Banana Cake
Published Jul 27, 2026
Banana cake made in one bowl with ripe bananas and topped with cream cheese frosting. It bakes in one dish and gets cut into squares, so it works for a crowd.
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I started making this banana cake after one too many banana bread weekends. The cake mixes in one bowl and bakes in a single 9×13 pan, slices into clean squares, and has a cream cheese frosting that l have to contain myself around it. Like most baked banana recipes, the key is starting with very ripe bananas, the kind with heavily spotted or nearly black skin. They mash easily, taste sweeter, and give the cake a deep banana flavor you just can’t get from under-ripe ones. The rest of the banana cake ingredients are pantry staples, and even the frosting comes together in one bowl.
Recipe Testing Notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe before sharing it with you! These notes give you a peek into the process of developing this banana cake recipe.
The uglier the banana, the better here. That’s my second biggest note on this banana cake recipe.
Overmixing is my first! The first time I made this, I beat the batter too long after adding the flour, and the cake baked up dense and a little gummy instead of light. Adding the flour in two additions and mixing just until it disappeared each time fixed the texture completely.
Letting the cake cool all the way first, then chilling it for a bit after frosting, is what gave me clean squares that actually held their shape when I cut them.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Banana Cake Ingredients
- Bananas: I use 3 very ripe bananas, which give me about 1 ½ cups mashed. Use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots. If yours aren’t there yet, bake them in their skins at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and dark, then let them cool before mashing.
- Dry ingredients: Flour, baking powder (aluminum-free), baking soda, cinnamon, granulated sugar, and salt. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping, since a packed cup adds too much flour and makes the cake dry and dense.
- Wet ingredients: Butter, brown sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla make up the rest of the batter. Let the butter, eggs, and milk come to room temperature so everything blends together smoothly instead of seizing up. The butter should be softened but not melted. The brown sugar adds extra moisture and a deeper flavor, so I wouldn’t swap it all out for white.
- Cream cheese frosting: Cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Use full-fat block cream cheese, not low-fat. Both the cream cheese and butter need to be at room temperature to whip up smooth without lumps. Sift your powdered sugar if it has lumps.
How to Make Banana Cake
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make this banana cake. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card, or jump straight to the → Banana Cake Recipe
1. Cream the butter and sugars
Beat the softened butter with both sugars until the mixture looks lighter and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time so each one fully incorporates before adding the next.
2. Add the bananas and milk
Add the milk, mashed bananas, and vanilla and continue mixing until everything comes together. The batter can look a little loose or slightly separated here, which is normal.
3. Add the dry ingredients
Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing on low just until the flour disappears after each one. Stop mixing as soon as I don’t see any dry streaks.
4. Stir to combine
The batter should look smooth and evenly combined. A few tiny pieces of banana are fine, but I make sure there aren’t any large streaks of flour left.
5. Add the batter to the pan
Transfer the batter to the prepared 9×13-inch baking dish and spread it all the way to the corners in an even layer. Keeping the top level helps the cake bake more evenly.
6. Bake the banana cake
Bake until the center of the banana cake looks set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before adding any frosting.
7. Beat cream cheese and butter
Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until completely smooth, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Keep mixing until no streaks of powdered sugar remain.
8. Frost and chill the cake
Spread the frosting evenly over the completely cooled cake, all the way to the edges. Chill it briefly before slicing so the frosting firms up and the squares cut more cleanly.
Full Banana Cake Recipe
Banana Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup milk room temperature
- 3 very ripe bananas mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the milk, bananas, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute until combined.
- Add the flour mixture in 2 additions, mixing on low speed just until combined after each addition. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Bake for 35 minutes, until the center is set and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.
- To make the frosting, place the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the frosting evenly on top. Cool it in the fridge for 20 minutes to make cleaner cuts and cut into 24 squares.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate chips: Stir 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter before baking for a banana chocolate chip cake.
- Chopped walnuts: Add ½ to ¾ cup of chopped walnuts for a little crunch.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix the batter once the flour is added. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes the cake dense. Mix on low speed just until the flour disappears.
- Cool the cake completely before frosting. If the cake is even slightly warm, the cream cheese frosting will melt and slide off. Give it at least 1 hour at room temperature in the pan.
- Refrigerate before slicing. After spreading the frosting, refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes. This firms up the frosting and makes it much easier to cut into clean squares.
Troubleshooting
You likely overbaked it. Start checking at 33 minutes and take the cake out as soon as a cake tester comes out clean. Also, make sure you used 3 very ripe bananas (about 1½ cups mashed) and the full cup of milk, since both keep the cake moist.
This usually happens from overmixing the batter after adding the flour. Once the dry ingredients go in, mix on low speed just until combined, since overmixing builds up gluten and makes the cake heavy. Using under-ripe bananas could also make the cake dense, since they have less moisture and sugar than very ripe ones.
This can happen if the center isn’t fully baked before the cake comes out of the oven. I check the very center with a cake tester rather than testing near the edges, since the edges set first. Opening the oven repeatedly while the cake is still rising can also contribute to sinking.
The most likely cause is that the cream cheese or butter was too soft, or the cake was still warm when you frosted it. Make sure both are at room temperature and the cake is fully cooled before spreading the frosting. If the frosting still feels loose, refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes before using.
