Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Servings: servings

Calories: 354cal

Equipment

Ingredients

2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened at room temp
1 cup packed light brown sugar or granulated sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons dark rum optional, or Malibu coconut rum
4 medium very ripe bananas OR 3 large 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

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 ounces cream cheese softened at room temp
½ cup butter 1 stick. softened at room temp
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

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.
TIP - Placing the pan on a baking sheet adds insulation and helps the cake bake evenly. It also prevents the bottom of the pan from getting hotter than the rest of it.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together.
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon nutmeg
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.
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter
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.
1 cup packed light brown sugar, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 2 Tablespoons dark rum
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.
4 medium very ripe bananas
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.
½ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
Switch to a rubber spatula and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Gently stir in the coconut.
1 cup sweetened shredded 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 to fully cool.

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.
16 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Author: Amanda Davis

5 from 7 votes

Notes

Remove the butter, eggs, and cream cheese from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before starting.
The riper the banana, the sweeter the cake! That means you'll want bananas that have plenty of brown spots.
Toasting the shredded coconut adds extra flavor, it also makes it so you don't taste the texture as much.
You can omit the shredded coconut if preferred. Or, substitute with nuts or an equal amount of moist, plump dried fruit such as currants, raisins, chopped apricots, cranberries, blueberries, or halved cherries.
If you would like to use frozen bananas, I would recommend thawing and draining them first. If not, the cake will take longer to bake, risking the possibility of overcooking the edges in the process. Thaw the frozen bananas, then gently drain off excess liquid.

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Nutrition