Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I updated this post, first published on my blog in 2013, with helpful tips to guide you step by step through making this super moist banana cake.

What makes this Homemade Banana cake so moist?

My secret to making this incredibly moist cake is removing the cake from the oven and then immediately placing it into the freezer for 30 minutes. Don’t skip this step – it takes the banana cake to a whole new level of moist and delicious! Top with a classic cream cheese frosting for an exceptional dessert your family will love.

Ingredients

Bananas: The bananas should be very ripe, mostly brown with a few yellow areas. Overripe bananas are soft and sweeter which creates outstanding banana flavour. Do not use green or firm bananas, they won’t give your banana cake the flavour or moisture it needs.

Buttermilk: Helps the cake stay soft and moist rather than dry or crumbly.

Butter: you can’t beat the rich, creamy flavour that only butter can deliver in homemade desserts. I used unsalted, but salted will also work, just reduce the salt by 1/8 teaspoon.

Lemon Juice: adding a little fresh lemon juice to the mashed bananas helps the cake rise evenly and balances the sweetness of the banana flavour.

Pantry Ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, sugar, eggs and pure vanilla extract.

How to make Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Grease and lightly dust baking pan with flour.

Mash the bananas with lemon juice. Set aside.

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Beat together the butter and sugar.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.

Add the flour mixture a bit at a time alternating with the butter milk.

Blend in the bananas.

Spread into prepared pan.

Bake 275ºF for about 1 hour or until done.

Remove cake from the oven and immediately place into the freezer for 30 minutes.

Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Baking Tips

• All ingredients should be at room temperature before starting.
• When adding the flour mixture, mix just until combined with the wet ingredients. Do not over-mix the batter.
• Checking for doneness – this cake is baked at a lower temperature 275ºF which normally takes about 1 hour for a 9 x 13 baking pan. A 10-inch round pan will take a bit longer. Also, depending on whether you bake using a convection oven or regular oven baking time can vary 15-20 minutes. Test the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center. When it comes out clean or a few moist crumbs, the cake is done. If wet, it needs more time to bake. Also, the top of the cake should be golden brown, not glossy or liquid in the middle.

How to make cream cheese frosting

Cream cheese frosting is the classic topping for banana cake. I also use it on my Blueberry Zucchini Cake. It is slightly tangy and spreads beautifully over the cake. My husband loves cream cheese frosting and always requests the recipe to be doubled for an extra thick layer of frosting.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 31/2 cups confectioners’ sugar (also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar)
• Optional – add 1-2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice for a tangy flavour.

Directions

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Beat until light and smooth. Spread on cooled cake.