Moist Banana Cake (Printable)
Tender, moist banana cake with mashed ripe bananas and buttermilk; stays soft for days.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
06 - 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
09 - 4 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups / 375 g)
10 - 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk or plain yogurt
→ Optional Add-ins
11 - 1/2 cup (75 g) chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - 1/2 cup (90 g) chocolate chips
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) cake pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and oil (or melted butter) until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Fold in the mashed bananas and buttermilk (or yogurt) until just combined.
05 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing gently just until no flour spots remain. Do not overmix to keep the cake tender.
06 - If using, fold in the chopped nuts or chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula for an even surface.
08 - Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden.
09 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve plain or with your favorite frosting.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It uses pantry staples and turns bananas you would otherwise toss into something genuinely special.
- The crumb stays soft and moist for days which means it actually tastes better on day two if you can wait that long.
02 -
- Overmixing once the flour joins the wet ingredients is the fastest way to end up with a rubbery texture so stop early.
- Using bananas that are not fully ripe results in a blander cake so wait until the skins are mostly brown and spotted.
03 -
- Freeze your overripe bananas whole in their skins and thaw them overnight when you are ready to bake because they mash effortlessly and release more liquid which means more flavor.
- If you want a taller cake with a softer crust reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees and add five to eight minutes to the bake time.