Old Fashioned Banana Cake
This Banana Cake is an old-fashioned recipe that cannot get any better. Moist and delicious, perfect on its own or frosted! Eat it as a snack cake or even dessert. You’ll let those bananas ripen just to make this cake!
This is the perfect cake to use all those left over ripe bananas. Believe me this Easy Banana Cake Recipe will become a family favourite and the kids are going to love it.
I can’t tell you how many times I have made this now. When my husband sees bananas just a tad overripe, his first question is “are you making that cake today”?
Recipe Ingredients
For the Cake
- Flour – cake or pastry flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butter – softened
- Brown sugar – lightly packed light brown sugar
- Vanilla – vanilla extract
- Egg – large egg room temperature
- Bananas – 2 bananas mashed
- Sour milk – mix the milk with lemon juice or vinegar or you can substitute with buttermilk
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Butter – softened butter I use salted butter
- Cream cheese – whole fat cream cheese
- Powdered sugar – also known as icing or confectioners’ sugar
- Vanilla – vanilla extract
- Cream – any type of cream
How to Make Cake Flour
For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.
Why use room temperature ingredients?
When at room temperature, eggs, butter, and other dairy ingredients form an emulsion which traps air. While baking in the oven, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy baked good. So be sure to remove the ingredients from the fridge 45-60 minutes before baking.
How to make a Banana Cake
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl or stand mixer using the flat beaters beat together butter, sugar and vanilla, until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes), add the egg and beat, add the mashed bananas and beat to combine.
To the creamed mixture alternately add the dry ingredients with the sour milk, beat on high until smooth.
Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Let cool completely before frosting.
How to make cream cheese frosting
In a medium bowl beat butter and cream cheese until creamy approximately one minute. Add icing sugar a little at a time, continue beating, add the cream beat approximately 3 minutes until fluffy.
Depending how you like your frosting, if too thin add more powdered sugar, if too thick add a drop of cream.
Just how good is this Banana Cake?
Dinner the other night with friends, I put the Banana Cake on the table and our chef friend commented “ahh the cake”! So yeah it’s a good one.
Why Old Fashioned you ask? Because it is a really old recipe, from my Mom’s collection. Sometimes you just can’t beat those.
What size pan to use for baking the Cake?
I used an 8 inch square cake pan but an 9 inch round would work too. Or why not 2 smaller cakes and make a layer cake? You could also make 12 standard size cupcakes, although they will take a shorter amount of time to bake, approximately 18-20 minutes.
I have also made a Classic Banana Bread another yummy Banana Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake but I am telling you this is the one!
The Best Topping for a Banana Cake
One thing about this cake is it’s perfect on its own or even frosted. Italians aren’t that crazy about frosting on a cake, so even a dusting of powdered sugar is perfect too!
I usually make enough frosting for me, because I love the stuff, especially a simple delicate Cream Cheese Frosting. Or how about a Chocolate Frosting?
You could also top it with a simple Streusel Topping before baking, or drizzle the cooled cake with a Caramel Sauce.
How to Store a Baked Banana Cake
The baked cake will keep a day or two in an airtight container at room temperature or one week in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
If the cake is frosted then it definitely should be refrigerated.
How to freeze the cake
Carefully wrap the unfrosted completely cooled cake in a double layer of plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag, it will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.
Whether you are making this Banana Cake for Dessert or Snack, Frosted or Plain I really hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Enjoy!
Old Fashioned Banana Cake
Ingredients
BANANA CAKE
- 1½ cups cake/pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup butter (softened)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 medium mashed bananas (ripe to very ripe)
- 2 tablespoons sour milk ** (or buttermilk if you prefer)
For room temperature ingredients remove from the fridge 45-60 minutes before using.
**** mix together 2 tablespoons milk and ¼ teaspoon lemon juice, let sit 10-15 minutes.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cream cheese (whole fat cream cheese)
- 2½ cups icing / powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream (any type of cream)
Instructions
BANANA CAKE
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square or 9 inch round cake pan.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl beat together butter, sugar and vanilla, until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes), add the egg and beat, add the mashed bananas and beat to combine.
- To the creamed mixture alternately add the dry ingredients with the sour milk, beat on high until smooth.
- Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Let cool completely before frosting. Enjoy!
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In a medium bowl beat butter, vanilla and cream cheese until creamy approximately one minute. Add icing sugar a little at a time, continue beating, add the cream beat approximately 3 minutes until fluffy. Depending how you like your frosting, if too thin add more powdered sugar, if too thick add a drop of cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Republished from January 4, 2018.
The next time you buy bananas, buy one more than you need. When you have finished your other bananas, and that last one is all brown and super ripe, pop it into the freezer, skin and all. Do that a few times.
Eight hours before you want to make a banana bread, take those frozen bananas (I use three) out of the freezer and put them in the fridge to let them thaw during the day.
When you are ready to bake, mix up the cake batter, slice the stem off of each of those bananas and squeeze the goo into the batter, as if you were squeezing out an entire tube of toothpaste. Continue mixing, as you normally would.
The point of this is that you don’t have to start planning on Monday to make a banana bread on Friday, and you don’t have to think, “OMIGOD! I’ve got three super ripe bananas and now I have to make a banana bread, whether I want to or not.”
This started out as a tip from Alton Brown for banana ice cream. I’ve never made banana ice cream, but I’ve made banana bread using these bananas dozens of times over the years, and it has never failed. It won’t fail for you, either.
Hi Steve, thanks for that, a great idea, no I am going to try it. Have a wonderful Sunday! 🙂
The best banana cake I ever made!
It worked well reducing the ingredients and also in a loaf pan. Thank you 😊
Hi Anne, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
Can I make cupcakes with this batter,? I’ve made the cake and everyone loved it.
Hi Virginia, yes you can, just make sure to bake them for about 18-20 minutes, check with a toothpick to see if they are done. Have a great weekend.
I am a gluten intolerant gal and I had some crazy ripe bananas in my fridge. I did not want to make another banana bread loaf simply because I’ve mastered it and wanted something a little different. I came across this recipe and decided to give it a try because it wasn’t full of sugary toppings or glazes, it was just airy cake.
I adapted my flours and made my own cake flour. I made the sour milk w lemon and used coconut oil to line my two 8″ rounds.
First of all, it made the house smell mega-banana and a bit more elevated than the usual loaf. It also tastes amazing. I just had my first little slice and handed one to my husband. He made all the happy goodness faces that delicious food brings him. I really enjoyed this and will certainly be making it again. Simple goodness, yay!
Hi Carolina, thanks so much, so glad you both enjoyed it. Yes I learned from Italians, sometimes less is more, better without all the frostings and toppings sometimes. Have a great week.