Delicious Banana Cake is moist and tender, bursting with the flavor of bananas and the crunch of walnuts. Take it up a level with the simple cream cheese frosting. It's easy to make in less than an hour with these step-by-step photo instructions.
🍌Ingredients
- Bananas—Three, as ripe as possible
- Flour—Use all-purpose (AP) flour. Optional—Sifted or run through a large fine mesh strainer.
- Buttermilk—Fresh or dry buttermilk will work. Substitute with ⅔ cup of milk and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar—set for 5-10 minutes before use.
- Baking Powder—Use aluminum-free
- Walnuts—chopped. Skip or other nuts like pecans or almonds may be used.
- Other Pantry Ingredients—Salt, eggs, baking soda, white sugar, and powdered sugar.
- Butter—Room temperature for frosting
- Cream Cheese—Room temperature
- Vanilla Extract—Try to use real not imitation, vanilla extract
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Featured comment from Patty C:
"Made this tonight…I have to rate this one a solid 5! Thanks Dr D!"
Banana nut cake is super moist, tender, and delicious. An easy-to-make recipe in less than an hour without special ingredients. It is an excellent solution to the "what to do with overripe banana" issue.
The perfect cake for when you need to "take a dish" or the family is coming for dinner. Or adjust to a "for two" half size or make a layer cake. Add the easy optional cream cheese frosting for a touch of decadent goodness.
This is a family recipe from a family friend (thanks, Janet). I have learned to accept gifts of this type.
Check out some other recipes for those leftover bananas. Start with a classic Betty Crocker Banana Bread, but don't miss the Banana Pancake, Banana Nut Cookies, or some great Banana Nut Muffins.
👨🍳How to Make Banana Cake
- With a stand or hand mixer, cream butter, and sugar, then blend in eggs.
- Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and mash 3 over-ripe bananas.
- Combine half the flour mixture, some buttermilk, and the mashed bananas into the creamed butter mixture. After mixing, add the remainder of the ingredients and combine thoroughly.
- Fold in the chopped walnuts.
- Pour the batter into a prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)
- Rest the cream cheese and butter at room temperature to soften.
- With a mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla.
- Slowly add powdered sugar while continuing to beat.
- Frost the cake when cooled. Sprinkle some nuts on top.
This is a summary of the steps and ingredients. See the recipe card or the step-by-step photo instructions below for complete instructions.
⬇️How to make this a "for two" friendly recipe
This is a recipe for a regular 9X13-inch cake pan. And it won't disappoint.
But this is "cooking for two," and this is an easy recipe to cut in half. You will need to use a 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pan. The baking time will decrease to about 30 minutes, but use the toothpick test.
It also makes an excellent layer cake with two round 9-inch pans and the optional cream cheese frosting.
❄️Storage
Without the frosting, this can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 days, tightly covered. With the frosting, it should be refrigerated.
It will also freeze well for several months with or without the frosting.
❓FAQs
When we sift flour, it breaks down any clumps and provides a fluffier result. It also helps mix other ingredients throughout the flour. It will improve the texture a bit. If you don't have an old-school flour sifter, you can get about the same effect using a large fine-mesh strainer.
If you don’t have time for over-ripe bananas now, peel and freeze for a few months until you are ready to bake bread, cake, or muffins.
As bananas ripen, enzymes convert some of the starch to sugar. This makes for great sweet banana bread, muffins, or even cakes.
Yes, due to the cream cheese.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, mix 2 ½ cups AP flour with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, and 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda. Optional: Sift together, or you can use a large strainer or skip the sifting and just mix the dry ingredients. Set aside.
Mash 3 bananas (riper is better). Set aside.
Combine ⅔ cup butter and 1 ⅓ cup sugar—cream with a stand mixer or hand mixer.
With the mixer continuing to run, add two eggs. Add ½ of the flour mixture. ⅓ cup buttermilk. And the mashed bananas. Continue to beat until incorporated.
Add the remainder of the flour mixture and ⅓ cup more buttermilk. Add ¾ cup chopped walnuts and fold in well.
Prep a 9 by 13 baking pan with a thin coat of butter and a light flour coat.
Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
Bake for about 40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Optional Cream Cheese Frosting
The cream cheese and the butter should rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes to soften.
Mix 8 oz of cream cheese, 8 tablespoons of butter (one stick), and 2 teaspoons of vanilla with a mixer. Slowly add 3 cups of powdered sugar while continuing to beat. You may need more powdered sugar or 1-2 teaspoons of milk to get your desired texture.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Banana Cake with Walnuts
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup AP flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder - aluminum-free
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup butter
- 1 ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 3 over-ripe bananas - mashed
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
Optional Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 8 tablespoon butter - one stick
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- a bit more powder sugar or some milk - to get the right texture
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a large bowl, mix 2 ½ cups AP flour with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, and 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda. Optional: Sift together, or you can use a large strainer or skip the sifting and just mix the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
- Mash 3 bananas (riper is better). Set aside.
- Combine ⅔ cup butter and 1 ⅓ cup sugar—cream with a stand mixer or hand mixer.
- With the mixer continuing to run: Add two eggs. Add ½ of the flour mixture. ⅓ cup buttermilk. And the mashed bananas. Continue to beat until incorporated.Add the remainder of the flour mixture and ⅓ cup more buttermilk. Add ¾ cup chopped walnuts and fold in well.
- Prep a 9 by 13 baking pan with a thin coat of butter and a light flour coat.
- Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for about 40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Optional Cream Cheese Frosting
- The cream cheese and the butter should rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes to soften.Mix 8 oz of cream cheese, 8 tablespoons of butter (one stick), and 2 teaspoons of vanilla with a mixer. Slowly add 3 cups of powdered sugar while continuing to beat. You may need more powdered sugar or 1-2 teaspoons of milk to get your desired texture.
- Frost cake when cooled. Sprinkle some nuts on top.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This is a 9X13 cake pan recipe.
- It is easily cut in half for a 9-inch round or 8-inch square pan. It will take about 30 minutes to bake but use the toothpick test.
- Sifting the flour is optional but suggested.
- You can make a substitute for buttermilk with ⅔ cups of milk and 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes before proceeding.
- The cream cheese frosting is optional but recommended.
- Without the frosting, this can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 days, tightly covered. With the frosting, it should be refrigerated for up to 4 days. It will also freeze well for several months.
- The serving size is 1/12 of a 9X13 pan - about 3X3 size (a big piece.)
- Nutrition includes optional cream cheese frosting.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published, June 7, 2013. Updated with expanded options and discussion along with refreshed photos and table of contents.
Nan says
I would like to use the buttermilk substitution using vinegar and almond milk as I have a friend who can not have milk. Has anyone tried it or do you think it would work?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Nan,
Welcome to the blog.
Substitute milk, like unsweetened and unflavored soy or almond, treated with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar per cup will work fine. Mix them and wait for 5 minutes before using.
DrDan
Claudi0 says
In the ingredients you listed 2/3 cup chopped walnuts, but in the instructions you listed 3/4 cup. Either one works, just thought I'd let you know. I meant to bring this to your attention when I made it before and told you about the typo on the sugar amount back on 2-15-20.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Thanks for the note/proofread. Fixed. My bad as they say.
Dan
Patty C says
Made this tonight with some very ripe bananas I had laying on the counter. Very easy to make (I added the cream cheese as a bonus). I have to rate this one a solid 5! Thanks Dr D!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Transcribed wrong...it is 1 1/3 cup. Fixed. Thanks for the proofread.
Dan
Cyndy Simpkins Hugghins says
Can a Bundt pan be used?
DrDan says
I don't have a bundt pan so I have never done it. I'm sure it's possible. Some bundt pans are huge and need about double this amount of cake. Also cooking time may be increased some. So the answer is I don't know.
Dan