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Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

by 90 Comments

My All Time favourite recipe for Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese frosting. Ultra moist and incredibly flavourful.
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Slice of banana cake with layer of cream cheese frosting lifted from whole cake with cake server on a decorative glass plate.
All-time favorite recipe for using overripe banana. Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese frosting is ultra moist, rich and packed with amazing banana flavor.
Slice of banana cake with layer of cream cheese frosting lifted from whole cake with cake server on a decorative glass plate. Once you try this recipe, I’m sure you will agree it is the best banana cake you have ever had! This banana cake gets rave reviews whenever I make it and is my number one most requested cake to make! I always buy extra bananas so I can have some overripe ones for this recipe as well as my Banana Bread or Banana Muffins.

The secret to this cake being so moist is taking it out of the oven and immediately placing it in the freezer for 30 minutes to cool. Don’t skip this step as it takes this banana cake recipe to a whole new level of moist and delicious!  Once cooled I slather it with fluffy cream cheese frosting.

Slice of banana cake with layer of cream cheese frosting on a decorative blue plate.

How to make Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Start with ingredients at room temperature.
  • Bananas must be overripe. For baking, I like to use bananas that are mostly brown but still have a few yellow areas.
  • I use buttermilk in this recipe. It adds to the soft texture, moistness and gives a bit of a tang. Can you substitute milk for the buttermilk in this cake? Although I prefer buttermilk, if you don’t have it available you can substitute with 1 1/2 cups of whole milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir and let stand for 5-10 minutes.
  • If you love cream cheese frosting, you may want to double the cream cheese frosting in this recipe.
  • I usually make this recipe in a 9 x 13 baking pan or 10 inch round pan which may require a longer baking time. I also bake on convection mode in my oven. If using a regular oven baking time may vary. Be sure to test with a toothpick, when inserted into center of cake the toothpick comes out clean.
  • Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting tastes best served chilled so cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Whole banana cake covered with cream cheese frosting, topped with thin chocolate sticks.

Slice of banana cake with layer of cream cheese frosting lifted from whole cake with cake server on a decorative glass plate.

Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Laureen King
My All Time favourite recipe for Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese frosting. Ultra moist and incredibly flavourful.
3.71 from 54 votes
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 602 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas mashed
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • Frosting double recipe if you like lots of frosting
  • 1 package cream cheese softened 8oz
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1/2 cups icing sugar confectioners sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
  • Grease and flour 9 x 13 pan or 10 inch round.
  • Mash bananas with lemon juice, set aside.
  • Mix flour, baking soda and salt together.
  • In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  • Mix in vanilla.
  • Mix in flour mixture a bit at a time alternating with the buttermilk.
  • Stir in banana mixture.
  • Pour batter into pan and bake for about 1 hour (may required longer baking time depending on pan you use. Test with toothpick, when inserted in center of cake toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 30 minutes. (makes cake very moist)
  • After 30 minutes remove from freezer, frost with cream cheese frosting.
  • Keep cake refrigerated until ready to serve.
  • Frosting
  • Cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
  • Add vanilla.
  • Add icing sugar, combine, then beat on high speed until frosting is smooth.
  • Spread on cooled cake.

Notes

I like to have a thick layer of cream cheese frosting so I usually double the frosting recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 602kcalCarbohydrates: 98gProtein: 6gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 424mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 1gSugar: 72gVitamin A: 712IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 2mg
Keyword moist banana cake, cake, banana dessert
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Slice of banana cake with layer of cream cheese frosting lifted from whole cake with cake server on a decorative glass plate.

Enjoy more tasty banana recipe like Best Banana Bread and Banana Muffins.

Slice of banana cake with layer of cream cheese frosting lifted from whole cake with cake server on a decorative glass plate.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Pauline Aubin

    Hi Laureen your cake looks delicious I can’t wait to try it!

    I was wondering if an angel food cake pan would be OK to use and how to adjust the baking time?

    Reply

    • Laureen King

      Hey Pauline, if you use an angel food cake pan you will have too much batter and it will overflow, the recipe would probably make 2 cakes in angel food pans or make a dozen muffins with excess batter. Not too sure about cooking time, so best to keep checking with toothpick test, I would start testing after 45 minutes.

      Reply

  3. Monica

    I’m making this recipe into cupcakes,how lovely long should I leave these in the oven for cupcakes,and are there any other changes I should make for cupcakes? Thanks

    Reply

    • Laureen King

      Hi Monica, I would check the cupcakes after 40 minutes.(using toothpick testing) ovens can vary especially I find when baking at lower temperatures so the cupcakes could take anywhere from 40-60 minutes to bake.

      Reply

  4. Shweta

    Hi, would love to try this recipe. Should I remove it from the pan after the freezer step n then frost it? Will this method work for all cakes( as I just started a home business)?

    Reply

    • Laureen King

      When I bake it in a round pan I remove cake after freezing it to decorate (make sure you grease and flour cake pan) If using a 9×13 cake pan I leave in in the pan and frost top. I have not used this freezing method on any other cakes.

      Reply

    • Laureen King

      Hi Ruth, the freeze trick brings the temperature down quickly and makes for a moist cake. But I’m sure placing in the fridge would be good, may not be quite as moist, but still great.

      Reply

  6. Pamela Gaymon

    5 stars
    What is the purpose for the lemon juice ? And can it be omitted ? I have none on hand,but have everything else.Looks like an awesome recipe! Can’t wait to try this one.

    Reply

  7. Jenna

    Hi ,
    Just a quick question-
    Is this a sweet cake?
    I want to make this but i dont know if this is sweet, as i do not like super sweet cakes.
    thanks 🙂

    Reply

  8. Merle Rahn

    NOTE THIS BATTER IS TOO MUCH FOR A 9X 13 PAN .I HAD BATTER ALL OVER MY OVEN. IT IS DELICIOUS , BUT NEXT TIME I WILL USE A 9X13 AND A 6X6

    Reply

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