Moist Banana Cake (Printable Version)
Tender, moist banana cake made with mashed ripe bananas, buttermilk and pantry staples. Serves 10–12.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 4 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
10 - 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
→ Optional Add-ins
11 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch 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.
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 spatula for an even surface.
08 - Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- It uses everyday pantry ingredients and turns them into something genuinely special without any fuss.
- The crumb stays incredibly moist for days, which means it actually tastes better the next afternoon with a cup of coffee.
- You barely need a mixer since the batter comes together mostly by hand with a spoon and a bit of elbow grease.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to turn this tender cake into something rubbery and dense, so stop folding the second the flour disappears.
- Using bananas that are fully brown on the outside might look wrong, but they deliver dramatically more flavor and natural sweetness than firm yellow ones.
03 -
- Mash your bananas with a fork right in the peel over your mixing bowl for fewer dishes and better control over the texture.
- Let the cake cool completely before adding any frosting, otherwise the heat will melt it into a messy puddle instead of a smooth layer.