Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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There’s something so nostalgic about a classic banana cake, especially when it’s the one my grandma used to make. This foolproof farm inspired cake recipe delivers a moist, tender cake that’s topped with a silky cream cheese frosting. It’s a timeless dessert that brings comfort in every bite!

I don’t know about you, but I love anything banana. Banana bread, banana cream pie, banana pudding, banana taffy…believe it or not I just had banana taffy today and it was delicious.

I grew up eating banana cake, in fact this is my Grandma’s recipe! She actually calls them Banana Bars. Grandma’s have the BEST recipes. I love making family recipes because they bring me back. My mom made these all the time growing up – they would sit on the island and I remember cutting slice, after slice, after slice.

I hope you like banana and even if you don’t, please try these! They are not over powering with banana flavor and the cinnamon brings an extra level of deliciousness to them.

The cream cheese frosting is the real star of this dessert anyway. It’s so creamy and flavorful and complements the light banana flavor so well. Let’s be honest, cream cheese frosting is the star of any dessert. I truly believe that a frosting either makes or breaks the dessert, so it HAS to be good.

A few quick tips about this banana cake. They taste better the next day, you can sub the sour cream for Greek yogurt and a dash of cinnamon on the top makes them pretty.

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Yield: 18-24 servings

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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This banana cake is moist, tender and full of sweet banana flavor. It's topped with a rich and tangy cream cheese frosting. It's a simple, crowd-pleasing dessert that feels comforting and homemade in every bite.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Banana Cake

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• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 mashed ripe bananas

Cream Cheese Frosting

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• 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (sifting helps get the lumps out)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch cake pan; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand-alone mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream, and vanilla. Scrap down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
5. With mixer on low-speed, slowly add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the mashed banana with a spatula then transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The top will be golden in color.
7. Let cake cool completely before frosting.
8. To make the cream cheese frosting, mix the cream cheese, butter and vanillain a stand-alone mixer with a paddle attachment (hand-held mixer works, too). Add the powdered sugar and mix on low-speed until combined and creamy. Spread on cooled banana bars.

Notes

Store banana bars covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 470Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 82gFiber: 1gSugar: 59gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.

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