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Light, moist, and fluffy, this banana cake recipe is so delicious that you'll want to make it from scratch every time! Its soft texture and rich banana flavor are so satisfying, perfect with your morning coffee or as a dessert after a hearty meal.
The Best Banana Cake Recipe Ever
Who doesn’t love bananas? They are sweet, healthy, delicious, and almost always available at any grocery store. But bananas tend to ripen quickly, sometimes in as little as a day or two.
I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of letting a few bananas go brown and mushy on our counters. But don’t toss them out just yet. Overripe bananas are actually perfect for making this moist and fluffy banana cake recipe!
Looking for a more indulgent yet equally delicious treat? Make my Butter Cake recipe and pair it with a cup of coffee or tea!
Is Banana Cake the Same As Banana Bread
Banana cake and banana bread may look and taste similar, but they are two different pastries.
Banana cake is lighter and fluffier than banana bread which is typically dense and compact. It often contains more sugar and mashed bananas, so it’s a little sweeter and softer than banana bread.
Both are made with ripe bananas, but banana bread is almost always baked in a loaf pan. On the other hand, this moist banana cake recipe is baked in a square cake pan, although you can still use a loaf or round pan.
Lastly, banana bread usually has extra ingredients such as walnuts or chocolate chips. For banana cake, a frosting or glaze is more common (but not required), making it more like a traditional cake.
Banana Cake Ingredients
- Banana – I use overripe bananas with lots of brown spots for maximum flavor and moisture. It adds body and natural sweetness to the cake, which I really love! And it’s easier to mash with either a fork or a masher.
- All-purpose flour – essential for the structure of the cake. I use self-rising flour when available, but I almost always use all-purpose flour to keep this recipe simple. You can replace or combine it with cake flour for a softer and bouncier cake.
- Powdered sugar – although the bananas are already sweet, I still add a bit of powdered sugar for a more balanced flavor. It’s easier to dissolve than granulated sugar and you’ll have a slightly thicker batter.
- Baking powder – helps the cake rise during baking to give it a light, airy texture. Don’t forget to add more if using all-purpose or cake flour.
- Eggs – must be warmed to room temperature! It helps bind all the dry ingredients for a smooth batter.
- Butter – use unsalted for better salt control. Aside from adding a rich, buttery flavor, it makes the cake perfectly soft and moist.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Variations
- Chocolatey. Make the perfect banana cake for kids by folding some chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into the batter like my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. Even better, mix in some warmed Nutella in the batter.
- Caramel. Drizzle a delicious caramel sauce over the cake for an exciting sweet, buttery flavor in every slice.
- Nutty. Throw in some chopped walnuts or pecans for added texture and nuttiness, similar to my Banana Nut Bread recipe.
- Spices. Add a touch of fall flavors by putting cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter.
- Frosting. Whip some cream cheese or buttercream frosting or even chocolate ganache for a more indulgent treat.
How To Make Banana Cake At Home
I have tested so many recipes for banana cake, and I can proudly say that this is the best one yet! This easy banana cake recipe is indeed a delicious upgrade from the usual banana bread.
Every bite has the perfect blend of natural sweetness and buttery goodness just from six basic ingredients! I made this banana cake with self-raising flour, but it’s actually just all-purpose flour with baking powder. So it’s not at all complicated to make even for beginners!
Here’s how to make this light and fluffy banana cake recipe at home:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a square cake pan (8 x 8 in or 9 x 9 in) (20 x 20 cm or 23 x 23 cm), a regular loaf pan, or two mini loaf pans with butter. Line the pan(s) with parchment paper. Mash the overripe bananas in a bowl until fine and set aside.
Step 2: Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder. Set aside.
Step 3: Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed (speed 5) for 1 minute and then increase to the highest speed (speed 10) for 2 minutes. The egg should be bubbly and foamy.
Step 4: Add the sugar and beat at the highest speed for 3 minutes. The egg and sugar mixture should be foamy.
Step 5: Add the mashed bananas to the egg mixture. Gently stir 2-3 times with a spatula to combine well.
Step 6: Heat the butter in a microwave for 20-30 seconds or until it melts. Divide the flour into 3 parts. Add half of the butter into the egg mixture, gently fold, and stir 2-3 times with a spatula. Next, add 1/3 of the flour, fold carefully, and stir around a few times until incorporated.
Step 7: Add in the second part of the flour, stirring gently to incorporate. Add the remaining butter, gently stir to mix, and finally add the remaining flour. Make sure the flour is fully dissolved. DO NOT OVERMIX. Make sure the batter retains the air bubbles in the beaten eggs.
Pro tip: Fold the batter correctly by cutting from the center and slowly lifting from the bottom until the ingredients are well incorporated.
Step 8: Pour the batter into the pan. For best results, place the pan on another empty pan before baking. To avoid the top of the cake from becoming too brown, cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil after the cake is set at the top, about 20-25 minutes into baking.
Step 9: Bake the banana for 40-50 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean in the center. Remove the cake from the oven. Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before cutting into pieces.
Helpful Tips For Home Bakers
- Use overripe bananas for the sweetest flavors! They will also make the cake extra moist and soft because the starches in the fruit already turned into sugars and water.
- Use room-temperature eggs for a better rise and texture. If you have refrigerated eggs, soak them in warm water until they become room temperature.
- Sift the flour with baking powder to have fewer lumps in the batter. It ensures a smooth, even rise while baking, which results in a perfectly light and fluffy cake.
- Measure the flour correctly by spooning and leveling it with the back of a knife. Too much flour will make the cake dense, dry, and crumbly.
- Do not over-stir the cake batter. You want to keep the bubbles in the batter so the cake is soft, airy, and light.
- Stack up two pans when baking to make sure that the cake is evenly cooked. It prevents the bottom and sides of the cake from crusting, making it extra moist and delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use a round or rectangular pan (8 x 8 in or 9 x 9 in), but you can always use a regular loaf pan or two mini loaf pans.
Sinking is usually caused by underbaking the cake and inaccurate oven temperatures (usually lower than the set temperature). It can also be due to under or over-mixing the batter, which creates too little or too much air that affects the structure of the cake.
Your banana cake may be crumbly because of overbaking or using too much flour. Make sure to check for doneness during the last few minutes of baking. For the flour, measure it properly by spooning and leveling it with the back of a knife.
Yes, absolutely. Store the cake overnight by tightly wrapping it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. This cake recipe doesn’t dry out even if you keep it in the refrigerator. Reheat in a toaster oven or microwave before serving.
This fluffy banana cake recipe has only 334 calories per serving, and it serves 6 people.
What To Serve With This Recipe
A slice of light banana cake is great with coffee or tea. For afternoon tea, I recommend the following recipes:
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Banana Cake (The Best Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) overripe bananas
- 120 g (4 oz) self-raising flour, cake flour or all-purpose flour (see Notes)
- 3/4 – 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 100 g (3½ oz) powdered sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted (I used Challenge brand butter)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a square cake pan (8 x 8 in or 9 x 9 in) (20 x 20 cm or 23 x 23 cm), a regular loaf pan, or two mini loaf pans with butter. Line the pan(s) with parchment paper. Mash the overripe bananas in a bowl until fine and set aside.
- Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed (speed 5) for 1 minute and then increase to the highest speed (speed 10) for 2 minutes. The egg should be bubbly and foamy.
- Add the sugar and beat at the highest speed for 3 minutes. The egg and sugar mixture should be foamy.
- Add the mashed bananas to the egg mixture. Gently stir 2-3 times with a spatula to combine well.
- Heat the butter in a microwave for 20-30 seconds or until it melts. Divide the flour into 3 parts. Add half of the butter into the egg mixture, gently fold, and stir 2-3 times with a spatula. Next, add 1/3 of the flour, fold carefully, and stir around a few times until incorporated.
- Add in the second part of the flour, stirring gently to incorporate. Add the remaining butter, gently stir to mix, and finally add the remaining flour. Make sure the flour is fully dissolved. DO NOT OVERMIX. Make sure the batter retains the air bubbles in the beaten eggs.Pro tip: Fold the batter correctly by cutting from the center and slowly lifting from the bottom until the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the pan. For best results, place the pan on another empty pan before baking. To avoid the top of the cake from becoming too brown, cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil after the cake is set at the top, about 20-25 minutes into baking.
- Bake the banana for 40-50 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean in the center. Remove the cake from the oven. Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before cutting into pieces.
Video
Notes
- Follow the metric measurement of the recipe for the most accurate measurement.
- Use overripe bananas for the sweetest flavors! They will also make the cake extra moist and soft.
- Use room-temperature eggs for a better rise and texture. If you have refrigerated eggs, soak them in warm water for 5 minutes or until they are at room temperature.
- Sift the flour with baking powder to have fewer lumps in the batter.
- You may use cake flour or all-purpose flour. Increase the baking powder to 1 teaspoon if you use either.
- Do not over-stir the cake batter. You want to keep the bubbles in the batter so the cake is soft, airy, and light.
- Stack up two pans when baking to make sure that the cake is evenly cooked. It prevents the bottom and sides of the cake from crusting.
- If you use mini loaf pans, bake for about 30-40 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Indeed, this recipe is awesome!! I tried a few and finally came across yours and this is a keeper! Actually, I have a question, most recipe uses milk and vanilla essence but you don’t. And u definitely use less flour too! Any reason?
Thanks again- love your blog!
Ps would u consider thermomix recipes too? Actually I used yours on a thermomix- works perfectly. But I have problem adapting your cheese and bacon puffs to the Thermomix. Will try again!
Hi Sammi, I don’t think the recipe needs milk and vanilla essence. It’s good as is. I don’t have a Thermomix, sorry.
I followed all of the directions perfectly and I do not like the taste of the cake. It isn’t sweet and my bananas were over ripe and put the correct amount of sugar. I also agree with the other person it isn’t fluffy.
I used cake flour with 1 tsp of baking powder. I followed the ingredients and mixing directions exactly being careful not to overmix, but the cake was dense and short, not fluffy. I wonder if a pinch of salt would have had better results since self-rising flour often has salt already in it. It still tastes good though.
Thanks for your trying.
I’m not a fan of the denser texture of banana bread but this recipe is perfect! So light, fluffy and not overly sweet.
Very yummy recipe. I made with bananas from dad’s garden… It is light n moist. Thank you.
Awesome!
Hello! I’ve added too many bananas as I love them but the cake ended up being quite wet inside. Is there anything you would suggest I can fix it?
Please follow the exact measurement.
Hi!
Would like to ask if I want make a chocolate banana cake instead, what extra ingredient should I add in?
https://rasamalaysia.com/chocolate-chip-banana-bread/
I tried this recipe! Turned out perfectly soft, fluffy, moist and delicious! This is my go to cake recipe now. I’ve swapped bananas to mango, beetroot and chocolate, pandan or vanilla. Works perfectly every time!
Thanks for sharing!!!
Thank you for the great recipe Bee! Beautiful cake. I do not have the 2 specific dimensions of pan mentioned hence I used one rectangle pan (8″x 4″) for this recipe, baked for 43 min.
Awesome!
Great recipe. I used brown sugar & the cake had a lovely golden brown colour. Also added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts & a tsp of vanilla essence. Super yummy ?
Thanks!