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Banana Cake

This banana cake recipe uses fresh mashed bananas and buttermilk for super moist results. It was made for me by a friend while I was visiting her after she had delivered her 11th child. I told her, "I should have baked for you!"
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 18 people
Calories 7013.1 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 9x13 inch Baking Pan
  • 1 Electric Mixer Handheld or stand mixer
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
  • 2 Medium/Small mixing bowls For dry ingredients and bananas
  • 1 Rubber Spatula or Whisk

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 1 ½ cups mashed bananas
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ⅛ cups white sugar
  • ¾ cup butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 ½ cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions
 

  • Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Make cake: Mix mashed bananas with lemon juice in a small bowl. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Cream sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Pour batter into the prepared pan. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Remove cake from the oven and place it directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Meanwhile, make frosting: Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add confectioners sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Spread frosting on cooled cake. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Serve and enjoy! Allrecipes / Abbey Littlejohn

Notes

This recipe's low baking temperature (275°F) is unconventional but designed to produce an exceptionally moist cake by allowing it to bake slowly. The rapid cooling in the freezer immediately after baking is a critical step for locking in moisture and achieving the desired texture; do not skip this. Ensure your bananas are very ripe for maximum sweetness and flavor. For the cream cheese frosting, both butter and cream cheese must be at room temperature to achieve a smooth, lump-free consistency. Avoid overmixing the cake batter once the flour is added to prevent a tough crumb. A properly greased and floured pan is essential for easy cake release.