Easy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Easy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting has quickly become a family favorite here at our house, and I’m sure it will be at yours as well! With a moist, slightly dense texture and a perfect amount of banana flavor, this cake is topped with an incredibly easy and delicious cream cheese frosting. You might just fall in love with this perfect recipe even before you take the first bite!

I’m always looking for new ways to use up those overripe bananas sitting on my counter. It’s the age-old question, I know. Well, this time I have an answer: make my go-to recipe for THE best banana cake recipe you’ve ever tasted!

What icing goes well with this delicious banana cake?

The answer is cream cheese frosting, hands down. While I’ve had banana cake with a chocolate frosting and a salted caramel frosting, my personal preference is to go with a tangy cream cheese frosting.

I’m not gonna lie, chocolate and bananas are a REALLY delicious combination. For instance, you might want to try my Double Chocolate Banana Bread, these Chocolate Banana Muffins, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Banana Chocolate Scones, or this Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake.

BUT, that being said, there’s just something about a cream cheese frosting. It’s simple, not too sweet, and it allows the banana cake to take center stage. The cream cheese frosting walks away with my vote for the Best Supporting Frosting award every single time. Besides, it’s pretty killer on these cinnamon rolls.

Ingredients for Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Mashed ripe bananas (the more ripe they are, the sweeter they will be, but not completely brown and mushy. That’s TOO ripe!)

milk

white vinegar or the same amount of lemon juice– used to sour the milk OR you can substitute the milk and vinegar for a half cup of buttermilk.

Unsalted butter, softened– salted butter works just fine as well

sugar

Large eggs

vanilla extract

cake flour

Baking soda

Salt

Optional – chocolate chips or walnuts! As you make the batter, add about a half cup of your preferred mix-in to the flour mixture to coat them so they won’t sink into the batter as it bakes.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese, room temperature

Butter, softened

Powdered sugar

Pure vanilla extract

salt

How to Make Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

This easy cake recipe can be made in a 9×9-inch pan or an 8×8-inch pan. The smaller pan will be fuller and require a longer bake time, though.

First, I pour the milk into a liquid measuring cup and add the vinegar to it. I stir it together and let it sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. I’ll stir it again before adding it to the cake batter later.

Next, I preheat the oven to 350° F, then grease and lightly flour a 9 X 9-inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, I whisk together the dry ingredients – cake flour, baking soda, and salt.

Then I cream the butter in a large bowl on medium speed with a hand mixer or electric mixer. I gradually add the sugar and mix until light, about two minutes.

Next, I add the mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix well. I pour the wet batter into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then, with the mixer running on low speed, I add the milk and mix until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Now I pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. I let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

To make the frosting, I beat the softened cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth.

I mix in the vanilla and the salt, then add the powdered sugar, mixing until completely combined and frosting is smooth.

When the cake is completely cooled, I frost the cake and enjoy!

FAQs

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour in this recipe?

Yes you can, but it’s also easy to make at home following these instructions. There’s no need to worry or run to the grocery store. Plus, it will save you money!
Using the cornstarch to make your homemade cake flour will help reduce the amount of gluten in the all-purpose flour. Sifting both the cornstarch and all-purpose flour together will aerate them, enabling the dry ingredients to stick better with the wet ingredients.

Using cake flour in this recipe means less gluten, which gives the cake more structure and a better texture. Not using it means your cake will be more dense.

How do I store Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting?

Keep it tightly covered and store it in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Can I bake the cake ahead of time?

Yes, you can bake the cake, let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap twice. Then store it in the refrigerator for up to a week or the freezer for up to 1 month. Let it thaw completely at room temperature, then frost and serve as directed!

Can I make cupcakes from this recipe?

Yes you can. Banana cupcakes are perfect for birthdays! Simply pour the batter into muffin tins lined with cupcake wrappers and bake for 15-18 minutes.

What’s the best way to mash bananas?

You can mash them in a bowl with a fork, but I like to add them to my stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to mash them.

More Ways to Use Bananas

Bananas are great for baking! We’ve got them for breakfast in pancakes, overnight oats, smoothie bowls, and of course breads.
Speaking of which, if you haven’t made my Brown Butter Rum Banana Bread yet, you MUST. It’s killer!

Can’t forget about dessert! Bananas are the highlight of these easy, no-bake Banana Pudding Dream Bars, my Banana Cookie Butter Ice Cream, this Banana Split Ice Cream Cake, and this incredible Banana Tres Leches Cake.

There’s just something to be said about an Easy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s a great way to use up those extra bananas with brown spots sitting on your counter. I think this will become one of your favorite recipes just as it has mine.

This original recipe is from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Thirteenth Edition, pgs. 575 and 597; author, Marion Cunningham; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, division of Random House; ISBN 0-394-56788-9.

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❤️ Lynne

This post was first published 2/18/11. The post has been updated in format, and the frosting recipe has been changed on 5/11/21.

The post Easy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.