This easy, moist spiced banana cake takes a classic banana bread and kicks it up a notch. This light and fluffy cake is packed with banana and warm spices, and slathered in an ultra-soft brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Simple - this banana spice cake is a very basic cake recipe made with mostly pantry staples. It gets baked in a 9x13" pan and can be made in a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer.
Flavorful - the banana cake is full of warm spices that pair so nicely with the flavor of the ripe bananas. Because it is a large cake, the cake takes quite a bit of spice for the flavor to shine through. Additionally, the brown butter in the cream cheese frosting pairs with the spices so nicely and really enhances the overall flavor of the cake.
Feeds a crowd - who doesn't love a banana dessert? This cake serves up 24 generous slices so no one will leave your gathering hungry.
Try some more banana recipes, like these banana nut muffins (a family favorite!) or strawberry banana cake.
Banana Bread vs Banana Cake
So, what's the difference? While the flavor is quite the same, there are a few ways they are different.
First, banana bread is typically a strictly oil-based cake, while banana cake includes butter. This makes a structural change in the texture of the baked goods. Banana bread is more dense with a closed crumb, and banana cake is fluffier and lighter in texture.
The bread and cake are also baked in different types of pans, and banana cake is typically covered in a frosting or glaze, while banana bread is often a standalone quick bread.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Flour. All-purpose flour is used in this recipe.
- Sugars. Light brown sugar and granulated sugars are used in the spice cake, and powdered sugar is needed for the cream cheese frosting.
- Dairy. Unsalted butter in both the cake and frosting, as well as whole milk and sour cream in the cake. It's very important for all of these to be at room temperature.
- Eggs. The eggs should be at room temperature. If you forget to take them out, place the whole eggs in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes prior to using.
- Oil. A neutral oil such as canola oil or vegetable oil is used to enhance the moisture in the cake.
- Spices. Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves are used.
- Bananas. It's imperative that the bananas are incredibly ripe. They should have very good brown spot coverage, and can even be totally brown.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Suggested Tools
Substitutions and Variations
While the spiced banana cake is wonderful as is, here are a few ways you can change it up.
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- Add 2 tablespoons of spiced rum to the cake batter, folding it in when you add the bananas.
- Add up to 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter, folding them in when you add the bananas.
- Add up to 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the cake batter. Alternatively, sprinkle the top of the frosting with chopped nuts. I recommend lightly toasting the nuts if adding them to the top of the cake.
How to Make This Recipe
Start by making the banana spice cake, then make the brown butter while the cake bakes. The butter must re-solidify to room temperature before the frosting is made.
One: Cream together the butter and sugars, then add one egg and beat.
Two: Add the additional eggs, one at a time, and the oil, until a fluffy base forms.
Three: Whisk together the dry ingredients and add half into the batter and mix.
Four: Whisk together the milk and sour cream, and add half to the batter and mix. Repeat with the flour mixture and the remaining dairy mixture.
Five: Gently fold in the mashed bananas by hand until they're evenly dispersed.
Six: Spread the cake batter into a prepared 9x13" pan and bake until set. Cool completely.
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Seven: Brown the butter, then beat it together with half of the powdered sugar, and the salt.
Eight: Add the cream cheese, additional powdered sugar, and vanilla and mix to combine.
Nine: Raise the speed and beat for a few minutes until very light and fluffy.
Ten: Add the frosting to the cooled cake, and spread it out to meet the edges.
Expert Tips
- Use room-temperature dairy (butter, eggs, sour cream, milk). This allows for the smoothest batter and most even baking.
- Leave some small chunks in the bananas to get tiny pops of extra banana flavor.
- Don't over-mix the batter. Only mix until the flour is just combined, then fold in the bananas by hand.
- Take care not to over bake the cake. Check it a few minutes before the lowest time listed. I always suggest using an internal oven thermometer to ensure proper oven temperature.
- Take the butter to a very deep golden brown for the frosting, but don't burn it!
- Philadelphia brand brick-style cream cheese is best for the frosting.
- Be sure the cake is completely cool before adding the frosting, otherwise, it will melt.
Recipe FAQs
This could be for a few reasons: too much flour was added (I always recommend weighing your flour for accuracy), over mixing the batter, or over baking the cake.
As long as the bananas aren't moldy, let them get as ripe and brown as possible! The banana will shrink the riper they get, so you may need additional bananas to get to the correct amount needed.
Storage
Store the cake tightly covered in the fridge for four days. The cake is best enjoyed at room temperature, so remove the cake or any slices for at least one hour prior to serving.
I like to add a piece of plastic wrap to any cut sides of the cake, as well, to protect the slices from drying out.
Freezing
To freeze the spiced banana cake, remove the cake from the pan, then wrap the cake or any cut pieces in plastic wrap, then place into a zip top bag. Freeze for one month.
Remove the plastic wrap and thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
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📖Recipe
Spiced Banana Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
- 9x13" cake pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (155g)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed (150g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil 80ml
- 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 360g
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature (227g)
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature (4 fl oz)
- 1 ½ cups mashed bananas about 3 medium bananas (340g), very ripe
Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter 113g, browned and re-solidifed to room temperature
- 12 oz full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar 360g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉/163℃. Grease and parchment line a 9x13” pan.
- Mash the bananas, leaving small chunks, and set aside.1 ½ cups mashed bananas
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer), beat together the butter and sugars on medium high speed for 4 minutes, then scrape down the sides of the bowl.½ cup + 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Add in the eggs one at a time, completely mixing in between, then add the vegetable oil and vanilla. Mix on medium high speed for another three minutes until very fluffy.3 large eggs, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
- Mix together the sour cream and milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon allspice, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 cup sour cream, ½ cup whole milk
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the cake batter mixing on low until just combined. Fold in the bananas by hand.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, then bake for 35-45 minutes until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Note: brown the butter while the cake bakes and transfer to a bowl to re-solidify to room temperature.
- Place the cake on a wire rack to cool completely. Do not frost the cake until it is fully cool.
Frosting
- Beat together the browned butter, salt, and half of the powdered sugar on low speed until combined, then increase to medium high speed for three minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Scrape down the sides, then add the cream cheese, remaining powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low to combine, then increase the speed to medium high and beat for an additional two minutes.12 oz full-fat cream cheese, 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
- Add the frosting to the cooled sheet cake. Sprinkle additional ground cinnamon onto the top, then slice and enjoy.
Notes
- Use room-temperature dairy (butter, eggs, sour cream, milk). This allows for the smoothest batter and most even baking.
- Leave some small chunks in the bananas to get tiny pops of extra banana flavor.
- Don't over-mix the batter. Only mix until the flour is just combined, then fold in the bananas by hand.
- Take care not to over bake the cake. Check it a few minutes before the lowest time listed. I always suggest using an internal oven thermometer to ensure proper oven temperature.
- Take the butter to a very deep golden brown for the frosting, but don't burn it!
- Philadelphia brand brick-style cream cheese is best for the frosting.
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