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This banana cake is soft, moist and full of rich banana flavor with a velvety cream cheese frosting. The recipe uses simple pantry ingredients, yet the layers bake up light with just the right sweetness. The buttermilk keeps everything tender, while the overripe bananas add natural sweetness and flavor. With only a few mixing bowls and an electric mixer, this cake comes together easily. You’ll love the balance of tangy frosting and sweet banana bread flavor in every slice.
This banana cake bakes up soft and moist with a rich banana flavor and cream cheese frosting. Perfect for birthdays or anytime you have a sweet craving.
You might also like hummingbird layer cake, Hawaiian banana bread, a banana cashew smoothie, and banana chocolate chip cookies.
Why You’ll Love It
Soft texture: Moist, fluffy layers with a tender crumb.
Banana flavor: Ripe bananas (overripe, if possible) give natural sweetness and taste. This is so much tastier than boxed banana cake mix.
Simple steps: Straightforward process for consistent results.
Cream cheese frosting: This tangy frosting complements the sweet cake.
Layered Banana Cake Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Bananas: Bananas add sweetness, flavor and moisture. I recommend using very ripe bananas with brown spots for maximum flavor (the kind you’d use for banana bread!)
All-purpose flour: Provides structure and balance to the cake layers.
Baking powder and baking soda: Help the cake rise and stay soft.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens and balances the tangy frosting.
Light brown sugar: Adds depth and a hint of molasses flavor.
Unsalted butter: Brings richness and a soft crumb to the cake.
Sour cream: Adds tang and keeps the cake tender.
Vanilla extract: Enhances both cake and frosting flavors.
Eggs: Bind everything together for structure.
Buttermilk: Keeps the cake moist and adds light tanginess.
Cream cheese: A tangy, creamy base for the frosting recipe.
Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar and icing sugar, this ingredient sweetens and thickens the whipped cream cheese frosting.
Pecans: Optional topping for crunch and flavor.
How to Make Moist Banana Cake
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare pans: Grease and flour round cake pans, then set them aside.
Mash bananas: Mash overripe bananas in a bowl until smooth.
Mix dry ingredients: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
Cream butter and sugars: Beat until light and fluffy, then mix in bananas, sour cream and vanilla.
Add eggs and dry ingredients: Add eggs one at a time, then mix in the flour mixture.
Add buttermilk: Stir until everything is fully combined.
Bake: Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and frost: Let the layers cool, then spread cream cheese frosting over the cooled cake.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend (I love this one!)
Different nuts: Chopped walnuts work in place of pecans.
Dairy-free: Try vegan butter and dairy-free cream cheese for frosting.
Extra flavor: Add cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter for a warm spice note.
Out of buttermilk? Add a tablespoon of bottled or fresh lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of whole milk, let it sit for 10 minutes and then proceed with the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer: Start your meal with a burrata, pesto and tomato salad.
Main dish: Enjoy stracotto, which is an Italian pot roast, with mushroom focaccia.
Desserts: Finish your meal with a slice of banana cake and perhaps a chocolate cake martini or pistachio latte. For a dessert platter, you could make apple cranberry pie too!
How to Store Layered Banana Cake
Store: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Wrap unfrosted layers tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost wrapped cake layers in the refrigerator overnight before frosting.
Top Tips
Use room temperature ingredients: Helps the batter mix smoothly.
Don’t overmix: Prevents a dense or tough cake texture.
Weigh batter: Use a scale for even layers that bake consistently.
Cool completely: Ensures frosting spreads evenly without melting.
Bakery-Style Old-Fashioned Banana Cake FAQs
Yes, bake the layers a day ahead, wrap well and frost the next day.
Yes, divide into lined muffin tins and bake for less time until set.
Yes, chill slightly if needed for firmer piping consistency.
Best Banana Cake Recipe
Banana Cake
Equipment
- 2 Cake Pans Round 9-Inch
- Potato Masher Optional
- Digital Kitchen Scale Optional
- Pastry Bag Optional
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 bananas, large and overripe
- 3 Cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus extra for dusting pans
- 1 ½ Teaspoons baking powder
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ Cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ Cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, large, at room temperature
- 1 Cup buttermilk
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 Ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ Cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ Cups powdered sugar
Optional Toppings
- pecans, chopped
- Slices banana, slice just before serving, so they don't go brown too fast
Instructions
Prepare the Cake Batter
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a pair of 9-inch round cake pans with shortening or butter and dust with flour.
- Set the pans aside.
- Peel and tear apart the bananas and place them in a medium bowl.
- Use a fork or potato masher to mash the bananas completely. Set the bowl aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together, and place the bowl to the side.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter with an electric mixer until fluffy and well mixed.
- Add the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, until they are just mixed.
- Mix in about half of the dry ingredients, then add the rest.
- Pour in the buttermilk and mix at low speed until the batter is just mixed. The batter will be thick and wet.
Bake the Cake
- Divide the batter between the cake pans (a digital kitchen scale is helpful here) and bake the cakes on the middle rack of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing them from the pans and letting them cool completely on a cooling rack.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Once the cakes have cooled, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until smooth.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, ½ a cup at a time, until the frosting is smooth and thick.
Assemble the Banana Cake
- Move one of the cake layers to a cake stand or platter and spread about half of the frosting over the bottom layer.
- Carefully place the second cake layer on top of the layer of frosting, and spread the remaining frosting on top.
- Alternatively, you could put a third of the frosting between the layers, a third on top, then pipe the remaining third of frosting around the edges.
- Garnish with chopped pecans and banana slices if liked before serving.
Notes
Don’t overmix: Prevents a dense or tough cake texture.
Weigh batter: Use a scale for even layers that bake consistently.
Cool completely: Ensures frosting spreads evenly without melting.
Nutrition
This banana cake has everything you want in a classic dessert. Ripe bananas make the layers naturally sweet and moist, while tangy cream cheese frosting keeps each bite balanced. The steps for this easy banana cake recipe are simple enough for weeknight baking, yet the final cake looks like it came from a bakery. With easy substitutions and reliable results, this banana layer cake recipe will become your go-to whenever you need a dessert that’s sure to please. Happy baking!
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
