Soft, buttery, and ultra-moist, this is truly the best banana cake. Made with ripe bananas and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting, it’s a longtime reader favorite.
Recipe by Sally on April 9, 2026
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT45M
Total time: PT5H
Rating
4.8 stars ( reviews)
Keywords
The Best Banana Cake I've Ever Had
Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large bananas)
3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Categories
Cake
Cuisine
American
Steps
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a metal or glass 9×13-inch pan.
Mash the bananas. I usually just use my mixer for this! Set mashed bananas aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until creamed together, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the mashed bananas. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps are OK.
Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
Remove the cake from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually transfer it to the refrigerator to speed things up.
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (I usually do). Spread the frosting on the cooled cake.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier.
Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving, if desired.
Reviews
Shilpa on 2026-07-02 (3 stars): The cake is solid but did not think it was super moist or out of this world. I found it to be more light rather than stick to the fork moist (which i felt it was billed as).
Jasmin on 2026-07-05 (5 stars): Beautifully moist cake, taste great too!
Kirk on 2026-07-14 (4 stars): I was expecting a really great taste experience after reading comments about this cake. I was rather disappointed. It is moist and baked up beautifully, but the taste is not as good as I had expected. It seems like something is missing that would have enhanced the flavor a bit. Good but not great to me. I will keep on trying recipes!
Haimo on 2026-07-17 (5 stars): Truly the best banana cake I've ever made! Very delicious and smells amazing too. I used about 1 cup of milk instead of buttermilk and maybe 1/3 less of butter. 1.5 cup of milk just too runny. Wow, I love this cake. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Tisha on 2026-07-23 (5 stars): I love being able to make my own buttermilk in a pinch. This recipe sounds so delicious. Will definitely have to try.
Juliet on 2026-07-23 (5 stars): Hi. Made it and it was very good. I used cream cheese and whipped cream for frosting, everyone loved it. However, I would like to try to make a banana chiffon cake, your recipe will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Juliet
Joann on 2026-07-24 (5 stars): I agree--best banana cake I've ever made. Everyone raved about it. The first time I made exactly as written. The second time I wanted to see if I could make it a little lighter, so I subbed 4 Tablespoons of cornstarch for 4 Tablespoons of the flour. It elevated the crumb texture and the cake height. I'm wondering if this would fit into a 10 x 15 inch pan, for "bars", getting more surface for more servings, or wouldn't it rise sufficiently?
Samantha on 2026-07-26 (5 stars): I love this cake so much! I accidentally left about 1/3 cup of the milk out and realized it right after I put it into the oven.. I pulled it out of the oven no more than 1 - 3 mins and mixed it into the pan… it made the batter look a little grainy. Do you think it’s ruined?
