Once you sink your teeth into this easy banana cake topped with a banana-flavored whipped cream frosting, there’s no going back. With the help of a boxed cake mix and a handful of ingredients, you can be eating this irresistable cake this afternoon!
Why this recipe works
If you have bananas on the counter that are turning brown, and you just aren’t feeling banana bread, you need to make this easy banana cake!
I love to bake from scratch, but sometimes there just isn’t enough time in a day. That’s where this banana cake comes in. I always have a stockpile of cake mixes in the pantry, and I love to doctor them up and make them my own. Everyone that tries this cake loves it, and it’s topped with a banana flavored whipped cream frosting!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitute Suggestions
CAKE – For this banana cake recipe, you will need the ingredients from the back of the cake mix as well. An important note: some white cake mixes have two versions, one with egg whites and one with whole eggs. If yours has this option, use the number of eggs called for in the whole-egg version.
FROSTING – For the frosting, you will need a box of instant banana pudding mix, some milk, and whipped cream. If you prefer, you can use buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting for this banana cake.
How to Make Easy Banana Cake
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. Please scroll down to simply print out the recipe!
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13×9 baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
- Use milk in place of the water on the back of the cake mix box and use whole eggs instead of egg whites. Use oil as directed on box.
- Add milk, eggs, oil and bananas to the mixing bowl.
- Beat on low for 15-30 seconds to combine then increase speed to medium-high and beat for two minutes, until well blended.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when gently touched in the center. Allow cake to fully cool before frosting.
For the Frosting
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and pudding and place in refrigerator.
- Beat the whipped cream with a mixer set to high until stiff peaks form. Fold pudding into the whipped cream and spread onto cake.
- Garnish with sliced bananas if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
We have not tested this recipe in cupcake version, though I would imagine it would be just fine. I would suggest filling the cupcake cavities 2/3 full to allow room for the cupcakes to rise. Bake for around 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You can also refer to the back of the cake mix box you are using to see the suggested bake time for cupcakes. Some oven temperatures run hotter than others, and you definitely want to keep the cupcakes nice and moist, not overdone – so keep an eye on them in the oven around the 20 minute mark.
Serving Suggestions
Serve at room temperature for birthdays, parties, potlucks, or really for any occasion you want! If you are going to garnish the cake with banana slices, wait until you are ready to serve so the banana slices don’t brown.
Doctoring up a cake mix can be a real time saver. I love to bake from scratch, but I don’t always have the time to do that. This particular doctored cake mix recipe is one of my favorites to date, along with my Banana Pudding Poke Cake! This easy banana cake is a great solution for when you need something different and fun but you don’t have time to fuss.
What our readers are saying…
This is the best banana cake I’ve ever made! I use a cream cheese frosting topped with pecans! YUM!
~ Mary
This is the best banana cake! It is so moist and delicious! I did not try the icing recipe. I used vanilla icing instead. I will have to try Amanda’s other recipes.
~ Toni
OMG! The best banana cake I have ever had, and I made it 🤗! Thank you so very much for this recipe. I have it committed to memory so I can make it anytime, anyplace. I frosted with Pillsbury vanilla-marshmallow frosting then I poured homemade chocolate ganache over that.
~Yvonne
So moist and delicious. One of the most requested desserts at our extended family Sunday dinner each week. We serve the whipped cream/pudding topping on the side to accommodate a variety of sweetness. Thanks for a great easy cake!!
~ Rita
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Easy Banana Cake
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 It Text ItIngredients
- 16.25 ounce box white cake mix PLUS ingredients on back of box (you need milk in place of the water on the box)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Milk use measurement on cake mix box
- 3 medium ripe bananas mashed or broken into large chunks
Frosting
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3.4 ounce package banana cream instant pudding
- 1 cup milk
Things You’ll Need
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13×9 baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
- Use milk in place of the water on the back of the cake mix box and use whole eggs instead of egg whites. Use oil as directed on box. Add milk, eggs, oil and bananas to the mixing bowl.
- NOTE: Some white cake mixes have two versions, one with egg whites and one with whole eggs. If yours has this option, use the number of eggs called for in the whole-egg version.
- Beat on low for 15-30 seconds to combine then increase speed to medium high and beat for two minutes, until well blended.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when gently touched in the center. Allow it to fully cool before frosting.
For the Frosting
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and pudding and place in refrigerator.
- Beat the whipped cream with a mixer set to high until stiff peaks form. Fold pudding into the whipped cream and spread onto cake.
- Garnish with sliced bananas if desired.
Video
Expert Tips & FAQs
- This is a repeat from above, but wanted to make sure you saw it. Some white cake mixes have two versions, one with egg whites and one with whole eggs. If yours has this option, use the number of eggs called for in the whole-egg version.
- If you prefer, you can use buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting for this banana cake.
- If you are going to garnish the cake with banana slices, wait until you are ready to serve so the banana slices don’t brown.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared here on Apr 8, 2014 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips.
Amanda Formaro
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Mary says
I made this with a cinnamon cream cheese icing. The taste was fantastic. The cake was a bit too fluffy for my taste, I will cut the baking soda next time.
Monica says
This cake is so moist it almost doesn’t need frosting! It will be hard to go back to my banana bread recipe. I used a french vanilla cake mix because that’s what I had on hand. I also used cream cheese frosting but will try the icing recipe next time. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Judi says
My family loved this recipe. It was so easy to make and was a very moist cake. I did not put the frosting on top, they just added some powder sugar on the top.
Susan says
Awesome cake! It’s so easy to make a nice cake when one dresses up a box mix. For a cake that explodes with banana flavor, add 1t. banana extract with the milk!
Joan robinson says
I made this recipe and it turned out great. I also made a cream cheese icing and it was scrumptious ….I will make this one again!
Susan says
I love this recipe however I made a few changes to mine. I used a sugar free cake mix, used butter instead of oil and added an extra egg. And added chopped pecans on the top. On the frosting I did cream cheese, butter, truvia blend beat together, then whipped heavy cream with Naked Pina colada juice with it then combined with the cream cheese mix. Holy cow is this combination with the banana cake yummy
Ekatrina says
My husband loved it only made it two days in the fridge😂 I am gonna try to make them in cupcake form
Donna. Ward says
It’s good except I can taste soda..
Jim says
It would have been nice if someone would have put that are required eggs in the ingredient list. Only after I got it in the pan did I see that it needed eggs because someone didn’t write the recipe right.
Amanda Formaro says
it states in the recipe ingredient list “16.25 ounce box white cake mix PLUS ingredients on back of box (you need milk in place of the water on the box)”. So if your cake mix called for eggs, you should have used them. Please be sure and read all recipes thoroughly before beginning.
Angie says
I cannot wait to try this!! I’ve been looking for a moist banana cake recipe.
Kim says
So moist and totally delicious. I did not change a thing. This will be a regular. The family loves💕
Sandra Ortiz says
Love this recipe a great yummy alternative to banana bread when trying to use up over ripe bananas!
Maryann says
I made cupcakes and they we’re so moist I didn’t even need to icing them.
Annie says
I made the banana cake for dinner tonight. It was very good! I substituted buttermilk for the milk, and topped the cake with cream cheese frosting. Delicious!
Billy McCann says
This is awesome! I only had to bananas so I used a half cup of fresh pineapple that I had coated with coconut oil, brown sugar and cinnamon and cooked in the air fryer. I mashed it up with the bananas and also added a cup of chopped walnuts . I added chopped walnuts and grated coconut to the icing as well. Turned out delicious!
teresa says
Great recipe!
Teresa says
Great recipe! I made this for my brother’s birthday and everyone loved it.
Thank you Amanda!
Sandra Garza says
Great recipe! Was thinking about using a bundt pan (regular size) …will this work? Also what temp & time?
Amanda Formaro says
I have not tried it in a bundt pan. If you would like to try it, I would suggest checking the back of your cake mix box for the suggested bake time.
Jonneice says
I made a Bundt cake from the recipe and added a cup of chopped toasted walnuts. It turned out so AWESOME that it was gone before I was able to save myself a slice. My family and friends loved it! I’ll be making another one tomorrow. I will cut myself a slice and put it up before anyone gets to it.
Thanks Amanda for sharing this recipe. I’ve already promised a friend to make her one for Father’s Day.
Ruth Ann says
Yum, yum, yum! I cut up 3 no so ripe bananas and nuked them for 15 sec. Mashed and repeated for another 15 sec. I always do this with my bananas before I add them to a recipe and it really helps boost the banana flavor. I also added toasted pecans and used fresh nutmeg. I got creative and caramelized some banana slices that I added just before serving. Everyone loved it! Thank you so much for the recipe. Will definitely be making it again. And again.
Sylvia says
This cake is very good! I used a spice cake mix and left out the cinnamon and nutmeg, baked in a Bundt pan and frosted with a can of salted caramel frosting!! It was the hit of the Christmas desserts at our family gathering!
jane banks says
Can you use Cool whip instead of whipping cream?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes, but keep in mind that we are not adding sugar to the whipping cream because of the sugar already in the pudding. Therefore, since Cool Whip has sugar/sweetener already, you may find the frosting to be a little sweet.