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Jeff’s BEST Banana Cake Recipe is a moist and tender banana cake with a creamy, sweet, and buttery cream cheese frosting. Some say it is the best banana cake in the world and I may just agree.
Best Banana Cake
I take my baking pretty darn seriously. My cakes and cookie recipes have to be top-notch. This banana cake with cream cheese frosting is one of the most crowd-pleasing cake recipes. It is the moistest banana cake I have ever eaten and it almost melts in your mouth!
Let me introduce you to my older brother, Jeff. He can also be called by one his nicknames in high school — “Chef Jeff.”
To know Jeff is to love Jeff. He literally has a heart of gold. Ever since he was in high school, he has been making goodies for his friends. I could write an entire post about all of the little and big things he does to help others but I will keep it short and sweet.
At church, he works with the youth ages 12-18. He thought he would try to bribe them to listen to his church lessons by bringing homemade baked goods every single Sunday. No joke.
He could have just picked up doughnuts from the store, which would make his job extra easy, or ask his wife to help make them; yet, he actually made the homemade goodies for his boys. Unreal.
When we were visiting San Antonio recently he told me that he has a secret recipe. He has been making the best banana cake with cream cheese frosting for years without sharing the recipe with his only sister. How can it be?
Thankfully, he is as nice as he seems and as soon as I asked for it, he gave the recipe to me.
He told me stories about how people would track him down to get this coveted recipe from him.
He said that it is always incredibly popular and told me it is one of his favorite cakes of all time. I wondered if it could really be that good. I decided to make the banana cake recipe as soon as my bananas became perfectly ripe.
Oh, my word. If only there was a camera on me to get my reaction when I took the first bite. This homemade banana cake recipe is downright heavenly.
What I noticed first is how creamy and moist the cake is and how it just melts in your mouth. The cake is so soft and tender and the creamy and buttery cream cheese frosting is smooth as silk. It is really THAT good and then some.
How to make the Best Banana Cake:
- It begins with butter. You know how I feel about butter. Buttery truly makes everything better. It brings so much flavor to this banana cake.
- Ripe Bananas. This is an essential component to phenomenal banana cake or bread. You must use over-ripe bananas with black spots. When you see those black spots on the yellow peel, that is all flavor. It brings so much natural sweetness to the cake. If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, place in a brown paper bag and in a dark place.
- Bake at a low temperature. Low and slow wins the race here. Bake at only 275 degrees for about an hour.
- A mix of cream cheese and butter in the frosting. This frosting should be illegal. It has the perfect balance of butter, softened cream cheese, and powdered sugar. I just want to lick the entire bowl.
This best banana cake is made in a 9 x 13 pan. I am such a huge fan of my USA pans. When I lived in Texas, I bought them in all sizes at the Williams Sonoma outlet. Now, Amazon carries them, and are even cheaper than at the outlet. You can buy one
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Another huge key tip to making Jeff’s BEST Banana Cake in the freezer as soon as you pull it out of the oven. It may sound crazy but it helps to keep it moist.
So if you can, clear out a space in your freezer for a 9 x 13 pan and place it in there for one hour. Place oven mitts underneath the pan. Remove it from the freezer and frost it with the ultimate cream cheese frosting.
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Jeff’s BEST Banana Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Banana Cake:
- 3/4 cup Butter softened
- 1 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 3 Ripe Bananas mashed
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 cups Buttermilk
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup Butter softened
- (1) 8-oz. pkg. Cream Cheese softened
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla or Vanilla Beans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar for 5 minutes or until light and fluffly.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing in between. Stir in vanilla.
- In small bowl, mash bananas with lemon juice.
- Add bananas to bowl and mix well. Stir in buttermilk.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes or until baked in the middle.
- Place in freezer for 45 minutes – 1 hour to keep moist (put oven mitts underneath pan).
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix together.
- Spread frosting all over cake. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is what I know. I will never, ever, ever make another banana cake recipe. This is perfection right here. Thank you, Jeff, for sharing your favorite best banana cake recipe and for being such a good human. I am so lucky to be blessed with 5 incredible brothers.
Happy Baking, my friends!
The best banana cake I ever had!!!!!
My cake did come pretty high out of the pan and I had to bake it for close to 2 hours I think, but Was so darn delicious and moist. I did use the freezer. Wife can’t wait till I make it again.????????
I didn’t make the frosting, but this cake was fantastic! Very moist!
I love this cake! It’s SO moist. I admit I changed the recipe a bit. I added cinnamon to the cake and frosting, which tasted very good, but next time I think I’ll put cocoa powder in the frosting instead. I put it in the fridge for an hr afterwards instead of the freezer. And it took an 1hr and 45 minutes to cook at 275, but all ovens are different, and i didn’t mind. It’s just plain delicious. I also had to use gluten free all purpose flour for health reasons, but it tasted like I used wheat flour- which is a HUGE win. This is going in my recipe box for sure. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m making this cake right now. It looks delicious! I had to look up how to make my own butter milk- so I added one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to the required amount of milk, which I only have 2% on hand so that’s what I used. I also added cinnamon to the frosting and cake because… I like it, lol. So far it’s 15 minutes past the suggested cooking time, and still looks s little raw. I’ll let you what I think after it’s done????
Made this for a party tonight. (I used a whipped cream frosting because I’m not a big fan of cream cheese frosting.). It was delicious and a hit at the party! I cooked it at 275 for 60 min, but it wasn’t done, so I cranked it to 325 for about 15 min and it came out perfectly. This is a keeper! Will definitely make it again.
I just made this and at 60 mins it’s not done yet. I just added 15 more mins. I was super excited but I am really getting worried now.
Hey,
I am planning to make this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday but wanted to make it into cupcakes. Have you ever tried this? Would you recommend any alterations if doing so?
Thanks!
-Madeline
Great tasting cake!! I tried baking it two different times at 275 for 60 minutes and had to finish baking it at 350 for another 20 minutes. I think next time i will just bake it at 350.
How would you adjust baking time if mKing muffins?
Hello! I plan on using this recipe to make a chocolate /peanut butter/banana layered cake for a friends birthday next weekend. I was going to use two round 6″ cake pans, and cut each one in half. (I am assuming this recipe will have no problem making enough for two 6″pans.) Do you have any recommended changes to the baking time or temp? Any other tips regarding making this into a layered cake are enthusiastically welcomed as well. (; thanks!
Hi Dani,
I just happened upon this recipe and I was planning on making a layer cake with it. I was wondering how it turned out when you layered it. Any tips? Thank you! 🙂
How’s it go? Making it now and want to layer it. Thanks!