Bakery-Style Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A light, structured banana cake with a fine crumb and balanced sweetness, finished with classic cream cheese frosting. Designed to slice cleanly and hold its shape.
Equipment
- Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- 8×8-inch metal baking pan
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Offset spatula (for frosting)
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- Banana Cake
- 1½ cups mashed very ripe bananas about 3–4 bananas
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
Instructions
Banana Cake
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and line an 8×8-inch metal pan with parchment.
- Mash 1½ cups bananas until smooth; set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together 1¾ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon salt.
- In a separate bowl, cream ½ cup butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ cup brown sugar until pale and light, about 3 minutes.
- Add 2 eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Mix in the mashed bananas, ½ cup buttermilk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla just until combined.
- Add dry ingredients and mix gently until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix.
- Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
- Bake 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat 8 oz cream cheese and ½ cup butter together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add 2½ cups powdered sugar gradually, mixing on low speed at first, then increasing speed until incorporated.
- Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt.
- Beat until smooth and spreadable. Adjust consistency with additional powdered sugar if needed.
- Frost cooled cake evenly before slicing.
Notes
Notes
Dense crumb → Batter was overmixed after flour was added.
Sunken center → Bananas underripe or oven temperature low.
Loose frosting → Cream cheese or butter too warm; chill briefly and rebeat.
Cake is done at 205–210°F internal temperature if checking with a thermometer.
Storage Store frosted cake refrigerated up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving. Cake freezes best unfrosted.
Storage Store frosted cake refrigerated up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving. Cake freezes best unfrosted.
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