Listen, I am hard on myself when it comes to food waste. It’s up there on my top 10 list of pet peeves, right next to the car being left on empty. My solution? When life hands you overripe bananas about to meet their doom, make this sweet, creamy, budget-friendly Banana Cake instead! This Banana Cake is moist and sweet and is complimented perfectly by the ultra creamy cream cheese frosting.
This creamy, rich Banana Cake is dessert, it’s breakfast, it’s the treat we all need and deserve! The best part? This cake is so easy to make, and I bet you have most- if not all- of the ingredients already on hand!
What is Banana Cake?
Banana cake is really as simple as it sounds… a cake with bananas in it! This cake is perfectly sweet and dense, but a little fluffier than your typical banana bread. The cream cheese frosting compliments the sweet and warm banana flavor perfectly. I highly recommend having banana cake for breakfast after making this!
Here’s what you’ll need to make banana cake:
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cake its structure.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cake rise.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth to the batter.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the cake.
- Lemon Juice: Provides the necessary acid to activate the baking soda and emphasizes the tangy flavor of the frosting.
- Bananas: You’ll need 3 very ripe bananas for this cake. Unripe or just ripe bananas will not mash well and won’t have as much natural sweetness.
- Sugar: Granulated and light brown sugar sweeten the cake, while powdered sugar sweetens the frosting without making it gritty.
- Eggs: Help bind the cake together.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds moisture and richness to the cake and helps create a smooth and cohesive frosting.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth to the cake and the frosting.
- Milk: Adds moisture to the cake.
- Cream Cheese: Creates a rich and tangy frosting.
- Walnuts: Add a delightful crunch to the top of this cake.
Can Bananas Be Too Ripe?
Yes, but you’d have to wait a good long while. Bananas are safe to eat and cook with well after their skins have turned black. However, if you notice any fuzzy white, gray, or green mold or if the banana smells rotten, fermented, or is leaking any fluids, it’s best to toss it. Additionally, if the fruit itself has turned completely black, it is beyond saving.
- Use very ripe bananas. The sugar content of bananas increases as they ripen, so the more ripe your bananas are the sweeter the cake and the more pronounced the banana flavor will be.
- Grease the baking dish well. This is a VERY moist cake, and it will stick if you don’t grease the baking dish well.
- Use room-temperature eggs and dairy. This will help the batter come together more quickly, and it will help create the smoothest frosting.
- Don’t overmix the batter. A few lumps are okay.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting it. Frosting a hot cake is a recipe for disaster!
Banana Cake
When life hands you overripe bananas about to meet their doom, make this budget-friendly Banana Cake instead!
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Cake Ingredients:
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour ($0.45)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda ($0.06)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.08)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1 tsp lemon juice ($0.01)
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed ($0.81)
- 1 cup granulated sugar ($0.34)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar ($0.34)
- 3 eggs, room temperature ($0.47)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter ($1.89)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract ($1.30)
- 1 1/2 cups milk ($0.27)
Frosting Ingredients:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature ($1.86)
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature ($0.94)
- 3 cups powdered sugar ($1.02)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.65)
- 1 tsp lemon juice ($0.01)
Garnish:
- 2 Tbsp crushed walnuts ($0.29)
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13” baking dish. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
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Mash the bananas and lemon juice with a fork and set aside.
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Using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugars on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
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Add the eggs and the vanilla to sugar/butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until combined.
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Then, add the mashed bananas.
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With the mixer on low speed, using your free hand, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/3 of the milk, back and forth until all ingredients are fully mixed in. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick and a little lumpy from the bananas.
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Spread batter into the buttered pan and bake for 45–50 minutes. When you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean, you know your cake is done! If you notice the cake is browning very quickly, test it with the toothpick and cover loosely with aluminum foil for the remainder of the bake time if it’s not quite done.
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To make your frosting, combine all frosting ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix with your handheld mixer until completely creamy and smooth.
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Allow cake to cool completely (on the countertop it took my cake about an hour) before frosting. Frost and enjoy with an extra sprinkle of crushed walnuts on top!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 513kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 6gFat: 23gSodium: 263mgFiber: 1g
Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
how to make Banana Cake – step by step photos
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13” baking dish. Whisk 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp salt together. Set aside.
Mash 3 very ripe bananas and 1 tsp lemon juice with a fork and set aside.
Using a handheld mixer, beat 3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup light brown sugar on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Add 3 room temperature eggs and 2 tsp vanilla extract to the sugar/butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until combined.
Then, add the mashed bananas.
With the mixer on low speed, using your free hand, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 cup of the milk, back and forth until all ingredients are fully mixed in (1 1/2 cups of milk total). Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick and a little lumpy from the bananas.
Spread batter into the buttered pan and bake for 45–50 minutes. When you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean, you know your cake is done! If you notice the cake is browning very quickly, test it with the toothpick and cover loosely with aluminum foil for the remainder of the bake time if it’s not quite done.
To make your frosting, combine all 8 oz. room temperature cream cheese, 8 Tbsp room temperature unsalted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp lemon juice in a large mixing bowl and mix with your handheld mixer until completely creamy and smooth.
Allow cake to cool completely (on the countertop it took my cake about an hour) before frosting. Frost and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp crushed walnuts!
There’s no better use for overripe bananas than this delicious banana cake!