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    The Cozy Plum » Recipes » Cakes & Cupcakes

    Strawberry Banana Cake

    Published: Jul 13, 2022 · Modified: Oct 5, 2022 by Callan Wenner · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    Jump to Recipe
    Finished strawberry banana cake with strawberries on top.

    This easy, homemade strawberry banana cake is made with strawberries, fresh bananas, and creates a delicious cake akin to banana bread. Add a simple strawberry frosting to the top of the cake and garnish with more fresh strawberries or strawberry slices for the perfect finish and extra flavor!

    Finished strawberry banana cake with strawberries on top.

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    This may just be the best strawberry banana cake recipe. It's nostalgic just like classic banana bread, but is leveled up with the strawberries and the luscious strawberry frosting!

    Flavor - this recipe takes a moist banana cake and adds juicy strawberries. It creates just the right amount of sweetness, then gets topped with a punchy strawberry frosting made with freeze-dried strawberries.

    This is also such an incredibly flavorful cake, with pieces of strawberry and banana strewn throughout.

    Simple - This easy strawberry banana cake recipe requires super low energy or skill level, with wonderful results! We also love that it's a "single layer" cake made in a loaf pan (like quick breads) for easy making (and easy transport).

    Year-Round Dessert - because you can always find bananas and strawberries, this is a great cake option to make all year! Though it would be great for an easter celebration because of the colors, it's a great option to make for any special occasion.

    Try some more strawberry cake desserts:

    • Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake (sponge cake)
    • Strawberry Whoopie Pies
    • Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes with Strawberry Filling
    • Double Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
    Strawberry banana cake decorated in a loaf pan.
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • How to Make This Recipe
    • How to Make Strawberry Frosting
    • Expert Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Storage
    • More Cake Recipes
    • 📖Recipe
    • Come Bake With Us!

    Ingredients

    Strawberry banana cake ingredients.
    Banana, brown sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, spices, flour, strawberries.

    Basic pantry staples are used for this beautiful cake recipe, but here are some I want to specifically mention.

    • Fruit. You'll need both strawberries and bananas for this recipe. These can actually be fresh fruit or frozen, just be sure you're using overripe bananas. The strawberries don't matter as much, as they get cooked down with some sugar prior to adding to the batter.
    • Dairy. The sour cream and eggs for the batter should be at room temperature. The butter for the strawberry frosting should also be at room temperature.
    • Freeze-dried strawberries. These will get ground into a powder and be used in the frosting. Freeze-dried strawberries are best for this as it produces the most strawberry flavor (and color) without adding any liquid. Using fresh strawberries would make the icing too thin and would not produce the same flavor.

    See recipe card for additional ingredients and quantities for the easy banana strawberry cake.

    Substitutions

    • Yogurt can be used in place of sour cream in this recipe. Just be sure to use full-fat Greek yogurt.
    • This recipe uses all brown sugar in the cake, however, you could also split it 50/50 to go half brown sugar and half granulated sugar.
    • While the recipe calls for vegetable oil, any neutral oil can be used in this recipe. Coconut oil could also be used without changing the flavor too much.

    Variations

    • While this cake is made in a loaf pan, you could also use cake pans (9") or a square pan (8" or 9"). You will only use one pan for either. Start checking for doneness at the 30-minute mark.
    • Raspberries could be used in place of strawberries in the cake, and also use freeze-dried raspberries rather than strawberries.
    • Turn this into a strawberry cream cheese frosting by following the icing recipe in my strawberry whoopie pies!

    How to Make This Recipe

    Strawberries cooking down in a pan.

    One: Cook down the strawberries with sugar until the liquid releases and turns into a syrup-like consistency. Break them down a bit with a spoon.

    Mashed strawberries and bananas in a bowl.

    Two: Combine the strawberries with the mashed bananas in a small bowl and set aside to cool off a bit while you make the rest of the cake.

    Wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.

    Three: Cream together the brown sugar, oil, and eggs, then scrape down the sides of the bowl.

    Sour cream being added to wet cake batter.

    Four: Add the sour cream the wet ingredients - be sure it's room temperature so there are no lumps!

    Mashed strawberries and bananas pouring into cake batter.

    Five: Mix half of the dry ingredients into the fruit and stir, then add it to the cake batter and mix to combine.

    Flour being added to wet ingredients.

    Six: Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour it into the prepared loaf pan and bake until done. Cool completely.

    Pro tip! Remove the cake from the pan after about 15 minutes and allow it to finish cooling on a wire rack. Once cool, remove the parchment paper and turn the loaf over to allow the bottom to release moisture, as well.

    How to Make Strawberry Frosting

    Freeze dried strawberry frosting in a bowl.

    Seven: Beat together (with the paddle attachment) the butter, icing sugar, vanilla extract, and freeze-dried strawberry powder on medium speed for two minutes.

    Freeze dried strawberry frosting on a whisk.

    Eight: Then, add the heavy cream and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add the frosting to the cooled cake, and top with fresh strawberries!

    Expert Tips

    • Use room temperature ingredients for this recipe so the batter incorporates evenly and also bakes evenly.
    • For best results, don't over-mix the batter once the flour mixture has been incorporated.
    • Line the loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal and so none of the cake breaks of as it gets removed for cooling.
    • Remove the cake once cool and turn it over so the excess moisture and steam can release.

    Recipe FAQs

    How ripe should the bananas be?

    Very ripe! Full brown spots on the bananas is what we're looking for, as this will provide the most banana flavor.

    Can you make banana cake with frozen bananas?

    Yes, definitely. Allow the bananas to thaw completely, then drain out the excess water, mash, and use in the recipe.

    Can I use frozen strawberries?

    Also yes! You can cut these while frozen and add them to the pan with the sugar and cook from frozen.

    Storage

    Store the frosted cake at room temperature for one day, then in an airtight container in the fridge for an additional three days.

    To freeze the cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap (pre-frosted), aluminum foil, then in a sealed container for up to three months. Unwrap the cake completely and thaw at room temperature, then add the strawberry frosting.

    Individual pieces can also be wrapped and frozen, if desired.

    Slice of strawberry banana cake on a plate.

    More Cake Recipes

    • Raspberry & Vanilla Swiss Roll with Chocolate Ganache
    • Raspberry White Chocolate Bundt Cake
    • Orange Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
    • Coconut Almond Loaf Cake

    Did you make this recipe? Share it with us! Tag @thecozyplum on Instagram & Facebook and leave a star rating ⭐️ below!

    📖Recipe

    Strawberry banana cake decorated in a loaf pan with a slice removed.

    Strawberry Banana Cake

    Callan Wenner
    This easy, homemade strawberry banana cake is made with strawberries, fresh bananas, and creates a delicious cake akin to banana bread. Add a simple strawberry frosting to the top of the cake and garnish with more fresh strawberries or strawberry slices for the perfect finish and extra flavor!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Rest Time 1 hr
    Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 340 kcal

    Equipment

    • 9x5" loaf pan
    • Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
    • Food processor or blender

    Ingredients
      

    Strawberry Banana Cake

    • 1 cup strawberries 250g, hulled and quartered
    • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 25g
    • 2 bananas very ripe (250g)
    • 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour 160g
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 cup light brown sugar 200g
    • ¼ cup vegetable oil 60ml
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • ½ cup full-fat sour cream room temperature (114g)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

    Strawberry Frosting

    • ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature (57g)
    • 2 tablespoons freeze dried strawberries pulverized into a powder
    • 1¼ cups powdered sugar 150g
    • ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat an oven to 350℉/170℃ and spray and line a 9x5" loaf pan with a parchment paper sling (this is so you can easily remove the cake to frost it).
    • Add the strawberries to a skillet with sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries bread down and becomes syrup like. Cool slightly.
    • Roughly mash the bananas with a fork, then add the strawberries and mix to combine.
    • In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt).
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the brown sugar, vegetable oil and eggs and beat on medium high speed for two minutes. Scrape down the sides.
    • Add the sour cream and mix until the streaks are gone.
    • Add half of the flour to the fruit and stir to combine. Then add the fruit and remaining flour to the batter and mix on low speed until the flour is just incorporated.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, then bake for 40-50 minutes until the loaf is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with moist crumbs.
    • Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then use the parchment slings to remove the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Strawberry Frosting

    • Pulverize the freeze dried strawberries into a powder.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer (paddle attachment) beat together the butter, powdered sugar, and strawberry powder over medium high speed for two minutes, then scrape down the sides.
    • Add the heavy cream and vanilla and mix on low to combine, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy.
    • Spread onto the cooled loaf cake and top with strawberries.

    Notes

    Store the cake at room temperature for one day, then covered in the fridge for up to three days. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before enjoying. 
    To freeze, wrap the unfrosted cake in plastic wrap then place in an airtight container and freeze for two months. Unwrap completely, thaw at room temperature, then frost. 
    Once the cake is mostly cool, turn it over so some of the moisture from the bottom can dissipate. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 198mgPotassium: 191mgFiber: 1gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 310IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg
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      About Callan

      I'm Callan, and welcome to The Cozy Plum! A photographer and recipe developer of all things sweet, savory, and delicious, I help cooks and bakers of any level gain the confidence to create restaurant-quality recipes in their own kitchen!

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