Best Banana Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Icing
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Looking for the best banana cake recipe? This is the best banana cake recipe that I have ever had. Moist and delicious with a cream cheese icing on top, this Banana Bread Cake is sure to please.
If you are a fan of bananas, this is by far the best banana cake recipe that I have made to date! It is so very moist and the lemon cream cheese icing on the top just sets it apart from all the others that I have had before. This banana bread cake will definitely become a favorite for your whole family for a dessert.
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When I was growing up we used to make a lot of banana desserts. I fell in love with banana pudding but wanted something a little different, so the banana cake was born for just a little twist. This is easily shared and can also be great for if you have something to make for a bake sale. The banana cake alone is very good but when it is topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting it is absolutely to die for!
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What to Serve with Easy Banana Cake
This easy banana cake recipe can make a delicious sweet treat for breakfast or it will work fantastic as a light dessert after an amazing dinner. We have our favorite go to dinners, but here are a few that I think you will enjoy and they are sure to be a winner just like this Easy Banana Cake.
- Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak
- Garlic Herb Potatoes and Steak Skillet
- Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
- Garlic Butter Meatballs with Lemon Zucchini Noodles Recipe
- Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie
Variations to Easy Banana Cake Recipe
While this easy banana cake recipe is pretty simple there are still a few ways to change this delicious cake. You can consider:
- Adding Chocolate chips or chunks. – Chocolate and banana are always a good mix, so adding a little chocolate to this cake will take it to a new level.
- Adding Peanutbutter Chips. – Adding peanut butter chips to this batter will be like bringing the classic sandwich to life in an even more amazing cake.
- Caramel– One last addition to this cake can be caramel. Thanks to the banana split, caramel, and banana became a classic combination.
- Leave out the Lemon– I love the slight acidity to this cream cheese frosting. It adds a new layer of flavor and makes this recipe taste bright. However, if you do not like lemon you can remove it from the cream cheese frosting.
How to Store Banana Bread Cake
When it comes to the best way to store bread or a cake, storing it covered well in an airtight container is the best way to store the cake. However, this cake has a cream cheese frosting it must be stored in the refrigerator. Normally, using the refrigerator to store cake will cause it to dry out faster. This is why most cakes are recommended to be stored in the refrigerator. However, when there is a chance that not refrigerating the icing will cause it to spoil, you must refrigerate the cake.
Can Easy Banana Cake be Made Ahead
While it is always best to make this cake fresh when you are ready to have it, for example, the day of a party or get together, it can be made the day before. The cake will stay fresh for several days. Another option is to make the batter the day before and then bake the cake the day you will need it. Before adding the lemon cream cheese frosting, make sure the cake has cooled completely. If you ice the cake before it is cooled, the icing will melt and not stick to the cake.
Can Easy Banana Cake Recipe be Frozen?
There have been times when there were a piece or two of this cake that would not be eaten before it goes bad. I like to freeze the cake if I know this is going to happen. Because of the frosting on this cake, I like to freeze it on a plate before storing it in a freezer bag. This keeps the icing from being smashed all over the bag. I take the cake out of the bag before letting it thaw.
Ingredients in the Best Ever Banana Cake
- bananas
- Whole milk
- Lemon juice
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butter
- Large eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla
- Cream cheese
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Powdered sugar
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How to Make the Best Ever Banana Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mash up 3 large bananas, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to them, and set aside.
Pour 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice into a measuring cup, and add in 1 ½ cups of milk. Set the milk mixture aside for later use.
Using a stand mixer, beat together ⅔ cup room temperature butter, 1 cup granulated sugar and ½ cup brown sugar.
Slowly add in 3 eggs a little at a time to the butter mixture.
Pour in 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and beat the butter and sugar mixture until it is fluffy and creamy.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
Add the flour mixture a little at a time to the butter mixture, alternating with a bit of the milk and lemon mixture. Be sure not to overmix the batter at this time.
Once all of the flour mixture and milk have been incorporated into the cake mix, fold in the mashed bananas, and pour the batter into a greased 13×9 pan.
Bake the cake in the oven for 60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the center.
When the cake has finished cooking, set it off to the side to cool.
In a mixing bowl, beat together ½ cup of softened butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese until well blended. Add in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon zest.
Slowly add in 3 cups of powdered sugar a little at a time. Mix until you have reached the desired icing texture.
Once the cake has cooled, top it with a thick layer of icing.
Top the slices of cake with freshly cut bananas, and serve.
Enjoy!
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Best Banana Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 Large mashed bananas
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ½ c. Whole milk
- 2 ½ tbsp. Lemon juice
- ½ tbsp. Baking soda
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ⅔ c. Butter at room temperature
- 3 Large eggs at room temperature
- 1 c. Granulated sugar
- ½ c. Brown sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
For the Icing:
- ⅓ c. Butter
- 8 oz. Cream cheese
- 1 ½ tsp. Lemon zest
- 1 tsp. Lemon juice
- 3 c. Powdered sugar
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mash up 3 large bananas, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to them, and set aside.
- Pour 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice into a measuring cup, and add in 1 ½ cups of milk. Set the milk mixture aside for later use.
- Using a stand mixer, beat together ⅔ cup room temperature butter, 1 cup granulated sugar and ½ cup brown sugar.
- Slowly add in 3 eggs a little at a time to the butter mixture.
- Pour in 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and beat the butter and sugar mixture until it is fluffy and creamy.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
- Add the flour mixture a little at a time to the butter mixture, alternating with a bit of the milk and lemon mixture. Be sure not to overmix the batter at this time.
- Once all of the flour mixture and milk have been incorporated into the cake mix, fold in the mashed bananas, and pour the batter into a greased 13×9 pan.
- Bake the cake in the oven for 60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the center.
- When the cake has finished cooking, set it off to the side to cool.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together ½ cup of softened butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese until well blended. Add in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon zest.
- Slowly add in 3 cups of powdered sugar a little at a time. Mix until you have reached the desired icing texture.
- Once the cake has cooled, top it with a thick layer of icing.
- Top the slices of cake with freshly cut bananas, and serve.
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Make sure you check my best recipes below :
Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak – Get the taste of take-out right in your home with this slow cooker Philly cheesesteak.
Garlic Herb Potatoes and Steak Skillet – You can’t find a more filling and hearty meal than this skillet garlic butter herb steak and potatoes recipe.
Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings – I love that my pressure cooker does the hard work while I work on other things like dessert!
Garlic Butter Meatballs with Lemon Zucchini Noodles Recipe – They are buttery, have the perfect amount of garlic, and have lots of protein to keep you full.
Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie – The hardest part is smelling the shepherd’s pie ground beef recipe cooking and not being able to devour it.
Hi I’d love to make this cake .. but you have forgotten to put how much flour we need. Also could you use buttermilk in place of the whole milk and lemon juice. Thanks .. can’t wait to make this.
I updated the recipe, you need about 3 cups flour, and of course, the substitution is possible 🙂
Will this banana cake hold up as a layer cake? I trust buttermilk will work as well as soured milk?
Hi Kim, Yes Sour milk can be an alternative for buttermilk. When I need buttermilk/sour milk, I add one tablespoon lemon juice to one cup of milk to make the substitution. It works! thanks for your comment 🙂
Was just reading your banana cake recipe and noticed that…. Whoops, there appears to be no FLOUR listed in the ingredients. I’m sure you will want to correct that quickly before some poor newbie cook tries to make the cake without flour! 🙂 This is also a chance for me to say THANK YOU for all the great recipes you share with us. Sweet Pea’s Kitchen is a top favorite of mine!
Yees, thanks for notifying me about this, 3 cups flour 🙂 thanks again!
This looks really good please send me the website thank