Amazing 1-Bowl Banana Bread Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Look, nothing screams ‘comfort’ like warm, fragrant banana bread pulled straight from the oven. But sometimes, you need to ditch the loaf pan and go fully celebratory, right? That’s exactly how this recipe was born! I took my go-to moist banana bread and decided it deserved a glow-up. What we end up with is this show-stopping Banana Bread Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting. Trust me, the rich, deeply flavored, tender cake crumb loves that slight, sharp tang from the frosting way more than you think. It’s the best of both worlds!

Why This Banana Bread Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Stands Out (E-E-A-T)

This isn’t just any banana cake; it’s the result of serious trial and error in my kitchen. I wanted that cozy, familiar banana bread taste but with a texture that holds up perfectly when layered. We keep things classic, so the results are always reliable. I think you’ll love what stands out here:

• Incredible Moisture: This cake stays tender for days, which is half the battle with banana goodies!
• Flavor Depth: We use both granulated and brown sugar, which gives the cake a richer, almost caramel note beneath the banana scent.
• Perfect Frosting Balance: The cream cheese frosting is thick enough to handle the layers but tangy enough to cut through the sweetness of ripe bananas.

We’ve built this recipe on strong fundamentals. Check out my personal secrets below—they make all the difference when you’re baking something special.

Expert Tips for the Ultimate Moist Banana Bread Cake

When I first started messing around with turning banana bread into a layer cake, I kept getting a crumb that dried out too fast. Oops! Once I locked down these three things, everything changed. You’ll want to pay close attention to them, too.

First, the bananas have to be black—I mean really almost too far gone to eat straight up. Those super ripe bananas are pure sugar and pure moisture, making the final cake incredibly tender. You can see how I get my older loaves perfectly moist over at my sour cream banana bread post, but for this cake, focus on the spots!

Next, don’t skip the buttermilk! If you don’t have any, just make your own—it’s super easy with a splash of vinegar. The acidity in the buttermilk works with the baking soda to give you the fluffiest lift without being heavy. That little bit of acid is magic, I promise.

Finally, remember that crucial instruction in the steps: begin and end with the dry ingredients when alternating. This keeps the gluten development low. Low gluten means a soft cake, not a chewy one. Easy!

Gathering Your Ingredients for Banana Bread Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Okay, ingredient prep time! This is where you set yourself up for success, especially with both the cake and that decadent frosting. For the creaming steps later on—where we whip the butter and sugar—you absolutely must have your butter soft and your eggs at room temperature. If they are too cold, the batter splits, darling. Don’t let that happen!

Also, remember to sift that powdered sugar for the frosting. If you skip that step, it doesn’t matter how well you beat it; you’ll still end up with lumps. We want silky smooth frosting, not granulated sugar crunch!

Speaking of prep, if you need a little help with other standard kitchen components, you might find my guide on simple syrup surprisingly useful, although we don’t use syrup here. Let’s get these separated!

Cake Ingredients for the Banana Bread Cake

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs (room temperature, remember!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 very ripe medium bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Step-by-Step Instructions for Banana Bread Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Alright, let’s get baking! Before we even touch the mixer, I need you to preheat that oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Get your two 9-inch round cake pans greased up and floured. This step saves so much heartache later on, so don’t rush it!

Preparing the Banana Bread Cake Batter

First things first: creaming! In a big bowl, whip that softened butter, granulated sugar, and beautiful dark brown sugar together until it gets genuinely light and fluffy. I mean fluffy, like a cloud. Then, add those four eggs in one at a time, making sure each one is totally mixed in before adding the next. Stir in your vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk your dry stuff together: flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Then, in a little bowl, just mash up those bananas and stir in the buttermilk. Now for the alternating part—this is so important for a tender crumb! Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing gently, then pour in half the banana mixture, then more dry, then the rest of the banana, and finish with the last of the dry ingredients. Mix only until you barely see streaks of flour left. Seriously, stop mixing then! Overmixing is the enemy here.

Baking and Cooling the Banana Bread Cake Layers

Divide that glorious batter evenly between your prepared pans. Pop them into that hot oven for about 30 to 35 minutes. You are checking for doneness with a wooden pick right in the center—it should come out clean! If it comes out wet, give it five more minutes.

Once they look perfect, let them sit in the pans on a cooling rack for exactly 10 minutes. Not 15, not 5—ten! This short rest firms them up just enough so when you flip them out onto the rack to cool completely, they don’t accidentally smoosh their pretty edges. Patience here really pays off!

Making and Applying the Cream Cheese Frosting

While those layers cool down (and I mean *completely* cool—if they are even a tiny bit warm, the frosting melts into a puddle, which is a tragedy!), we make the frosting. Beat that softened cream cheese and softened butter together until they are silky smooth. You don’t want any cream cheese lumps, so beat it good!

Next, gradually add in your sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing slowly so you don’t create a sugar cloud in your kitchen! Finally, stir in the vanilla. Once, and I can’t stress this enough, your cakes are **completely cool to the touch**, you can frost those layers and the top. If you need extra ideas on sauces or flavorings, my guide on homemade sauces shows just how mixing components carefully changes the final result!

Tips for Perfect Banana Bread Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Baking is supposed to bring joy, not anxiety! If you follow the steps, you should be golden, but I always have a few last-minute checks for when things feel a little uncertain. Dealing with sunken centers or sloppy frosting is my specialty!

If your center sinks after you pull the cake out, it usually means one of two things: either you opened the oven door too early, or the buttermilk/banana mixture was too warm when added. Next time, try to keep that temperature consistent throughout the wet mix. Also, never overbeat batter once the flour goes in; we want lift, not toughness!

Now, for the frosting, if it seems too loose, don’t panic! Either the cream cheese or butter was too warm when you started beating, or maybe your powdered sugar wasn’t sifted well. Just pop the whole bowl into the fridge for about ten minutes to firm up, then beat it again with another quarter cup of sifted powdered sugar. It’ll be perfect for spreading. You’ll find these tips just as helpful as learning how to make perfect homemade croutons for soup night!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Banana Bread Cake

I know sometimes you don’t have everything sitting around, and that’s okay! Baking is about adapting, but for this Banana Bread Cake, a couple of ingredients really need your attention to keep that signature texture. If you try to substitute the main players, you might end up with something closer to, say, a plain cake base. We want that deep banana soul shining through!

The most important thing is those bananas. If you try to use yellow bananas, the cake will taste bland, and honestly, it won’t be nearly as moist. Let them get spotty, brown, or just plain black on the counter. If you’re in a rush, I’ve heard tricks about baking them in the oven for a bit to speed up the process (though I usually just wait!), but they have to be soft enough to mash into a total liquid paste.

And about that buttermilk—if you’re fresh out, no worries. It’s just milk reacting with acid. Take regular milk, and stir in half a teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice for every half cup you need. Let it sit on the counter for about five minutes until it looks slightly curdled—that’s your homemade buttermilk, ready to activate the baking soda beautifully! You can check out how careful measuring works for sweetening needs in my simple syrup guide, and the same attention to detail pays off here.

Remember to always stick with **unsalted butter** for baking when you have the choice. It lets you control the salt level perfectly, which is especially important when dealing with salty ingredients like cream cheese later on!

Serving Suggestions for Your Banana Bread Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Now that you’ve made this stunning cake, you need the perfect companion to enjoy it with! This Banana Bread Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting is rich, so you want something to balance that sweetness. Honestly, a big, fat slice of this next to a steaming mug of black coffee in the morning is non-negotiable for me.

It is wonderful with a strong cup of Earl Grey tea, too, as the bergamot notes complement the cinnamon in the cake. If you’re going for a lighter vibe, I love serving it slightly chilled with a glass of cold milk, especially if the kids are digging in. For a real treat, try one of my cold coffee drinks recipes—that chill contrasts so nicely with the soft cake texture. Enjoy every bite!

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips for Banana Bread Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Nobody wants to rush eating this! Since we used that glorious cream cheese frosting, we have to be smart about storage. If you have leftovers (good luck!), you absolutely must keep the frosted cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It holds up beautifully for about three to four days this way.

If you plan to make this ahead of time, let the cake layers cool completely, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze them flat for up to a month. When you pull them out to frost, just let them thaw on the counter for an hour or two first.

Now, if you try to microwave a slice of this? Skip it! The cake will be fine, but that beautiful frosting will melt right into a sweet, buttery puddle. This cake is best enjoyed cool or at a soft room temperature, not hot!

Frequently Asked Questions About Banana Bread Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

I always get questions when people make this cake for the first time, and usually, the answers are simple fixes! Don’t sweat if you run into a snag. Here are the things I hear most often when readers are whipping up their **moist cake** layers.

Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk in this Banana Bread Cake?

Yes, you totally can! Buttermilk just gives you that little extra lift because its acidity reacts with the baking soda. If you don’t have any on hand, just take regular milk—say, half a cup—and stir in half a teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit on the counter for about five minutes until it looks a little chunky. Then, you can use it exactly where the recipe calls for buttermilk. Easy peasy!

How do I prevent my cream cheese frosting from being too runny?

The biggest culprit for runny frosting is almost always warm ingredients! Make sure that cream cheese and butter are softened, yes, but not melty or oily. If you beat them too long before adding the powdered sugar, the mixture gets too loose. If this happens to you, just scrape the entire bowl down, plop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up, and then whip it again. Don’t add extra sugar right away unless you have to!

What is the best way to ripen bananas quickly for this cake?

If you were planning on making this **banana dessert** tomorrow but your bananas are still yellow, I have a little trick! Preheat your oven to about 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Put the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and pop them in for about 15 to 20 minutes. They will turn totally black, and the insides will get super soft and sweet. Let them cool completely before peeling and smashing them up. They work perfectly for that deep **banana bread cake** flavor!

If you’re looking for some great pairings for your slice, check out my thoughts on the best cocktails and mixes—something light pairs wonderfully!

Estimated Nutritional Snapshot

I always feel a little guilty looking at this section, because let’s be honest, this Banana Bread Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting is a treat through and through! But for those of you who track macros or are just curious, here is a general breakdown based on the ingredients we use. Remember, these numbers are just estimates; if you use a different brand of butter or load up on extra frosting, your numbers will change!

I used the standard serving size provided, which results in 12 generous slices. Think of this as your baseline—it’s always going to be a heavier, indulgent slice since we are using real butter in both the cake and that beautiful frosting.

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 450
• Sugar: 55g
• Sodium: 250mg
• Fat: 24g
• Saturated Fat: 15g
• Unsaturated Fat: 9g
• Trans Fat: 0.5g
• Carbohydrates: 60g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 5g
• Cholesterol: 100mg

Please take these figures with a grain of salt, or maybe a grain of cinnamon! We are baking for flavor here, not for counting every tiny calorie. This cake is meant to be enjoyed during a special moment, so don’t worry too much about the final tally!

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