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Test Kitchen Approved

Readers' Favorite Banana Cake

Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Yield: 10 servings

About

The people know what they are talking about, and we are here to share their tasty knowledge. Readers' Favorite Banana Cake is the obvious winner when it comes to picking a great cake! The masses are raving about this moist, banana-flavored cake topped with a fabulously creamy and tangy lemon-cream cheese frosting. Goodness! Read all about Readers' Favorite Banana Cake and share the good news! Let's give them something good to talk about!

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Ingredients

  • For the cake:
  • 2/3 cup butter, softened, plus more, to taste, for greasing the baking dish
  • 3 cups flour, plus more, to taste, for dusting the baking dish
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 1/3 cups bananas (about 2 bananas), mashed
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • For the frosting:
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more, to taste
  • 1 banana, optional, sliced, for topping

Directions

Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2 -Using the extra butter, grease a 9x13-inch baking dish, then use the extra flour to lightly dust the greased dish.

Step 3 -In a glass measuring cup, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and the milk and whisk to combine. Set the milk mixture aside.

Step 4 -In a medium bowl, add 1 1/3 cups of the mashed bananas and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and stir to combine. Set the mashed banana mixture aside.

Step 5 -In a large bowl, add 2/3 cup of the butter, the brown sugar, and the granulated sugar and using an electric hand mixer on high speed, beat to combine.

Step 6 -Add the vanilla extract and the eggs, 1 at a time, to the sugar mixture and beat between each addition of the eggs until light and fluffy.

Step 7 -In a separate, medium bowl, add the remaining 3 cups of the flour, the baking soda, and the salt and whisk to combine.

Step 8 -Add the flour mixture and the reserved milk mixture, alternating between the two and adding about 1/3 of each at a time, to the egg mixture and stir until just combined after each addition. Be careful not to overmix.

Step 9 -Add the reserved mashed banana mixture to the batter mixture and fold to combine.

Step 10 -Evenly pour the batter mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Step 11 -Bake just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.

Step 12 -Transfer the cake from the oven directly to the freezer to make the cake extra moist, about 45 minutes.

Step 13 -Transfer the cake from the freezer to a wire rack and let it continue to cool at room temperature.

Step 14 -In a separate large bowl, add the cream cheese and the remaining 1/3 cup of the butter and using an electric hand mixer with clean beaters on medium-high speed, beat until fluffy.

Step 15 -Add the lemon zest and the remaining lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture and beat to combine.

Step 16 -A little at a time, add 3 cups of the confectioners' sugar to the cream cheese mixture, while beating the mixture on medium-low speed, until it is combined and thickens into a frosting. If the frosting seems too thin, add the extra confectioners' sugar a little at a time.

Step 17 -When the cake is completely cool, evenly add the frosting to the top of the cake.

Step 18 -Add the banana slices to the top of the cake.

Step 19 -Slice and serve.

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