Banana Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

We all know and love banana bread, but this light and fluffy Banana Cake is next level. Smothered in a vanilla cream cheese frosting, it is totally indulgent and the best way to use bananas.

There really aren't enough words to describe just how GOOD this cake is. It's light, moist, sticky, and beats regular banana bread by a mile. You could just slice the cake up as it is, but why not go all out with the vanilla cream cheese frosting. You will want to put it on everything!

Why should you try it?

Step by step

One: In a small bowl, mash the bananas.

Two: In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.

Three: Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Four: Add the mashed banana and mix well.

Five: In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.

Six: Add the flour mixture gradually to the large bowl, stirring well.

Seven: Gently stir in the chocolate chips and buttermilk.

Eight: Pour the mixture in to a greased and lined 10x12 inch baking tray. Put in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 for 50 minutes, until a knife comes out clear.

Nine: To make the frosting, mix together the cream cheese and mascarpone. Then gradually add the icing sugar and the vanilla and mix well.

Ten: Once the cake it cooked, remove it from the oven and pan and put on a cooling rack and cool for at least an hour. Spread with the frosting and put in the fridge for a couple of hours for the frosting to set.

What spices can you use?

I have always loved cinnamon in banana bread, so it made sense to use it in this banana cake too. However, you could use ginger or nutmeg, or a mixture of all of them.

What else can you add in?

What I love about these kinds of cakes, is that there are so many ways you can adapt them and add in different things. We have gone with dark chocolate chips, as they go well with bananas, however you could use white or milk chocolate chips instead.

You don't have to use chocolate chips at all. You could mix in some raisins or dried cherries, chopped pecans or walnuts or even some fresh banana slices if you wanted to add even more banana flavour. Sometimes I like to put some banana slices on top with a sprinkling of crushed walnuts.

Do I have to use buttermilk?

Buttermilk is what makes this cake so incredibly moist and delicious, however it isn't an ingredient that most people just have on hand. You could instead add a table spoon of white vinegar or lemon juice (this is the acid) to a measuring jug and then add whole milk until it makes up 300ml. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using it in this recipe.

Frosting

You don't have to add frosting to this cake, and it is still delicious (and certainly less messy) without it, however the frosting just takes it to another level. A mixture of cream cheese and mascarpone with icing sugar and vanilla. So simple, but deliciously indulgent.

You could do a chocolate version by swapping a little of the icing sugar with cocoa powder.

Can you make these as cupcakes?

If, like me, you can't be trusted not to slice off half of the cake. Then cupcakes might be a good option. Divide the mixture between cupcake cases until they are about half full and then back them for 20 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. 

FAQs

Extra tips

• You could swap the dark chocolate chips for white chocolate chips.
• Not a fan of cinnamon? Use ginger or nutmeg, or a mixture of the three.
• You could make a chocolate cream frosting by swapping a little of the icing sugar for cocoa powder.
• You can make these in to cupcakes by dividing the batter in to cupcake cases until half full and then baking for 22 minutes.
• Feel free to get creative with extras like raisins, white chocolate chips or chopped pecans or walnuts.

More cake recipes

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Recipe

Banana Cake

We all know and love banana bread, but this light and fluffy Banana Cake is next level.

Vegetarian

5 from 17 votes

Pin Print

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Cooling time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Allergen:

Dairy

Eggs

Gluten

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 566kcal

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Ingredients

UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures

Cake:

• ▢ 3 medium bananas
• ▢ 170 g butter
• ▢ 170 g caster sugar
• ▢ 80 g light brown sugar
• ▢ 3 medium eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 370 g plain flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 0.5 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 75 g dark chocolate chips
• ▢ 300 ml buttermilk

Frosting:

• ▢ 300 g full fat cream cheese
• ▢ 200 g mascarpone
• ▢ 250 g icing sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mash the bananas.
• In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• Add the mashed banana and mix well.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
• Add the flour mixture gradually to the large bowl, stirring well.
• Gently stir in the chocolate chips and buttermilk.
• Pour the mixture in to a greased and lined 10x12 inch baking tray. Put in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 for 50 minutes, until a knife comes out clear.
• To make the frosting, mix together the cream cheese and mascarpone. Then gradually add the icing sugar and the vanilla and mix well.
• Once the cake it cooked, remove it from the oven and pan and put on a cooling rack and cool for at least an hour. Spread with the frosting and put in the fridge for a couple of hours for the frosting to set.

Notes

• You could swap the dark chocolate chips for white chocolate chips.
• Not a fan of cinnamon? Use ginger or nutmeg, or a mixture of the three.
• You could make a chocolate cream frosting by swapping a little of the icing sugar for cocoa powder.
• You can make these in to cupcakes by dividing the batter in to cupcake cases until half full and then baking for 22 minutes.
• Feel free to get creative with extras like raisins, white chocolate chips or chopped pecans or walnuts.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 1043IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 2mg

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DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.