Looking for an amazing, moist banana cake recipe? This banana cake with cream cheese frosting is made super moist with some simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry and fridge. This will quickly become your new favorite banana cake recipe!
A super moist banana cake recipe!
If you love banana cake with cream cheese frosting, you’ve come to the right place. This moist banana cake recipe is the perfect way to use those over-ripe bananas on your counter.
Made with sour cream and a few other ingredients, this moist sheet cake is the perfect dessert. Topped with a cream cheese frosting, this is an easy cake recipe that will quickly become a family favorite.
What do I need to make a moist banana cake?
Here’s a quick reference check list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this banana cake recipe:
- Ripe bananas – very spotty
- Granulated sugar – if you want to reduce the amount of refined sugar in this recipe, you could also use a granular monk fruit sweetener.
- Vegetable oil – you can also use unflavored coconut oil
- Sour cream – this is the secret ingredient that makes this cake recipe extra moist. You could also substitute Greek yogurt to achieve the same moist consistency.
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
For the cream cheese frosting:
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Vanilla
- Powdered Sugar
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post to the recipe card. Thanks!
How do I make a moist banana cake?
To make banana cake, start by mashing the ripe bananas. You can do this with a fork or a potato masher. To the mashed bananas, add in the oil, sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Whisk together until fully combined.
Next, in a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Use a whisk or fork to combine and break up any lumps.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients using a whisk or a hand mixer. Combine until smooth. Pour the batter into a 9 x 13″ pan that has been sprayed with non stick baking spray. I really love this 9×13″ nonstick Cake Pan by OXO. It bakes cakes evenly is also great for bars.
Bake the cake until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and crumb-free.
How do I frost a banana cake with cream cheese frosting?
Once the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool completely to room temperature. The cake should not be warm to the touch. If you frost a warm cake, the frosting will become runny and unappealing.
I recommend using this delicious and simple Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. It’s easy to make and tastes amazing on cakes, cupcakes and even cinnamon rolls! I also use this frosting on my Carrot Bundt Cake recipe.
Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake. Using an offset spatula is a helpful tool. Feel free to add chopped walnuts or pecans to the top of the frosting. This is a great garnish and adds a complimentary crunch to every bite.
FAQ’s about baking a moist banana cake recipe:
Depending on how large you want the cake slices to be, a 9 x 13 cake will serve 20 slices. To cut 20 slices, slice 5 rows on the long side and 4 rows on the short side. For large cake slices, you can slice the cake into 12 slices, by cutting 4 rows on the long side and 3 rows on the short side.
There are two things you need to do to bake a moist cake. First, make sure you have a proper amount of fat in the cake. Using ingredients like vegetable oil (instead of butter), and sour cream, Greek yogurt, buttermilk or mayonnaise will help keep the cake moist when baking. Additional, make sure you don’t overbake the cake. If the cake bakes for too long, it quickly becomes dried out.
Using rather dark, spotty bananas for cake is ideal. These dark bananas mash better, will leave less lumps and are the sweetest.
You will need three ripened bananas to make a banana cake.
The cake itself does not need refrigeration, however, if you are topping the cake with cream cheese frosting, this will need refrigeration.
Looking for other ways to use over-ripe bananas? Here are some great recipe ideas for ripe bananas:
- Zucchini Banana Bread
- Purple Ribbon Banana Bread
- Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Strawberry Banana Bread
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Bread
- Chunky Banana Energy Bites at Cupcakes and Kale Chips
If you loved this moist banana cake recipe, check out some of my other sheet cake recipes:
Some other delicious cake recipes include my Chocolate Coca Cola Cake, Dutch Apple Cake, Lemon Bundt Cake and my Apple Cider Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting.
Here’s the easy recipe for my Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:
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Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Icing Spatula This icing spatula set by Wilton is fantastic for frosting cakes!
- 9 x 13" Pan This non-stick 9 x 13" cake pan comes with a lid for easy cake storage!
- Stand Mixer My KitchenAid Stand Mixer is a must for cake baking!
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas mashed (about 1 1/4 cups of mashed banana)
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil you can also use unflavored coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 (8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 1/4-5 cups powdered sugar
- Additional toppings: chopped pecans or walnuts and/or banana slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13" pan with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas using a fork or potato masher. Add the sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Mix well using a whisk or hand mixer.
- To a second bowl, mix together the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Use a fork or whisk to mix together, helping to break up any lumps.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a whisk or hand mixer to mix the batter. If adding nuts, fold them into the batter using a rubber scraper.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 32-35 minutes to golden brown. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean and crumb free it is done. Let cake cool completely to room temperature before frosting.
- For the cream cheese frosting: place the room temperature cream cheese and butter into mixing bowl. Cream together with a hand or stand mixer. Add in the vanilla. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Frosting will be thick, but not overly firm. Spread evenly onto the cooled cake. Top with additional chopped nuts and/or banana slices, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This looks incredible…it’s like banana nut bread but sooooooo much better!! Good luck on your entry…can’t wait to see you in 2 weeks!!
Wow this cake looks so yummy. I hope you will share it at Family Joy Blog Link Up Party this week. Check us out http://thinking-outside-the-pot.com/?p=2727
Yummy…I would like to invite you to come share your wonderful post on Home Cooking Share the Love Blog Party. Sunday evenings thru Wednesdays. I’d love to have you. http://homecookingrecipebox.blogspot.com/
This looks so yummy! I love any kind of cake 😉
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com
I love bananas and I love pecans – and that cake is beautiful! Thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner link up!
Hi Erin, Your Banana Cake sounds and looks so delicious! Photos are great! Best of luck in the Dixie Crystals contest! Blessings, Janet
I am not crazy about bananas, but the maple part sound intriguing! Thanks for sharing this recipe at the Family Joy Linkup!
This looks delicious! Thanks for linking up to the Creative K Kids’ Tasty Tuesday I look forward to seeing what you create next week.
I love anything with maple and this recipe sounds do delicious! Thanks so much for sharing it with us at Share The Wealth Sunday!
My favorite banana bread combo in a cake. I can’t wait to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned & Shared
Oh, that frosting looks delicious! Thanks for sharing your banana pecan sheet cake with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday. Pinning and tweeting.
Looks delicious! Pinning this for later!
Yum – that sounds perfect for the holiday’s or a potluck with friends!! Pinning to try! Thank you for sharing it with us at the #HomeMattersParty
Oh wow, this looks and sounds absolutely fabulous! You got to love the banana pecan combo!
Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely evening.
xoxo
Great combination. Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday. Pinned!
Can this recipe be made as cupcakes instead of a sheet cake?
Yes. Bake time for cupcakes would be approximately 22-25 minutes. Toothpick test to ensure the cupcakes are baked completly.
Can this recipe be increased to a 13 x 18 pan? Feeding larger crowd here.
Yes. It can be baked in a 13×18″ pan. Bake time would be 15-20 minutes. Be sure to toothpick test to ensure it is done. Enjoy!
Is a 13×18 a dish or like a cookie sheet?
A 13×18″ pan would be like a shallow jelly-roll cake pan, similar to a cookie sheet. This would create a thinner slice of cake. Here’s a link to similar pan on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4hhEwJP