This delicious Banana Cake is the BEST Recipe for Banana Cake that you will ever make! It is full of banana flavor, amazingly moist and perfectly dense. Top it with Browned Butter Buttercream for a match made in heaven!
We all have these days. Yesterday, everything was perfect. Today, not so much.
I'm talking about bananas. They can go from perfectly ripe with a pure yellow peel and then before you know it, they are brown and you know that no one will ever eat them now!
I had one of those days today. I came home and saw 3 bananas on the counter that had turned from yellow to brown and I knew I had to do something with them NOW! Otherwise, they were headed to the trash.
What to do with Overripe Bananas
When your bananas turn from a perfect yellow to spotted with brown, they are more then likely destined to be passed over by everyone in the house.
You could make the old standby - Old Fashioned Banana Bread - which is always loved by everyone. I often make several loaves when I have bananas that are passed their prime and freeze them for a ready-made treat.
Bananas are great to keep in the freezer to add to a quick smoothie or mix into oatmeal.
I also love to use slightly overripe bananas to make Dog Treats for my three fur babies. This recipe for dog treats is so versatile that you can use bananas, canned pumpkin, mashed sweet potato, or mashed carrots. My dogs go nuts for these treats!
But if you want a banana flavored treat for yourself or you friends and family that is a little and loved by all, try this recipe for Banana Cake! I have tried several and, trust me, this one is the BEST!
The Best Banana Cake Recipe for Sheet Cakes, Layer Cakes, or Cupcakes!
One of the bug benefits of this Banana Cake Recipe is that it bakes up perfectly as cupcakes, layer cakes, or sheet cakes! Whatever format suits your needs, I have tested it and this recipe WORKS!
If you use this recipe to make Banana Cupcakes, it will make between 22 and 24 cupcakes. Bake them at 350F for between 19 and 23 minutes. The time will depend on your oven so always bake to the INDICATOR and not the time the recipe. The indicator is that the cake is browned on top and a toothpick stuck in the center of one of the middle cupcakes comes out clean.
If you want a sheet cake in one layer (my favorite for when we have a lot of people eating with us or when we go to a potluck), you can bake this cake as a 9x13 one layer sheet cake. Bake time will be about 30 to 38 minutes, depending on your oven.
This recipe makes a good-sized 8 or 9-inch layer cake and will fee 10 people, at least! Bake as directed in the recipe below.
The Best Frosting for Banana Cake
Feel free to switch the icing/frosting that you use on this Banana Cake.
I am in love with (OBSESSED with) Brown Butter Buttercream! The slight nuttiness of the brown butter is a perfect match for the banana flavor in this cake recipe!
I try to keep brown butter in my refrigerator at all times so I can use it whenever I want that nutty flavor from it!
Try it on pasta, potatoes, in pancake or waffle batter, use it to sauté vegetables or to scramble eggs. The possibilities are endless and delicious!
Making Brown Butter Buttercream is simple and just requires one extra step over plain buttercream. If you brown the butter in advance, it will make the prep for this buttercream even easier!
At times I have switched out the buttercream and used a Cream Cheese Buttercream to add that wonderful tang!
How to make this Banana Cake if you DON'T have Brown Bananas
If you are craving the best Banana Cake but you only have pristine and pretty yellow bananas, you can brown them yourself.
All you have to do is put the bananas on a baking sheet with their peel still on. Bake them at 350 for about 15 to 20 minutes, until they turn brown. This accelerates the concentration of the sugars in the fruit and breaks down the flesh of the banana.
You can then use them in your banana cake or bread.
NOTE: The browner your bananas are (whether they browned naturally or in the oven) the sweeter the bananas will be which make your cake sweeter. For a less-sweet cake, use the bananas when they are ripe but not brown.
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Banana Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting
Ingredients
- 375 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 90 mL buttermilk OR 85mL milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice at room temperature
- 170 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 300 grams light brown sugar
- 75 grams plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups about 3 medium bananas, very ripe, smashed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare three 8-inch pans by spraying with pan spray, lining the bottom with parchment paper, and then dusting the sides with flour. Set aside. (You can also make 20 to 24 cupcakes – line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.)
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, add the lemon juice to the milk if you are making your own buttermilk and set it aside. Otherwise, measure out the buttermilk and let come to room temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, light brown sugar and granulated until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on medium. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix for 30 seconds more. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. Add the vanilla the mashed bananas. Mix until incorporated.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture with the mixer on low. Mix just until combined. Add ½ of the buttermilk and mix until combined. Add another ⅓ of the flour, mix; add the remaining buttermilk and mix then add the last of the flour and mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Run a knife or offset spatula around the sides of each pan. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing.
- Make the Brown Butter Buttercream.
- Assemble the cake: Spread icing on the top of one cooled layer, add another layer of cake, spread icing on top, and then add the last cake layer. Ice the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of icing and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes, until the icing has hardened up a bit. Apply more icing to the sides and top and smooth with an offset spatula or bench scraper. Decorate as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe works well for cupcakes too!
sallybr says
I am VERY interested in the sheet format, for obvious reasons (donations, donations....) - that is the most friendly format
I might make it for this week - I still have time
it looks just amazing!
joyandtea says
Looks delicious! Gotta love bananas! 😍🍴