Banana Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
My baking motivations come from a myriad of different sources. Sometimes I’ve had a recipe bookmarked for months… sometimes I see something on Pinterest that I want to make immediately… sometimes something in a magazine makes a light bulb go off… and sometimes I have grandparents coming over for lunch and four way, way overripe bananas sitting on my counter. Thus, banana cake!
In an effort to put together a casual dessert for lunch with my grandparents and also use up my quickly-going-bad bananas, I though that an easy snack-style cake would be a great choice. I typically turn to banana bread when I need to put browning bananas to good use, and was looking forward to having another easy banana baked good in my rotation for such occasions.
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This cake turned out exactly how I’d hoped; it’s easy to make, comes together quickly, incredibly moist and, most importantly, delicious. Originally, I wasn’t going to include a frosting, but I just couldn’t help myself. I love frosting, especially cream cheese frosting. If you’re a fellow frosting lover, I think you’ll find this to be amazing. My mom, my grandpap and I all gave it a big two thumbs up. If you’re a little more ambivalent about frosting, you might consider scaling it back; both my grandma and Chief Culinary Consultant thought the frosting could have maybe been halved. (What!? Who are these people?! How are they related to me?!)
Do you have a favorite recipe you turn to when there is a plethora of browning bananas on your counter?
More Favorite Banana Recipes
- Grandma’s Banana Nut Bread
- Hummingbird Cake
- Banana Cream Pie
- No Bake Banana Split Dessert
- Southern Banana Pudding
Banana Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1⅓ cups (266.67 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (54.5 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Pinch salt
- 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and oil together on medium speed until completely combined. Add both eggs and beat to combine, then add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, mixing until combined. Use a rubber spatula to give the batter one last mix, then pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Cream Cheese Frosting: With an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter and salt on medium speed. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until it has all been combined. Add the vanilla extract, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, cut into squares and serve. Leftovers should be covered with plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container and kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I made this around 11pm last night as I did not have the patience to wait until morning. These were simply divine. Perfect sweetness. The moistness…dear God, don’t even get me started. I doubled the recipe and made cupcakes (they came out wonderful). I also used a bundt pan (which turned out to be visual disaster…but it tasted fantastic). Another fantastic recipe Michelle…Keep up the deliciously edible work!!! :p
This cake is moist and delicious! I am big sweets fan but the frosting was SO sweet- next time I think I will only use 1 cup of powered sugar.
Really enjoyed that this recipe is not too sweet. However, i felt that the cake was slightly too dense for a banana cake. Anyway to make it less dense?
Hi Jenny I just saw your comment. I added 1/2 tsp baking powder with the dry ingredients because I also don’t like a cake that’s too dense. It turned out wonderfully light and moist. Good luck if you make it again, it is a beautiful recipe and my go-to one from now on. Thank you brown-eyed baker :)
Please help
Have just started to TRY and make cakes
Followed this recipe to a t cake looked lush from the outside, as soon as I cut it the whole thing was raw looking all the way through. Any ideas on where I could be going wrong?
Hi Paul, Be sure that your oven temperature is correct by using an oven thermometer and adjust your dials accordingly. Also, be sure to actually check for doneness; don’t rely solely on the time listed in the recipe. All ovens can behave differently. Test the center with a skewer or thin knife. If you still see wet batter, it needs to bake longer. If there are just crumbs, it’s finished.
This looks amazing! Today I made Gino D’Campo’s Banana and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding for the exact same reason as you – delicious! I also adore Hummingbird cake/cupcakes, especially the Hummingbird Bakery recipe (obviously!). This one is a must try though!
Have made this twice now and both times were delish! The second time I only had 3 bananas and it came out much lighter. I also reduced the sugar to one cup with no discernible difference. Great recipe !!
Okay, DO NOT PUT IN BUNDT PAN!!!!!
I made this because my bananas were starting to go bad, and it was so delicious. The cream cheese frosting with the moist banana bread made it perfect. It is sweet and adds a great flavor. I made it for my neighbor and it was the perfect dessert for her Sunday dinner. It is a good size and is a perfect dessert to make for any occasion, or for a yummy snack:)
Have you tried this as a bundt, with homemade carmel sauce oozing down the sides? That’s what I’m planning for dessert here tonight, just wonder about oven temp and time. Any thoughts?
Bake away
Hi Michelle, I was wondering what other frosting can go along well with this recipe… (the person im baking this for doesn’t really like cream chesse)
You could do a regular vanilla or vanilla bean, salted caramel, chocolate… I think any of those would be good!
Oh, and of course peanut butter frosting, too!
Came back to say that I made this cake and brought it to the day care pool party and everyone raved about it. My cream cheese frosting was runny again – I didn’t want to add more sugar as it was sweet enough. This is the second time I’ve made it and had it come out loose – any suggestions for making it thicker without more sugar?
Hi Lynne, I always use Philadelphia Cream Cheese, which is purported to have the highest fat content among cream cheese, versus other or generic brands. Also, do not use low-fat versions of cream cheese, they have a high water content, which will result in runny icing.
Had to come back to let you know that I did end up making this cake for work the other day and it went faster than almost anything else I’ve brought in before! It was fabulous!
Having some bananas in need of becoming something…..I made your cake! It was delicious! And since there are only two of us, the neighbors enjoyed it also. I posted it today and linked back to you. Thank you for sharing.
Hello,
I just made this cake last night. Funny thing my husband found this recipe and e-mailed it to me (not sure how he found you as he is not a food blogger follower) and I had aIso bookmarked it, it is funny how things happen. Can using frozen bananas cause the cake to become dense as well. I am an avid baker and was looking forward to a fluffy banana cake but mine turned out very dense. I will give it another try with non frozen ripe bananas to see if this will change the consistency of the cake as I did enjoy the taste of the cake. As for over mixing, I did not really mix more then that so I am a little puzzled. Maybe the extreme heat is also affecting the cake. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Hi Kathy, It sounds like you and your husband have great minds that think alike :) The frozen bananas could have definitely contributed to the dense texture; if you try it again with fresh, let me know!
Tried the recipe with non frozen bananas and it worked out perfect.
Thanks
really wonderful cake – great flavor, super moist. taste even better the next day. we refrigerated it and enjoyed it cold. Icing delicious, although the recipe made more than the cake really needs, it THAT good. thanks!
This looks like such an easy to make and yummy cake! So glad you added the frosting! It looks irresistible!
This recipe is so yummy — all three kids loved it even before I put the frosting on!! I do feel as if it’s a little tough and I SWEAR my low setting on my kitchenaid mixer has been faster than usual — it’s been squeaking too and about 20 years old. Seems to me that it makes total sense right? If it’s not mixing at the very low mix speed it would turn out a little tough, don’t you think? I figured I’d get your professional opinion since I’m going to hit my hubby up for the kitchenaid mixer that’s a step up from the one I currently have!!
Hi Dee, That could definitely have done it. Overmixing can cause cakes and baked goods to come out tough and dense.
OMG — I am so in love with this cake. I made it on Saturday and then Sunday night when I snuck another late night piece from the refrigerator — it seemed to just get better. I gave some to a co-worker on Monday who also loves it along with her husband. It is fabulous. I plan on getting a new mixer (which I’m still researching) so next time I’m sure I won’t over mix, but that doesn’t even matter with how good this cake is. Definitely one of my (well, your) top recipes!
Bananas freeze really well too. Whenever I have a banana that has become too ripe for eating, I remove the peel and pop it into a freezer bag. Once I have collected a few, it’s time to fire up the oven. My usual go to recipe is a banana nut muffin but a banana cake with cream cheese frosting is always welcome in my home. It’s one of the few desserts that really tests my willpower. I’m usually in the middle of slice number three when I realize I have to call in the neighbors for support.
I am a sucker for anything with cream cheese frosting. So I saw this recipe & made this cake yesterday. Can I say….I believe this is my favorite cake ever??? It’s true!! It is delicious & so easy to make!! The cake is so moist & the frosting? To die for!! I made this cake & wasn’t planning on sharing it with anyone…but my husband tried it & loves it as much as I do. So, I guess I have to share it! There is only one other ingredient that I added & that was walnuts. Michelle, I will save this recipe & make this cake for many years to come!! Thank You for sharing it!!
I love a simple snack cake like this, especially when cream cheese frosting is also involved :) I haven’t been buying bananas lately, I’m going to have to grab some on my next trip out!
This recipe came in perfect timing. Last night my husband mentioned that I should make something with the browning bananas on our counter. As I was going through your feed this morning I found this! I didn’t have the ingredients to make the frosting, but the cake was so delicious! I think they would be great as muffins or cupcakes, too! Next time I think I will do cupcakes! Thanks for another great recipe.
Dang…I just made two batches of mini banana breads… The up-side is that I have them at-the-ready in the freezer now. The down-side is I’m out of overripe bananas! I can make this one gluten-free in a heartbeat! And I know exactly when I’m going to make this! Thanks!
Hello, can we have this as cupcakes?
I have not made it as such, but you could certainly give it a try; let us know how they turns out!
Beautiful, Michelle! Isn’t it interesting when inspiration strikes? You never know where it is going to come from, so I always enjoy those little surprises. I’ve been making banana cake with cream cheese frosting for years. It was a recipe I found at AllRecipes.com. I must try yours! Thanks for sharing. Pinning!
I Got this recipe yesterday and decided to make it. I Used all the Ingredients but I added 2 teaspoons of baking powder . Wow! Its really DELICIOUS I loved it and so did my boyfriend.. Definitely going into my handy recipes. Thanks :)
delicious cake…. i guess yogurt can be used instead of buttermilk, right? planning to bake this cake this weekend.
Hi Ivy, Yes, you can use plain yogurt as a substitute.
Looks delicious!
Hubby just finished his third piece.
I am fighting the urge for piece number two.
This is amazing and the frosting is perfect.
What a coincidence, I was going to make banana bread last night, but I was busy making your Coconut Vanilla-Bean Cake, so I ran out of time. So now I can bake this. You know, I had some meringue frosting left over from the cake, and I have all these containers with 1/4 – 1/2 cup of frosting left over from different cupcakes, etc., and I was going to ask you what you do with your leftover frosting. Ha, ha – then I thought, “what leftover frosting?” :-) My stand-by for bananas is my banana bread – I can mix it up in the time it takes the oven to heat, and it’s done perfectly every time, and my family loves it. I think they will like this cake too!
Yum! Just put this in the oven, can’t wait for it to come out. Thanks for what is sure to be a winner!