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This Banana Cake recipe is made with oil and easy to make and a great way to use those spotted bananas! With these step-by-step instructions, you’ll bake an incredibly moist and indulgently sweet banana cake from scratch. Finished with a luscious layer of cream cheese frosting, this cake will surely be a hit wherever it’s served!
When bananas ripen past their prime, don’t toss them! Instead, mash them up and use them in this homemade banana cake recipe. This easy-to-follow recipe results in a light and fluffy cake with delightfully sweet and creamy banana flavor.
As a trained pastry chef, I’m accustomed to making banana cakes with butter, but for this banana cake, I opted for all-oil, and it made a DELICIOUS difference. It’s soft and smooth with a melt-in-your-mouth moist crumb. The cream cheese frosting is a bonus!
As a rule of thumb, the spottier the bananas you have, the sweeter your cake will be! These are the kinds of bananas I am always baking with.
Do you love baking with bananas?! I always seem to have some past their prime on my counter so I like to make these 5 star rated banana chocolate chip muffins, banana bundt cake, or fresh banana cupcakes!
If you are new to making cakes- this recipe is super easy! If you need to troubleshoot check out this post on why cakes sink in the middle.
WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE THIS RECIPE
- This is a delicious alternative to banana bread when you need to use ripe bananas.
- It’s SO easy. This fuss-free cake is excellent for beginners.
- It’s perfect for breakfast and dessert!
- The cream cheese frosting is outstanding.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- Bananas – Save your fresh bananas for snacking, and use the brown and spotty ones for baking. The softer and more ripe the bananas, the more moist and sweet your cake will be.
- Eggs & vegetable oil – These liquid ingredients play a role in adding moisture and making a tender crumb. As a rule of thumb, your eggs should always be at room temperature.
- Vanilla extra – Enhancesthe rich, creamy flavors. Use a quality, pure vanilla extract for the best results.
- Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness. If you don’t have white sugar, use light brown sugar instead.
- All-purpose flour – Flour acts as the cake’s structure and expands the wet ingredients into a stable cake batter.
- Baking powder & baking soda – This pair of leavening agents create a reaction as the batter bakes, making it rise into a tender but firm cake.
- Salt – Salt also plays a role in rising while making everything sweet taste even sweeter.
- Cream cheese frosting – This moist banana cake is the best with tangy cream cheese frosting. I encourage you to make it from scratch (it’s simple!), but you can also use store-bought.
HOW TO MAKE A BANANA CAKE FROM SCRATCH
Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350F and generously grease a 9″x13″ rectangular cake pan with baking spray.
Mash bananas: Place the peeled bananas in a large bowl, then use a fork or potato masher to smoosh them (it’s okay if it’s a little lumpy!).
Mix wet ingredients: Add the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the mashed banana, and stir to combine. Then, add the sugar and mix well.
Combine with dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, pour the dry mix into the bowl with the wet mixture and lightly stir to combine.
Bake: Pour the cake batter into your prepared cake pan, and bake until the surface is firm to the touch and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan (30-35 minutes).
Let cool. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before turning it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Frost and serve. Meanwhile, make your cream cheese frosting. Then once the cake is cool, spread it with a luscious layer of frosting, and enjoy!
The secret to keeping this cake moist
- Using oil instead of butter in this recipe keeps it light and moist with a fluffy crumb.
- Only mix until combined! Do not over mix the batter as it can create a tough batter.
- Measure your dry ingredients correctly. The best way to do this is with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have a scale then spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off.
Expert Baking Tips
- The cake batter is a cinch to mix by hand, but you can also use a stand mixer and mix on medium speed. What’s most important is that you do not over-mix the batter. As soon as it’s combined, leave it be.
- Your bananas MUST be ripe! Seriously, the spottier the banana, the better the banana cake!
- For the best results, set the eggs out 10-15 minutes before getting started to bring them to room temperature. Your bananas shouldn’t be ice cold either.
- The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with some moist crumbs attached.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
Storing: Unfrosted banana cake is best kept in a covered container or wrapped tightly in plastic at room temperature for 3-4 days. If your cake is decorated with cream cheese frosting, it’s best kept covered in the fridge.
Freezing: If you plan to freeze your cake, let it cool to room temperature, then wrap the whole cake or individual slices in plastic wrap and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then layer on the cream cheese frosting.
FAQ
What type of frosting goes with banana cake?
Cream cheese frosting! The super sweet and soft cake pairs perfectly with the complex, tangy tastes in cream cheese frosting. It’s a great frosting to pipe perfectly onto your cake or slather on with a spoon or knife.
Can I bake this cake in a different size cake pan?
I had fantastic results baking a 9″x13″ rectangular banana cake, but the batter can also be divided between two 9″ round cake pans that you can use to make a layered cake.
Can I make moist banana cupcakes instead?
Yes, but with slight modifications. Line a muffin tin, fill each 2/3rds full, and bake at 350F for 20-22 minutes.
WAYS TO ENJOY
While I highly recommend decorating your banana cake with cream cheese frosting, it isn’t the only delicious option. You can also use:
- Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- Classic Vanilla Buttercream
- Brown Sugar Buttercream
- Mascarpone Frosting
More cake recipes
Easy and Moist Banana Cake with Oil
Ingredients
- 1 cup banana ripe, mashed, About 2 medium-large or 3 small bananas
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 batch Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and generously grease a 9×13” pan with baking spray. You can make this recipe by hand or by using a hand or stand mixer on medium speed.
- In a large bowl mash the 1 cup bananas. It’s ok if there are little lumps. Add the 3 eggs, 1 cup vegetable oil, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and stir to combine. Add the 1 1/2 cups of sugar to combine.
- In another bowl or over a large piece of parchment paper combine the 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the mixture to the bowl and mix lightly until combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. The cake is done when the edges start to pull away from the sides and the top feels firm when touched.
- Allow cake to cool at least 10 minutes then invert into a wired rack to cool.
- Frost with my homemade cream cheese frosting and enjoy!
Thanks for sharing, Sam. I even added 2 TBS of hemp seeds before baking. So moist and I have everything in my pantry!
YAY great Stefanie!! So glad you loved this cake! Im gonna add some hemp seeds to mine next time, that sounds so good!