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One of the best moist and incredibly flavorful banana cake recipe with oil! Topped with a cream cheese frosting, perfect for any celebration!
If you love banana try my favorite banana bread recipe, blueberry banana muffins and baked banana donuts!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItI absolutely love this classic cake recipe. It’s one I’ve been making for years (adapted from Ina!), and it’s always a hit anytime I serve it. The cake is incredibly moist with sour cream and vegetable oil in the recipe, and I swear those 2 ingredients make the moistest cakes!
I also enjoy a cake recipe that’s no fuss, and this one is just that. It’s very easy to make, and after the cake is made and cooled, I piled whipped cream cheese frosting over the top! It’s so yummy!
How to make the Classic Banana Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Add mashed bananas, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to an electric mixer and beat on high until light, fluffy, and fully combined.
Add in sour cream, oil, vanilla, and eggs and continue to mix on low until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients… flour, salt, and baking soda, and lightly whisk.
With the mixer on low, add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Pour into a prepared 9×2 round pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the center of the cake is done… do not overcook!
Let the cake cool before removing or frosting.
How to Decorate a Banana Cake
For an easy and charming way to decorate the cake, add sliced bananas, Heath Bar toffee chips, and a few dried flowers on top of the cake to garnish it.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Top this cake with a super-easy whipped cream cheese frosting. It uses only 4 ingredients and is whipped to perfection! Look how yummy that cream cheese frosting looks!
What is the difference between banana bread and banana cake?
This cake has the texture of a moist, fluffy cake. It’s made with more oil, butter, and sour cream to give it a very moist texture. It’s also topped with a cream cheese frosting and baked in round cake pans.
The bread is what you would imagine a loaf of bread to be. It’s denser, baked in a loaf pan, and has more of a bread-like texture.
You can see the mashed banana below and how delicious it is! If you make this delicious recipe, please let me know in the comments how it turns out!
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love!
Brown Sugar Cake with Creme Fraiche
Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Let us know if you make this banana cake by leaving a comment and review below!
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Classic Banana Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Classic Banana Cake
- 3 very ripe mashed bananas
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Classic Banana Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add mashed bananas, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a electric mixer and beat on high until light, fluffy and fully combined.
- Add in sour cream, oil, vanilla and eggs and continue to mix on low until combined.
- In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients… flour, salt and baking soda and lightly whisk.
- With the mixer on low, add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Pour into a prepared 9×2 round pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the center of the cake is done… do not over cook!
- Let the cake cool before removing or frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on high until light and fluffy.
- Add in the vanilla and continue to beat.
- With the mixer on low, add in the powdered and mix on high until light and fluffy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This banana cake recipe sounds fantastic! I love that it’s both moist and packed with flavor—that’s exactly what a great banana cake should be. Topping it with cream cheese frosting is such a delicious touch, making it perfect for any celebration. I can’t wait to try this; it sounds like a showstopper that everyone will enjoy!
I made only the cake by itself, reduced the sugar a little & didn’t add orange zest because I didn’t have it. It was moist, soft and delicious! Everyone should make this cake!
In the ingredients for classic banana cake butter is not on the list but in the directions it says to add butter. Could you please clarify? Thank You.
Yes! Thank you! There is no butter in the recipe!! Sorry that was in the directions, it’s fixed now!
Hello,
This looks amazing! Trying it soon!
My husband loves banana desserts and I always default to either pudding, trifles, or pie. I’ve never actually made a banana cake. I love the toffee topping, that sounds delicious too!
Thank you Ashley! If he loves banana desserts you have to try this one! It’s obviously similar to banana bread, but personally I think it’s better, haha!! Thanks for the sweet comment 🙂