💬Featured Comment: "My husband and I just LOVE your old-fashioned banana cake. We get it every year to celebrate big milestones! Please share the recipe 🙂"-- Jodi
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⭐About this bakery recipe
There's something extra comforting about an old-fashioned banana layer cake made with buttermilk and only the ripest bananas. Perhaps it has to do with its familiar, homey flavors. Or the fact that it tastes just like Grandma's irresistible banana bread in layer-cake form. This bakery recipe is soft and moist and is perfectly paired with a thick and tangy cream cheese frosting. It was a fan favorite at Amycakes Bakery, and I hope you enjoy my bakery-style take on it.
🍌 Only the ripest bananas
To make this cake we are using 2 ½-3 very very very ripe bananas. Not very ripe. Not very very ripe. VERY VERY VERY RIPE! 🙂. They need to be overly ripe and nearly black all over. This cake just won't have the same strong and sweet banana flavor without extra ripe bananas.
I know it's rare that your bananas are perfectly ripe the day you want to bake with them, so I recommend that once you have bananas that are past the point you'd want to eat them, allow them to continue to ripen until they are black like the photo below. Then stick them in your freezer until you are ready to bake with them.
⏲️ How to freeze and thaw bananas
When your bananas look like the photo above, it's time to freeze them (King Arthur Flour explains in more detail the best bananas for baking and when to freeze them). You can build up extra ripe frozen bananas this way so that you always have some on hand when you are ready to make banana cake, cupcakes, muffins, or bread.
- Seal your overly ripe banana(s) in a freezer bag.
- Label the bag with the date and quantity of bananas, and place the bag in an extra cold area of your freezer. The frozen bananas will darken all over once frozen--this is normal.
- When you're ready to bake, thaw the bag of bananas in a bowl of hot water as described in the banana cake recipe instructions.
- Break off the stems of the bananas and delicately squeeze the thawed bananas from their peel into a strainer over a bowl (and save that flavorful banana juice because we'll be using it in the banana cake, too!).
📋 Banana Cake ingredients
In addition to the extra ripe bananas, this cake is made very moist from buttermilk, vegetable oil, and Instant Clearjel (my favorite bakery ingredient that you can use at home. If you can't get your hands on it, use instant vanilla pudding mix for delicious results, which contains instant clearjel (aka modified cornstarch) as one of its main ingredients.
I talk about these ingredients in detail in Seven Secrets to Baking Incredibly Moist Cakes Every Time. I recommend using these ingredients to make soft and moist cakes that taste even better than they look. 🙂 We'll be using the Two-Bowl Method to make this cake, which means no mixer is required to make the cake batter! With a whisk and two bowls, you'll have the batter mixed in no time.
🍰 How to Layer it
While you don't have to bake it this way, I recommend baking this cake in a sheet pan and cutting out the cake layers with cake rings. I call this the Cut and Stack Method, and it's how we layered all our cakes at Amycakes Bakery. Cakes baked in sheet pans will have an even and flatter bake (you can see in my cake video how the cake is not overly browned or domed).
The cake will also bake faster without dark edges. You can cut out and layer three thick 6" layers baked out of a ¼ sheet pan. Or you can double the recipe by pressing the "2x" within the recipe, and make an 8" cake in a ½ sheet pan as I do in my recipe video. You can get more details and see all the cake size options in How to Bake and Layer Cakes Like a Pro: 5 Easy Steps.
👩🏻🍳 Homestyle cake decor
If you're able to resist eating the leftover banana cake scraps, you can use them to make delicious banana cake truffles to decorate the cake. I combined the cake truffles with banana chips and pecan pieces to create a little mountain of banana goodness on top of the cake. I wanted the cake to have a homey and rustic look, so I texturized the cream cheese frosting with a "homestyle texture" by making repeated "C" strokes with an offset spatula.
I hope you enjoy my latest Amycakes Bakery recipe! Let me know what you think in the comment section below! Or tag @amycakesbakes on social media--I'd love to see your creations! 🙂
Thanks for Reading. ❤️
📖 Recipe & Step-by-Step Instructions
Bakery-Style Old-Fashioned Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 200 grams (1 ½ cups) All-Purpose Flour (I use Gold Medal)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon(s) Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon(s) Salt
- 1 Tablespoons + 1 ½ teaspoons Instant Clearjel or 3 Tablespoons Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (Please make sure whichever you use is labeled as INSTANT. See Note #1)
- 200 grams (1 cup(s)) Sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2.5 large to 3 small overly ripe bananas (the peel should be mostly dark brown/ black) (I use bananas that I have frozen once they reach the perfect ripeness, see Note #2)
- ¼ cup Water &/or banana juice (if using frozen bananas)
- 2 large Eggs
- ¾ cup(s) Buttermilk
- ¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon(s) Vegetable Oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Butter
- 1 stick(s) (4 ounces) Salted Butter
Frosting and Decorations
- 1 x batch prepared Classic Cream Cheese Frosting (See Note #6)
- Pecan halves and pieces (optional--or use Walnuts)
- Banana Chips (optional)
Instructions
Make Banana Puree
- Thaw the frozen overly ripe bananas in a bowl of hot water (If using fresh overly ripe bananas, see Note # 2). The bananas will be very soft to the touch once thawed. Remove the banana stems and delicately squeeze out the thawed bananas into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, reserving the banana juice.
- Mash the strained bananas until they are a fine puree without any chunks. I find a wire pastry blender works best for this when mashing them in a bowl, but you could also use a fork and mash them on a plate. Measure out 130 g (around ½ cup + 1.5 Tbsp) banana puree to use in the cake.
Make Banana Cake
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a ¼ sheet pan with parchment paper, then spray the bottom (on top of the parchment) and sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add enough water to the reserved banana juice to make ¼ cup. Combine water/banana juice, reserved 130 g banana puree, and the remaining Wet Ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract) in a large bowl and whisk until smooth and well-blended.
- Using a sifter or fine-mesh strainer, sift the Dry Ingredients into a separate large bowl. Whisk until well blended.
- Heat the Salted Butter in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish until just melted.
- Pour the Wet Ingredients into the Dry Ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Pour the Melted Salted Butter over batter and whisk in until incorporated and the batter looks uniform and shiny.
- Pour the banana cake batter into the prepared sheet pan and smooth out the batter until even (an offset icing spatula works well for this). The batter will be about ¼ inch from the top of a 1" tall sheet pan. (You can also bake in round pans or sheet-cake pans--see Note #3).
- Bake in the middle or top rack (avoid bottom rack) of a preheated 325-degree oven for 16 minutes. Without opening the oven, turn the temperature down to 300 degrees and bake for another 6-10 minutes. Check the cake at this point. See if it is done by lightly touching the top of the cake--try to avoid moving the cake pan or baking rack, which could cause an underdone cake to sink. If jiggly at all to your touch, bake for another 1-5 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or small paring knife comes out clean when quickly stuck in the cake. A few moist crumbs on your knife are fine, but they shouldn't look wet.
- The delicate cake will be easiest to layer from cold or frozen--allow the cake to cool, then wrap and freeze the cake in the pan for at least 2 hours or up to 2 weeks ahead of time (brush the cake with simple syrup if freezing for more than a couple of days--see Note # 4).
Layer, Decorate, and Serve
- The easiest way to layer the cake is to layer the cake from frozen the day before you plan to serve it. If serving the cake the same day you are layering it, use refrigerated cake layers instead of frozen. Cut the cake layers with cake rings as described in How to Bake and Layer Cakes Like a Pro. Fill each cake layer with prepared Classic Cream Cheese Frosting. An offset icing spatula (I use the small and medium-size on all my cakes) helps with this. I recommend frosting a thin crumb coat of buttercream on the outside of the cake which will catch all the crumby edges, then allow it to set up in the freezer for about 10 minutes until the buttercream is firm. The remaining cake scraps can be used for delicious banana cake truffles if desired.
- Spread a final layer of buttercream over your set-up crumbed cake, and decorate as desired. I used a small offset icing spatula to make a homestyle texture, then topped the cake with prepared banana cake truffles, banana chips, and pecan pieces.
- You can let the cake set up in the fridge, but remove it from the fridge 2-3 hours before serving so it can come back to room temperature (avoid warm temperatures). This cake has the best texture at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
3 tsp= 1 Tbsp
4 tablespoon = ¼ cup
- Read my article Instant Clearjel: a Magical Little-Known Bakery Ingredient to see why I think this ingredient is worth having in your pantry. (Make sure what you purchase is labeled as "Instant." Cooktyle Clearjel is a different product that does not work the same in cakes). Instant Clearjel must always be whisked thoroughly with other dry ingredients before being added to wet ingredients to avoid clumping. If you need to substitute, vanilla instant pudding mix works great in the cake batter as described within the recipe, and simply leave it out in the frosting--you may add more powdered sugar if you need a thicker frosting.
- I prefer to stock up on overly ripe bananas by freezing them once they turn a dark brown/black. Simply freeze the bananas in their peel in freezer bags, then thaw under hot water as described in step 1. If using overly ripe fresh bananas instead of frozen, it is unlikely that you will need to strain them or have any "banana juice." I recommend going by the listed number of bananas instead of the measured quantity, as the weight will differ with fresh bananas. With fresh bananas, you can use just water instead of banana juice/water.
- When baking cakes in a sheet pan, the cake bakes more evenly (flatter on top and with no dark edges), and you get to choose your cake size after baking! With a 1x batch in a ¼ Sheet Pan you can make a three-layer 6″ cake (two full rounds, one pieced round from two half-circles) or several little cakelets. With a 2x batch in a ½ Sheet Pan you can make a three-layer 8″ cake (two full rounds, one pieced round from two half-circles), an extra tall six-layer 6″ cake (5 full rounds, one pieced round from two half-circles), TWO 3-layer 6″ cakes (eat one now and freeze one for later. 🙂 Or have a baking party with a friend and you each get a cake!) or several little Cakelets using a 4″ cake ring or 3″ or 2″ round cookie cutters. You can also choose to bake in sheet-cake pans or round pans. View the pan chart in the article Half-Batches and Cake Pans: Everything You Need to Know.
- Simple Syrup is optional, but I use it to seal in the moisture for cakes that will be refrigerated or frozen. While the cake cools, make a simple syrup by combining 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the sugar is dissolved after whisking, about 20-30 seconds. You can also make a larger batch of this (1 part sugar to 1 part water) and keep it in the fridge if you're doing a lot of cake baking. Always cut the cake with cake rings before brushing the cake brush simple syrup, to avoid the cake being too sticky when cut.
- BAKER'S SHORTCUT:
Make a sheet cake or little Cakelets instead! Once the cake is fully cooled, spread the buttercream on top for an easy sheet-pan cake. For Cakelets, cut the cake into 4″ or smaller rounds using cake rings or cookie cutters. Stack two cakelets together with a layer of buttercream in between and on top (I use a piping bag and 1M star tip for this). The cake will be soft and delicate when at room temperature, so if you have the time I recommend that after it cools, stick the cake in the freezer 10 minutes before cutting your Cakelets. Serve at room temperature. - At Amycakes Bakery we often paired this cake with our House Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. You can use that buttercream recipe instead if you'd prefer a lighter cream cheese flavor.
9-16-21: The original recipe made an 8″ cake in a ½ sheet pan. All my recipes now start with small batches, so it now makes a 6″ cake in a ¼ sheet pan. Press the “2x” if you’d like to double the recipe for an 8″ cake in a ½ sheet pan.
Jackie says
Sorry, so 130gm of the mash banana goes into the banana cake, what about the rest of the banana?
Amy says
You can discard any remaining banana puree. This keeps the recipe consistent every time. 🙂
Sherry says
I would give your banana layer cake a 10-star rating if I could! I made it for Mother’s Day and my mom (86 y/o) said it was the best cake she’s ever had and I 100% agree! I’ve deleted all other inferior banana cake recipes from my Pinterest board - this is the only one I’ll use. And from looking at your other cake recipes I bet they’ll be just as moist, fluffy and delicious when I bake them. The clearjel (or vanilla instant pudding) addition is genius.
Abigail says
Just made this cake for my grandson's smash cake and I know he is going to be so pleased! The cake is incredible! Switched to a cheesecake instant pudding mix because that was what I had on hand and omg it is WOW! The banana is AMAZING!!!
Amy says
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! I bet that cheesecake flavor was delicious with the banana cake. Thanks so much for your comment, Abigail! 🙂
Rachael says
Flat incredible! I made this recipe in a loaf pan in hopes it would turn out like banana bread and it was so delicious.
Amy says
I'm so happy to hear that! 🙂 Banana Bread was a great idea. Thanks for sharing and taking the time to comment, Rachael!
Rachel Arnold says
Thank you so much Amy for sharing your absolutely perfect cake recipes! My son’s favorite cake is banana, and for years I’ve tried recipe after recipe and never found the right one. Your recipe is the perfect balance of banana flavor, moistness, fluffiness — just absolute perfection every time I make it! Your detailed instructions are also so helpful. Cakes are one of the most difficult things to bake, and I’m just so happy to have found your recipes! I most recently used used this recipe to make mini cupcakes and they came out perfectly!
Amy says
This is so wonderful to read! I'm so happy to hear that you have enjoyed the recipes--thank you for taking the time to comment! Banana cake is one of my favorites, too. 🙂
Zahra says
Hi Amy,
Would you recommend using brown sugar instead of white? With banana muffins it tastes really good,
Thanks!
Zahra
Amy says
I've only tried this banana cake with white sugar, but it does sound delicious if you want a richer flavor (the idea makes me think of bananas foster :))--I use brown sugar in my carrot cake and pumpkin cake with great results! If you have luck with it, let me know how it turns out!
Julianna Rook says
Hello! Wondering if you thinks this cake would be okay & sturdy enough for a tiered layer cake?
Amy Nash says
This cake is a stunner! I love having something a little more special to make with my overripe bananas than just plain old banana bread. Love the cream cheese frosting!
Amy says
Thank you so much!
Jacqueline Debono says
I love making banana bread and muffins but have never tried a banana layer cake. It looks so good and rather elegant! On my to try list!
Amy says
Thank you, I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Chenée says
This cake is so perfect! So moist and flavorful. Thanks for this recipe!
Amy says
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, thank you!
Uma says
This cake looks so moist and fluffy, just like bakery style. We love banana cake with chai. This will be perfect for my daughter's birthday!
Amy says
Oh good, I hope you enjoy it! Banana Chai is a great idea!
Katie Crenshaw says
This is the best cake ever! There is nothing better than an old fashioned, made from scratch, thick slice of cake. This banana version turns out INCREDIBLE! It is worth all the steps. YUM!
Amy says
I'm so happy to hear that, thank you so much!
Heather says
I want to dive right into this cream cheese frosting! I love your ratio of frosting to sponge. Cannot wait to make this with all of those frozen bananas I've got!
Amy says
Thanks so much, I hope you enjoy it!
Bernice says
These photos are killing me over here! Bananas and Buttermilk? I'm just over here thinking about the next family birthday I can make this amazing cake for. Then again, why do I need an occasion?!
Amy says
Haha, you're absolutely right, every day is a good occasion this cake. I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Angie says
You had my attention when you frosted this banana cake with cream cheese frosting, but the idea of decorating this cake with banana cake truffles is brilliant.
Amy says
Thank you so much!
Marta says
Great dessert! The banana flavor is very well complemented by the cream cheese frosting. Thanks for sharing.
Amy says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!