This is my favorite banana cake of all time! Bananas are one of my favorite fruits, and I adore cake, so it’s a match made in Heaven for me. This moist and delicious banana cake uses 4 ripe bananas as well as some coconut for added moisture and tenderness. You can easily make these into Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting as well!
Banana Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
I have tried several different recipes for banana cake over the years, but this is the one I like best. It should not come as a surprise that this banana cake recipe comes from the wonderful Dorie Greenspan and her amazing book, Baking From My Home to Yours
For almost two years I baked along with the amazing men and women of the Tuesdays with Dorie baking group. That was many years ago now. I played along religiously for quite some time, then I fell off the participation wagon and had made the decision to leave TWD. I joined the group shortly after starting my blog in 2008 and learned so much about baking from playing along.
So I said farewell TWD. Thank you for all that you taught me about baking, for your kind comments when my blog was so new, for providing a great group of people to troubleshoot with, and for your friendships. And Dorie, thank you so much for this wonderful book. It is a permanently prized possession in my cookbook collection.
Ingredients for Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This recipe can also be found on pages 204-205 of Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking: From My Home to Yours”.
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons dark rum or Malibu coconut rum (optional)
- About 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (you should have 1 ½ – 1 ¾ cups)
- ½ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk, regular (stir well before measuring) or “lite” (or whole milk, buttermilk, sour cream, or plain yogurt)
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, preferably toasted (or an equal amount of moist, plump dried fruit, such as currants,
- raisins, chopped apricots, cranberries, blueberries, or halved cherries, or a combination of coconut and dried fruit)
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Soften the cream cheese and butter, but don’t let it get warm, just take the chill off. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar until completely combined. Beat in the vanilla. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Who doesn’t love a delicious, moist banana cake recipe? Especially after the addition of vanilla cream cheese frosting… It truly doesn’t get better than this.
Be sure to stop by some of our favorite banana recipes on the blog below!
- Banana Pudding Poke Cake
- Banana Cream Lush with Bananas Foster Sauce
- Banana Split Dessert
- Sour Cream Banana Bread
- Banana Muffins
- Nice Cream Milkshakes (using bananas!)
- Single Serve Bananas Foster
- Bananas N Cream Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze
- Banana Fritters
- Banana Nut Bread
- Easy Banana Cake
Banana Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs preferably at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons dark rum or Malibu coconut rum optional
- 4 medium very ripe bananas mashed (you should have 1 ½ - 1 ¾ cups)
- ½ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk regular (stir well before measuring) or “lite” (or whole milk, buttermilk, sour cream, or plain yogurt)
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut preferably toasted - or an equal amount of moist, plump dried fruit, such as currants, raisins, chopped apricots, cranberries, blueberries, or halved cherries, or a combination of coconut and dried fruit
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13x9 cake pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Put the pan on a baking sheet.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together.
- Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy.
- Add the sugars and beat at medium speed for a couple of minutes, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, followed by the vanilla and rum. You’ll have a beautiful satiny batter.
- Now lower the speed and add the bananas-the batter will curdle, but that’s fine; it will come together as you add the remaining ingredients.
- Still on low speed, add the dry and liquid ingredients alternately, adding the flour mixture in three portions and the coconut milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients). Mix just until everything is incorporated.
- Switch to a rubber spatula and gently stir in the coconut.
- Pour batter into your prepared 13x9 pan
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cake is a deep golden brown.It should start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean.
- Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and cool for 5 minutes, then unmold and invert onto another rack to cool to room temperature right side up.
For the Frosting:
- Soften the cream cheese and butter, but don't let it get warm, just take the chill off. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar until completely combined. Beat in the vanilla. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on this blog on July 19, 2010.
Amanda Davis
Latest posts by Amanda Davis (see all)
- Watergate Salad - November 21, 2024
- Sweet Potato Pie - November 18, 2024
- Roasted Turkey - November 14, 2024
Mary says
We will miss you in TWD land. I always enjoyed your posts and your blog. Take Care!
Flourchild says
Great looking cake, I made mine in a 9×13 pan too. I totally understand about your leaving. Hope to see you when the new book rolls around!
TeaLady says
Aw, Amanda. But I understand completely. I am sorry to see you leave. Keep up with us. Maybe you will be back with the new book.
Your cake is beautiful. Love that you frosted it and the frosting is perfect with this.
steph- whisk/spoon says
oh my gosh–that frosting!!! the group will miss you, but i'm sure it will be nice to have everything you make be your own pick!
The Food Librarian says
The cake looks fantastic. We'll miss you Amanda but I'll continue to read your yummy blog! – mary
Amber Marie says
This looks great – glad you got to post one more time. :) best of luck!
berrybushel says
Your cream cheese frosting looks delectable on this cake. I completely understand your reasons for leaving–sometimes the baking requirement does become a bit much. Bon voyage from TWD, but I'll hopefully still see you around the blogosphere :)
Paula says
Hi Amanda,
I did the cream cheese frosting bit too but think I should have used your recipe as it looks much lighter.
We'll miss you. Wishing you continued success with your blog.
Mary says
Your cake looks fabulous–I am now dreaming of it with cream cheese frosting! So sad to see you go, but all the best, and I'm sure you'll keep baking Dorie's recipes whenever you have a chance.
Pamela says
Well, I'm sad to see you leave TWD, too. But I will still read you in my google reader! The cake looks like it turned out lovely, too. That frosting! YUM!
Kimberly Johnson says
Your cake looks delicious! I've never tried it in a 13×9 pan. Sorry to see you leave the group but good luck with your future endeavors! Thanks for baking with me this week.
Clivia says
A gorgeous cake, especially with the frosting. I look forward to seeing your blog continue to grow.
Jennifer says
Your cake looks absolutely perfect!
What a wonderful way to bid farewell to TWD!
Nickki says
What a perfect recipe for your TWD farewell! That vanilla frosting sounds amazing!
You will be missed in the group, but I am so glad I found your blog through TWD and I will continue to follow your posts. All the best!
jose manuel says
Estos bizcochos son para no parar y seguir. Que pintan. saludos
Sue Sparks says
Amanda, this cake looks wonderful! I love banana bread, but banana cake is even better! Sounds like this was the perfect recipe for you to bake in bidding farewell to TWD:)
alvarosa says
The frosting sounds delicious.
And I got to say, I am a bit sad, too, because you have been the first person ever to react on a TWD-post (it was the Cran-Apple-Crisp). So it is like my "TWD-big sister" is leaving.
But I can perfectly understand your reasons and wish you all the best!!
SiHaN says
That loosk fantastic.. especially with that huge amount of cream cheese frosting on top.
Jules Someone says
Looks fabulous! Come back if you can! You'll be missed in the group, but I can always just come by the blog and say hello!
Fallon says
I've never had a banana cake with frosting before. These could make yummy cupcakes!!
Just think you may of left the cooking group but you can still make those recipes when you want!