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 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, let sit 10-15 minutes.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cream cheese (whole fat cream cheese)
- 2 1/2 cups icing / powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 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 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.
Delicious! I added walnuts, and didn’t make the cream cheese frosting. Easy and love the tip to make the cake flour using corn starch- thanks! Also like the check boxes on this page – helps ensure nothing is forgotten. Btw, any idea how many calories per slice without the frosting? Trying to count during Covid!
Hi Laura, thanks so much, and yes I just recently changed the recipe card to the boxes, glad they are helpful. So without the walnuts added its about 215 calories a slice. Take care.
I just loved this banana cake , simple,and delicious.
Hi Deb, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it.
Can I substitute plain yogurt instead of sour milk?
Hi Kiso, sure that would work too, I hope you like it, let me know.
My cake just came out of the oven & I’m loving it! The cake is so soft, it’s perfect on its own. The only tweak I made was substituting the brown sugar for about 1/4 cup honey and lowered the oven temperature slightly. Thank you for your recipe Rosemary!
Hi Charlene, thanks so much. It’s one of my husband’s favourites too. 🙂
I made this today and it was delicious. My husband of 51 years has always asked me to find a recipe like his grandmothers. So I tried this. I didn’t have any milk so I used heaping 2 Tbs of sour cram. Chopped pecans and it turned out very moist and delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Jan, thanks so glad you all enjoyed it. Have a great week.
Very delicious! I doubled the recipe and used a 13”x9” baking pan. It came out wonderful, although next time I’m adding walnuts. Thank you!
Hi Sandi, thanks so much so glad you enjoyed it and yes good idea with the walnuts. Have a great weekend.
I love this recipe! I used three bananas instead of two since I had an extra. I also reduced the sugar to half a cup since I added more sweetness with the additional banana. No frosting for us either – it’s good enough on its own! My husband now requests this cake instead of banana bread. Delicious!
HI Michaela thanks so much. It’s one of my husband’s favourites too! Have a great rest of the day.
Why can’t you once and for all give the amounts in grams (as well as cups)? Nobody knows how much is in a cup, especially in Italy! Just think of all the cups you use, espresso cups, mugs for tea and coffee etc etc. Ask your husband!
Hello Robert, for your information there is a metric amounts, underneath the last ingredient, in this case under the frosting, there is “US Customary – Metric”. Just click on Metric and grams will appear. Thanks.
Omg, what a nice reply to Robert who is a total prick! “ask your husband?!”. C’mon! Besides, all he needed to do was look carefully, instead, he’s
rushing to find a reason to write a mean sexist comment. Also, there are tons of conversion tools out there if you really wanted to make this cake. I, for one, am gonna make this cake right now and let this all slide like water off a ducks back like Rosemary, whom I appreciate for her etiquette and recipes <3 Have a lovely day.
Hi Lin, haha thanks so much, I had to a few deep breaths before answering that comment! I hope you enjoyed the cake. Have a great day. 🙂
If I double the recipe for a 13×9 should I use 2 eggs?
Hi Deborah, if you double the recipe then yes you should use 2 eggs. Hope that helps.
This recipe sounds great.
How many grams of mashed banana should the two bananas yield? Sometimes my bananas are large and sometimes rather small.
Thanks, Beth
Hi Beth, thanks and it should be 3/4 – 1 cup mashed. Let me know how it goes. Have a great week.
Can buttermilk be substituted for the sour milk?
Hi Maria, sure you can substitute buttermilk for sour milk. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the recipe. Just tried this Banana cake recipe. It came out very moist and taste was perfect.
Hi Catia, so glad you enjoyed it.
I woke up this morning with 2 very ripe bananas. I opened my email from you and there it is!! I just made it. Waiting for it to cool. I wish I could post the picture here.
Hi Cathy, I hope you enjoy it! Let me know, too bad I would have loved to see a photo. 🙂
I just made this and it was so good. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Alison so glad you enjoyed it!
I am going to add an egg like it says in the directions but it is not listed in the ingredients. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Hi Amie, sorry about that I forgot to add it in, but yes you are right one egg. Let me know how you liked it. 🙂