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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Disappointed says
I saved this recipe after seeing it on Facebook. I made it today, following every instruction and bake time, etc to the letter. It came out so dense and heavy, we couldn’t even eat it. I threw the entire cake in the trash. I went back over the ingredients and the instructions and I did everything exactly right. I don’t know what the problem was, but sadly, I won’t be making this again. Very disappointed.
Amanda Formaro says
Sorry to hear you had trouble. I’ve made this many times and not experienced this. Usually an overly dense cake is the result of too much liquid, too much sugar or too little leavening. Were your bananas previously frozen? Frozen overripe bananas can produce a lot of liquid after they are thawed.
Natalie says
This cake looks so delicious! I have a few ripe bananas in my kitchen so I’ll definitely give this recipe a shot real soon!
Nancy/n.o.e says
I grew up eating frosted banana cake from a 9×13 pan, but I've gotta say yours looks a whole lot better than my mom's! (shhhhhh, don't tell her) This recipe was wonderful and I'm glad it worked out for you to use it as your TWD swan song. It's been fun baking along for 2 years!
Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes] says
Ahh sorry to hear about you leaving. But maybe that will give us the chance to see more, different posts from you? :P The cake looks lovely!!
Leslie says
Love that cake with frosting! It looks awesome!
I'm going to miss your TWD posts (and I was shocked you would leave the group so close to it being your turn to pick). And I'm glad that I'm not the only one who has a recipe in mind for when their turn comes!
Tasty Eats At Home says
I love banana anything…but that frosting? I want to sneak and stick my finger in there, just to get a taste!
Ingrid says
Aw, I felt sad reading this.
You know me and banana desserts. This gets bumped to the top.
Being busy with work is not a bad thing. :)
~ingrid
Megan says
I never could figure out how you do it all. I was beginning to think you never slept. The cake looks fantastic.
Erin @ The Sweet Life says
Awww, Amanda! I hate to hear that you're leaving TWD, but I'm sure you've got LOTS of awesome baking/cooking up your sleeve. Your cake looks delish!
margot says
Your cake looks wonderful, definitely leaving on a high note. I was wondering why I hadn't seen your posts recently. I will still have to stop by and see what you're cooking.
Karen says
Aww amanda! You are one of my favorite bakers! I am sad to see you go and I am glad Katrina razzed you to try to keep you. Your cake looks lovely as always. Glad your farewell recipe was the one you would have chosen.
spike. says
you will be missed! but what a cake to go out on!!!
Jacque says
Aaah, I'm sorry to hear you won't be able to participate. We'll miss you! Well, I'm sure it's for the best for you and your family.
Your cake looks fabulous!
Lauryn says
Now Im sad too! I will miss your TWD posts Amanda, but I promise to stop by frequently to see what you are baking! Keep in touch! xoxo
Kelly D says
Good luck moving forward. I completely understand how these commitments – which don't seem like much — can get overwhelming. Great looking cake BTW.
marla {family fresh cooking} says
Sounds like you made the right choice that works for you with TWD. All of us seem so extra busy lately! Your banana cake with cream cheese frosting looks amazing. Coconut & banana are always a great combo :) xo
Piggy says
That's a nice looking cake and the cream cheese frosting looks yummy too!
Sweet and Savory says
Amanda, I appreciate why you are leaving. I know, I have to constantly re-evaluate what I am doing and what choices, I should make. You will be missed.
But, you are here and I am sure, everyone will continue to visit.
Meg says
Beautiful cake!! You have some really great things on here!
jillbert says
Hi Amanda, I'm sorry to see you go! But what a great looking cake and frosting! You're in my Google Reader, so I'll still be keeping an eye on your blog.