned this off of someone yesterday! Looks amazing!!
This look delicious. Thanks for sharing! Have a safe trip too!
this looks so moist and perfect! Yum! Have a GREAT time in Nashville lady!
Have a great trip!! I have one too many bananas right now… hmmm I guess this cake will just have to be made! Drat 😉
Have a great time this weekend! The cake looks delicious!
Heaven….pure heaven!
We always have bananas dying in the fruit basket. I love this!
Oh my gosh..this looks so good! Im really craving this now! 🙂
This sounds lovely. Browned butter anything is great in my book!
Have fun in Nashville! This cake looks so light and fluffy and that frosting sounds amazing!
Oh by the way…my family is just outside of Nashville….have fun!