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Best Banana Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting

Best Banana Cake Recipe

A moist 9-by-13-inch banana cake made with very ripe bananas and sour cream, finished with smooth cream-cheese frosting. It makes about 12–16 servings and is ideal for celebrations or everyday dessert.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) Unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) Granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs Large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240 g) Sour cream
  • 1 cup (about 225–250 g) Mashed very ripe bananas
  • 2 cups (240 g) All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
Cream-Cheese Frosting
  • 8 ounces (226 g) Cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup (57 g) Unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups (360 g) Confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Set the pan aside while you prepare the batter.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. This distributes the leavening and seasoning evenly before they are added to the wet ingredients.
  3. In a separate large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
  4. Stir the sour cream and mashed very ripe bananas into the butter mixture until evenly combined. The batter will be thick, fragrant, and generously moist.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix just until combined. Stop as soon as no obvious streaks of flour remain, since overmixing can make the finished cake dense or chewy.
  6. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  7. Cool the cake completely before frosting, allowing 30–60 minutes for the pan to lose its heat. Frosting a warm cake can cause the cream cheese mixture to soften and slide.
  8. For the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar, add the vanilla, and spread the finished frosting over the cooled cake.

Notes

Use heavily speckled or mostly brown bananas for the strongest flavor, natural sweetness, and moisture. Do not overmix after adding the flour, and cool the cake fully before frosting. Refrigerate leftovers because of the cream-cheese frosting.