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
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Amanda says
Thank you for all the kind words everyone. I'll still be here blogging, just can't commit to the group anymore. I'll still bake from Dorie's book, I love it too much to give that up!
Thank you Dorie. You are an amazing baker and I am honored to have met you :)
Barbara Bakes says
Banana and coconut sound like a fabulous combination. Especially with a cream cheese frosting!
Mary Ann says
I couldn't agree more with you about how much I have learned from TWD. It's amazing really. Your cake looks great!
Hope things go well for you!
dorie says
Amanda, I am sorry to see you leaving TWD, but I know how much you do and how busy you are, so it's remarkable that you were able to participate so actively for so long. I have always enjoyed your posts and I loved getting to meet you and work with you on the terrific interview you did. Thank you.
xoDorie
Rachel says
Your cake looks perfect! I have to try the cream cheese frosting! mmmm.
sarahe says
your cake looks great! sad you are leaving the group, but i am sure you will continue to love this book and her next!
Judy says
I wish I could just dive in to that frosting. It sounds perfect for this cake! Sorry to see you leave, but I do understand how time and baking schedules aren't always compatible. Best of luck with everything. Come and visit sometime.
Chef Fresco says
Looks delicious! The cream cheese frosting looks especially light and fluffy. Nicely done.
Heather Davis says
Lovely post Amanda. Everyone is sad to see you go. Thanks for making contact with me through TWD and your continuing support. I know I will be "seeing" you again. Hx
AmyRuth says
Amazing support and good wishes all around. No surprise, Amanda. You do a fabulous job with your blog and I'm sure the TWD'rs will continue to read. So who is gonna keep you from baking along when you want right? hehe That's the rebel in me, woops. Shucks, that cake and the frosting looks so wonderful a perfect match. Thanks for all you have shared along the way. Good Luck but its not goodbye.
AmyRuth
stacey says
That sounds delicious with the cream cheese frosting! Good luck with your work and be sure to keep baking when you can! :) It really is great to bake along with the others in TWD, I'm impressed you kept at it for so long, as others have done. I feel like such a newbie coming up on 6 months, but it is wonderful thus far! And I have the extra pounds as proof, ha!
Shandy says
Your cake looks delicious and the frosting choice sounds perfect too! I am sorry you are leaving but I understand what a busy schedule means. You were there when I first started blogging and you have been an inspiration to so many of us. HUGS and happy baking!
Jessica of My Baking Heart says
So sad to see you leave TWD. I've always enjoyed coming over to see your posts and beautiful pictures! What a perfect recipe to end on, though! :)
Bridget says
Ah, I went for brown sugar frosting, but clearly cream cheese is the perfect match. What was I thinking? I also love the swirls of frosting on a big rectangular cake.
Sorry to see you leave TWD!
Stephanie says
Your cake looks amazing. I'm sorry to see you go :(
Katrina says
Aw shucks, thanks for the shout out. I <3 U.
That frosting looks fantastic. My brother may have died if I'd have piled mine on that thick. ;)
Will miss you to pieces. Oh, ok, I'll keep coming to your blog anyway!
I know I've said it before, but I do totally understand why you had to leave TWD.
dharmagirl says
i'm so glad that you had a chance to bake and post this favorite cake of yours before bidding us farewell. i wish you well, amanda.
Peggy says
I too am sorry you are leaving TWD, but I know how overwhelming it can get when your job is demanding. You can still cook along with us when your time and schedule allow. This banana cake was delicious and I love that you did yours in a sheet pan. I'm going to try that on my next one. Good luck with your blog and keep on cooking when you can!!
cindy says
This is a delicious cake! Sorry you are leaving TWD, it is a great group of bakers. Come visit anytime!
Valerie says
I can't think of a better recipe to help you ease out of the TWD group. Your cake looks delicious, something that I may try in the Fall!
I'm sorry to hear that you are leaving. :( But I understand how hard it can be so keep up with everything. Please don't stray too far from us, or your oven. :)