The Best Banana Cake

nibbleboard.com/recipes/banana-cake-recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
2. Mash the bananas in a bowl until mostly smooth with a few small chunks remaining. Set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl.
4. Beat the softened butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beat on high for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
6. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk (starting and ending with flour), mixing on low speed just until combined after each addition. Do not overmix.
7. Fold in the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
8. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack, at least 1 hour. For faster cooling, refrigerate after 30 minutes at room temperature.
10. Beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
11. Add confectioners' sugar one cup at a time, beating on low to incorporate, then increase to high. Add vanilla and salt. Beat until fluffy. If too thin, add the extra 1/4 cup sugar.
12. Spread the frosting generously over the cooled cake with an offset spatula or knife. Slice into squares and serve.

Nutrition per Serving

Chef Tips

• The riper your bananas, the better this cake will taste. I'm talking black-spotted, almost completely brown bananas — they have the most concentrated sweetness and banana flavor. I keep overripe bananas in the freezer specifically for this cake.
• I've found that room temperature ingredients make a real difference here. Cold eggs and buttermilk don't emulsify as well with the butter, and you can end up with a lumpy batter.
• Don't overmix once you add the flour — stir just until you don't see dry streaks. Overmixing develops gluten and you'll get a tough, dense cake instead of a tender one.
• No buttermilk? Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then fill to 1 1/2 cups with whole milk. Let it sit 5 minutes before using.
• This cake is actually better the next day. The banana flavor deepens and the crumb gets even more moist as it sits in the fridge overnight with the frosting on.

Storage

Cover tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. The frosting firms up in the fridge but softens nicely at room temperature.