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Square piece of moist banana cake with vanilla frosting on a wooden serving board

Ultimate Moist Banana Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe delivers an incredibly moist banana cake, perfectly spiced with cinnamon, and topped with a rich, tangy cream cheese frosting. Ideal for celebrations or a delightful everyday treat.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana Cake
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (345g) (about 4 medium or 3 large bananas)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g) (spooned & leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (12 Tbsp; 170g), softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (100g)
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (360ml), at room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 8 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese (226g), softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (8 Tbsp; 113g), softened to room temperature
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (360g), plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Equipment

  • Oven
  • 9x13-inch pan
  • Handheld or stand mixer
  • Paddle attachment
  • Rubber spatula
  • Whisk
  • Wire rack
  • Large bowl
  • Toothpick
  • Aluminum foil

Method
 

Cake Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9x13-inch pan.
  2. Mash the bananas using a mixer, then set them aside for later use.
  3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl and set aside.
  4. In a mixer, beat softened butter until creamy, then add both granulated and brown sugars and beat for 2 minutes until creamed. Incorporate the eggs and vanilla, then beat in the mashed bananas. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, mixing each addition just until incorporated without overmixing.
  5. Spread the finished batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cake top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
  6. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack; to speed up cooling, you can place it in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes.
Frosting and Serving
  1. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes, adding an optional extra 1/4 cup of confectioners' sugar if a thicker frosting is desired. Spread the frosting on the completely cooled cake.
  2. Refrigerate the frosted cake for 30 minutes before serving to help set the frosting and make slicing easier. Store any leftover cake tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

If the top of the cake browns too quickly during baking, loosely cover it with aluminum foil. Refrigerating the frosted cake for 30 minutes before serving helps the frosting set and makes cutting easier.