Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is the ultimate comfort food dessert. You’ll love the light and super moist cake texture combined with the incredible flavor the ripe bananas and warming spices provide. For more spiced cakes try my Ultimate Carrot Cake or my Spiced Zucchini Bread recipes.

The silky-smooth cream cheese frosting is made even lighter by using whipped cream cheese and lightly sweetened so it doesn’t upstage the flavorful cake below. Topped with the buttery walnuts it’s a flavor combination that is oh so good! 

Why You’ll Love This:

• Uses basic ingredients you probably already have on-hand
• Comes together in less than an hour
• No fancy cake-decorating skills needed! This cake is all about the flavor!
• No need to have ripe bananas on-hand I’ll share my tip for ripening bananas in the oven below!

Watch My Video Demo of This Recipe Below!

How-To Ripen Bananas in the Oven

• One of the challenges of making banana bread or cakes is having the ripe bananas when you want to make them. But with this method, you can whip up this fantastic banana cake, or my Ultimate Banana Bread recipe anytime you are craving it!
• Pre-heat the oven to 300F
• Line a baking sheet with foil
• Place your unripe bananas on the tray and bake for 10 minutes. They will start to turn black.
• Flip the bananas and bake them for another 10 minutes
• Allow them to cool and then remove the peel.
• Transfer to a bowl and mash. And presto! Sticky sweet “ripe bananas”

More Recipes For Your Ripe Bananas

• Banana Muffin Recipe with Three Toppings
• Black Bottom Banana Muffins  
• Chocolate Banana Bread recipe
• Oat flour Pancakes

Using Frozen Bananas

• Now if you had ripe bananas and froze them, which is another great thing to do to save a ripe banana for banana bread and cakes.
• You can pop them in the microwave to thaw
• Or place them in the fridge overnight. Then proceed with the recipe as directed. 

Using a Removable Bottom Pan

• In order to get an easy release of this cake and preserve its square shape.
• I like to use a removable bottom pan. The one I’m using is the 10 x 10 Fat Daddio Cheesecake Pan.
• This is a fantastic pan to have in your baking arsenal because it’s so versatile! 
• I use it also for my Blueberry Crumb Cake, Butterscotch Blondie, Pecan Bars and Focaccia Recipes. 

Benefits of a Removable Bottom Pan

• A removable bottom pan allows for easy slicing since you can quickly cut your dessert into 9 squares and serve.
• There’s no wrestling it out of the pan and hoping you don’t damage the corners.
• The pan is also 3″ high which allows for a generous slice of cake.

Making the Cream Cheese Frosting

One of the things you’ll love about this recipe is the silky smooth, cream cheese frosting. Over the years, I’ve perfected this recipe with a few tips below!

Perfecting Cream Cheese Frosting

• Use whipped cream cheese. This will provide a head-start to lightness and volume since there is already air whipped into it. You don’t need to do much to it. If you can’t find the whipped and only have the brick cream cheese. That’s Okay. Just make sure it’s at room temperature and beat it longer (3-4 minutes) to achieve a lighter volume. 
• Use powdered sugar. The powdered will dissolve better than granulated sugar. The cornstarch that’s in powdered sugar also helps to stabilize the frosting and help keep its volume.
• Don’t use too much sugar. Cream cheese frosting is best when you can actually taste the cream cheese! There’s also so much flavor in the cake, thanks to the ripe bananas and spices, that the frosting should really play a “supporting role”.
• Add enough vanilla extract. This recipe calls for 2 teaspoons (10ml) which I think is the perfect amount to add sweetness and flavor.
• Skip the butter. It will just dilute the flavor of the frosting and really who needs the extra calories anyway?

Make-Ahead Tips:

• If you want to make this cake a day ahead of serving, follow these tips. This will assure you’ll enjoy this cake at its best, preserving the flavors and textures. 
• Make the frosting a day ahead and cover and refrigerate
• Make the cake a day ahead. Allow it to cool completely. Then cover and leave at room temperature
• Just before serving. Remove the frosting from the refrigerator and allow it to come up to room temperature for 30 mins.
• Then beat the frosting again, just to re-create that “just whipped” silky smooth texture (this step is SO worth the effort for the texture it provides!)
• Then frost the cake, top with walnuts, and serve! 

More Great Dessert Recipes

• Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
• Blueberry Hand Pies in the Air Fryer
• Ultimate Pumpkin Bread Recipe

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Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Yield: 9 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

A super moist, light, and fluffy banana cake recipe. Full of flavor thanks to the ripe bananas and warming spices. Topped with silky smooth cream cheese frosting. The ultimate comfort food cake.

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Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 3/4 cup (180g) of softened butter
• 1 cup (200g) of sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp (15ml) Vanilla Extract
• 2 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp (10ml) baking powder
• 1 tsp (5ml) baking soda
• 1 tsp (5ml) ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp (5ml) allspice
• 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) salt
• 1 cup (240ml) sour cream, room temperature
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup (75g) of walnuts, chopped

For The Frosting:

• 16 oz (450g) of Whipped Cream Cheese
• 2/3 cup (70g) of powdered sugar
• 2 tsp (10ml) of vanilla extract

For Garnish:

• 2 Tbsp (30ml) Walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
2. Spray a 9" x 9" (23cm x 23cm) with baking spray and set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar until nice and fluffy. At least 5 minutes. It should be pale yellow and resemble the texture of whipped cream. This will get you the best texture on your cake. So don't skimp on the beating!
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in between each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.
5. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Set aside
6. Whisk together the dry ingredients
7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, in thirds, alternating with the sour cream, beating in between each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.
8. Add the bananas and the walnuts. Beat to combine
9. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Smooth out the batter with a spatula into an even layer.
10. Bake at 350F (175C) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
11. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
12. For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth, add the vanilla beat to combine. Frost cake immediately.
13. Top with walnuts. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

Notes

• If you are inside the U.S.A use salted butter. Land O Lakes is my preferred brand. Salted butter will not make a salty cake, it will just provide my flavor
• Outside the U.S.A use unsalted butter, as salted butter outside the USA can be really salty!
• If you forget to take out the eggs to come to room temperature. Submerge cold eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes and they will quickly come up to room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 321Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 7g