This easy banana cake is light, moist and full of flavour. It's perfect for sharing for afternoon tea and is a great way to use up overripe bananas. Top your cake with banana slices and cinnamon sugar before baking for a delicious caramelised banana topping.
If you've got some spotty bananas sitting on the counter it's time to make Easy Banana Cake! This cake is simple baking at it's best, using classic everyday ingredients - butter, brown sugar and flour.
The result is a light and moist banana cake that is filled with flavour. Top your cake with banana slices and some cinnamon sugar before baking to create a delicious caramelised banana topper.
Why you'll love this recipe...
- Light and moist cake
- Simple to prepare
- Made with easy everyday ingredients
- Freezes well - save some for later!
Got a bunch of spotty bananas? Try these 12 Ripe Banana Recipes to Use Up Your Bunch.
Or if you're worried you won't have time to use them up follow this guide on How to Freeze Bananas.
What is the difference between Banana Cake and Banana Bread?
Banana cake is essentially butter cake with mashed banana added in for flavour. It's typically lighter and more moist than banana bread.
Banana bread is firmer and more dense, and is perfect for toasting and slathering with butter. Both are delicious and perfect ways to use up spotty bananas.
INGREDIENTS
I think there's nothing worse than going to bake something that requires a bunch of strange ingredients. This Banana Cake is made from all everyday ingredients that you probably already have on hand! Here's what you'll need (full measurements listed in the recipe card below)....
- Unsalted Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Egg
- Ripe Bananas
- Self Raising Flour
- Milk - use any milk you have on hand.
- Cinnamon
- Cinnamon Sugar - I make this myself by mixing 3 tbsps granulated sugar with 1 & ½ teaspoons of cinnamon.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 160C /320F and grease a round cake pan.
Melt butter and sugar in a small saucepan on low heat, stirring regularly. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Set aside.
Mash bananas in a large mixing bowl, then add the egg and mix well (photo 1). Add the melted butter and mix well (photo 2).
Add flour and milk to the mixing bowl and fold to combine, being careful not to overmix (photos 3 & 4).
Pour cake mixture into the greased cake pan. Arrange banana slices is a decorative pattern on top and sprinkle over cinnamon sugar (photo 5).
Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean (photo 6). Allow to cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to completely cool.
How long will banana cake keep?
Banana cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days depending on how hot your kitchen is, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Can banana cake be frozen?
Absolutely - this banana cake freezes really well. Just individually wrap slices in cling film, then place in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.
TOP TIPS
- If you don't have self raising flour on hand simply use 1 & ½ cup of all purpose flour and 3 teaspoons of baking powder.
- Use 2 large bananas or 3 small (lady finger size) for mixing into the cake, and one extra banana for the topping. Make sure your bananas are ripe - the darker, spottier and uglier, the better.
- Make your own cinnamon sugar by mixing 3 tbsps granulated sugar with 1 & ½ teaspoons of cinnamon. You only need 1 tablespoon for this recipe but you can store the rest in an airtight jar. Sprinkle over pancakes, hot buttered toast, fruit crumbles, muffins before baking - there's so many ways to use it!
- Be careful not to overmix your batter once you've added the flour in. Overmixing causes your cake to be dense. Fold the flour in until just combined.
- Feel free to make without the banana slice topping if you don't have any more bananas on hand.
MORE DELICIOUS DESSERTS
- Easy Apple Cake
- Honey Joys (Honey Crackles)
- Flourless Orange and Almond Cakes
- Buttermilk Banana Bread
- BEST ever Chocolate Slice
- Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Snickers Nice Cream
- Mini Apple Crisps
- OR see all Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried this Easy Banana Cake I’d love to hear how you enjoyed it! Pop a comment and a star rating below!
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📋 RECIPE
Easy Banana Cake
This easy banana cake is light, moist and full of flavour. It’s perfect for sharing for afternoon tea and is a great way to use up overripe bananas.
Ingredients
- 125 g / 4.4 oz Unsalted Butter
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large Ripe Bananas (see note 1)
- 1 egg
- 1.5 cups Self Raising Flour (see note 2)
- ¼ cup Milk
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 extra Banana, sliced (for topping)
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon Sugar (see note 3)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C / 320F and grease a round cake pan.
- Melt butter and sugar in a small saucepan on low heat, stirring regularly. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Mash bananas in a large mixing bowl, then add the egg and mix well. Add the melted butter and mix well.
- Add flour and milk to the mixing bowl and fold to combine, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour cake mixture into the greased cake pan. Arrange banana slices is a decorative pattern on top and sprinkle over cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to completely cool.
Notes
1. Bananas - Use 2 large bananas or 3 small. Make sure your bananas are ripe - the darker, spottier and uglier, the better.
2. Flour - If you don't have self raising flour on hand simply use 1 & ½ cup of all purpose flour and 3 teaspoons of baking powder.
3. Cinnamon Sugar - Make your own cinnamon sugar by mixing 3 tbsps granulated sugar with 1 & ½ teaspoons of cinnamon. You only need 1 tablespoon for this recipe but you can store the rest in an airtight jar. Sprinkle over pancakes, hot buttered toast, fruit crumbles, muffins before baking - there's so many ways to use it!
4. Mixing - Be careful not to overmix your batter once you've added the flour in. Overmixing causes your cake to be dense. Fold the flour in until just combined.
5. Topping - Feel free to make without the banana slice topping if you don't have any more bananas on hand.
6. Storing - store at room temperature for 1-2 days, in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 293Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 289mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 2gSugar: 18gProtein: 3g
Irene Reddacliff says
I tried it. It's not too sweet. Iove. it
Cassie says
That's great Irene! So glad you enjoyed this one 🙂
Valeria says
Dear Cassie,
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I followed it completely except for the sliced bananas & cinnamon sugar topping part, and it turned out just perfect, soft and not too sweet, delicious with coffee! Must admit, I mixed in a handful of chopped walnuts and homemade candied orange peels, they add a nice touch 🙂 Warm regards from Moscow, Russia
Cassie says
Thank you Valeria! Made my day waking up to this. I love those additions and your homemade candied orange peels sound so good. How do you make them?
Valeria says
Happy to hear that Cassie! I use 6 medium oranges to make a batch. I cut them in halves, juice them, then peel them from the inside out so the fruit pulp is gone, then cut the peels in stripes less than a quarter of an inch wide and weigh them (this tells me the weight of sugar I'm going to need for the syrup later on). Then I cook them twice in salty water (pour enough cold water to cover them and add about a tablespoonful of salt, bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes, drain, rinse with cold running water, drain, and repeat). Repeat the cooking routine one more time without adding salt, drain and set aside. Now prepare the syrup by mixing equal parts in weight sugar and water (the weight of each is the same or slightly less than the weight of the peels before cooking), slowly bring to boil, stir till the sugar dissolves, then add the peels and press onto them lightly making sure they're all covered in syrup. Now simmer them with the lid closed (this part takes kind of long, and my original recipe said cook them with the lid open cause the point is getting the water to evaporate. With the lid closed, this still happens, but slower, and the peels get nicely saturated with the syrup). Check on them and stir them carefully not to break them up too much but to keep them evenly covered by the syrup. When there's little water left, finish the cooking with the lid open, watching for the moment before all of the water is gone and they start sticking to the bottom. Remove and spread them out onto a non-stick dish/rack (I use my glass cookware for this) and leave for a few hours to dry, tasting now and then to stop drying when they reach your preferred chewiness). Store in an airtight container. Sorry about this turning out as such a long description but I thought details matter to get it right, and I hope you enjoy this as I enjoyed your great recipe))
Cassie says
Thank you so much Valeria! I really appreciate you passing this on as I'd really like to try it. Looking forward to it 🙂 Thanks again
Lizzy says
Perfect banana recipe for all my bananas that are starting to get soft. I love a piece a cake with a cup of coffee anytime of day!
Cassie says
Me too!!