Old Fashioned Banana Cake

banana cake on a white plate, topped with cream cheese icing with a metal pan of more cake in the background.

Published by Kate

This moist and flavorful banana nut cake is delicious on its own, but the cream cheese frosting takes it over the top!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 445 kcal

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
2 eggs
3 small very ripe bananas
1 cup buttermilk (see notes below for a DIY version)
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup finely chopped walnuts

For the cream cheese frosting:

8 oz cream cheese (1 block), softened
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups powdered sugar

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Instructions

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In another large bowl, beat the sugar and ½ cup butter on high until fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
Add the eggs, vanilla, and bananas, and beat until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, if needed.
Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk. Stir gently with a spatula until incorporated.
Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk. Stir in the walnuts.
Pour the batter into the greased 13x9 inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then put a piece of aluminum foil over the top to prevent the cake from browning too much. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely before spreading on the frosting.

For the cream cheese frosting:

Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla and powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating after each addition.
Spread the frosting on the cooled banana cake. Cut into 15 pieces and serve.
Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator.

Notes

To make your own buttermilk, pour 1 tablespoon of vinegar into a measuring cup. Fill the rest of the cup up to the 1-cup line with milk. You can use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar. You can use skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk.

Follow these instructions for how to soften butter quickly if you need them (it also works on cream cheese).

This is a very moist, somewhat dense cake. Think banana bread but in cake form! Due to the cream cheese icing, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator. Let the cake sit on the countertop for 30–60 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 7gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 353mgPotassium: 108mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 639IUCalcium: 50mgIron: 2mg

Keyword banana cake, cream cheese frosting

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