This banana bread cake is better than ever. We retested the recipe and tweaked it, and the result is so worth it. It has buttermilk for a tender crumb, a moist texture and a definite banana flavor. It's easy to make and very versatile. Beautiful for a brunch table. It's good plain, but a showstopper with the finger-licking cream cheese glaze.
Sweet, dense and wonderful
Yet again, my basket was overflowing with overripe, brown bananas.
In an attempt to change the incredibly good but kind of repetitive banana recipes I usually make (banana walnut healthier muffins or the decadent easy banoffee cake), I started looking for alternatives and ended up with this bundt cake.
Simpler than making an old-fashioned hummingbird cake and richer than this healthy banana bread, it was a great compromise between both.
Why make this recipe
- Texture and glaze: it's less dense than banana bread per se, but not extremely cakey, as the banana flavor got lost when we tested it. It's a simple but fantastic mix of banana bundt cake and banana bread with a soft texture and drizzled with a luscious, sweet cream cheese glaze.
- Make ahead: it keeps well for several days and can be frozen for a month.
- Versatile: it's ideal for afternoon tea, brunch, a picnic, as an after-school snack, nibbling while working online, a potluck or bake sale.
- Travels well: if you want to transport it, this cake is wonderful. We love to take it on road trips.
Ingredient list
- Bananas: always use overripe bananas when baking bread or cakes. Why? They have much more flavor, and the result is way better. They should be soft, with spotted skin.
- Buttermilk: what if you don't have buttermilk? You can buy buttermilk powder and prepare it as you need to. Or make homemade buttermilk that is super easy (how to in the recipe card towards the end of this post).
- Unsalted butter.
- Vegetable oil: I always use sunflower oil.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- White granulated sugar.
- Light brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract.
- All-purpose or cake flour.
- Baking powder: make sure it's not expired.
- Salt.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Preparing the bundt pan
If you bake bundt cakes often, you’ve likely had one stick to the pan. It’s frustrating—but preventable. Here are three reliable methods:
- Shortening and flour: Coat the pan thoroughly with soft shortening using your fingers or a brush, making sure to reach every corner, including the center tube. Dust with flour, rotating the pan to cover evenly, then tap out the excess over the sink.
- Cake goop (pan-release paste): Mix equal parts shortening, flour, and oil into a paste. Brush it onto the pan. Store leftovers in a jar—1 month at room temp or up to 3 months in the fridge. This is one of my favorite methods.
- Baking spray with flour: Only use baking spray that includes flour. Regular cooking spray isn’t enough and often leads to sticking. I rarely use this anymore.
The recipe matters too: When I find a bundt cake that releases cleanly, even without perfect prep, I hold onto it—it’s a keeper.
Steps to make banana bread cake
This is a straightforward butter cake that has banana puree. Some pointers:
- Equipment: I use a large bowl and handheld electric beater, but you can also make this recipe in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment at medium speed.
- Dry ingredients: they are sifted before using to add some air to the batter. After adding the dry ingredients, it's very important to beat *just* until everything is well incorporated. The more you beat, the more the gluten in the flour starts to work, and it will weigh the cake down. We don't want that.
- Wet ingredients: they include the eggs and the buttermilk, and, as with most cakes, they are added in parts, alternating with the dry ones.
- Bananas: I recommend mashing bananas but leaving the banana mixture a bit chunky. Don't over mash them because they start to liquefy.
If you have under-ripe bananas, roast them!
If you only have green bananas that are not yet ripe, you can roast them to achieve a similar result, something I discovered years ago that resulted in this roasted banana bread post.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
- Place unpeeled bananas on a baking tray and roast until the skin turns completely dark and the inside is slightly soft to the touch, about 20 minutes.
- Let cool and coarsely mash. Use in any banana recipe.
Cream cheese glaze
I took the idea of a simple powdered sugar glaze, which I use all the time for bundt cakes, and made a cream cheese glaze, which is nothing more than my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe with less powdered sugar.
The result is thinner so it runs down the sides of the cake, and doesn't divert from the banana flavor.
Use the thicker version if that's your jam. There's no right or wrong with how you like your cream cheese frosting!
My formula is simple and foolproof: 1 measure of butter, 2 measures of cream cheese and enough powdered sugar to make it as thick or thin as you want.
Glaze variation
For years, I used a chocolate bourbon glaze for this cake. It's great for when you want a more powerful mix of flavors. Or a banana and chocolate something. Find the ingredients and instructions in the recipe card. I will add it as a second glaze option!
Storing
- Room temperature and refrigerator: this banana cake can be left at room temperature for a day. After that, use plastic wrap to cover it well, and refrigerate for several more days. Take into account that the fridge dries up, so it will lose its softness after a few days. It will be denser but with a good flavor.
- Freezing: this bundt cake freezes well. Wrap it in plastic first and then aluminum foil. It keeps for a month. If freezing the whole cake, do so without frosting. If you have leftovers, you might want to consider cutting it into slices before freezing.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Pan: make sure the bundt cake pan is correctly prepared. Find more details in the Notes section of the recipe card.
- Cooling down: always use a cooling rack (wire rack) to cool down cakes, especially bundt cakes that are dense like this one. If you don't have one, put the pan on top of something that allows the air to flow below the pan. I sometimes place them on the gas stovetop (turned off!) because the burners allow that. And buy one if you want to bake often. They're an essential item.
- Glaze: let cool completely before glazing. Otherwise, it will not be thick as the heat will dissolve most of it.
- Bananas: use very ripe bananas. They should be soft, with brown spots, and mushy. You know, those you don't want to eat. I like using chunkier mashed bananas for this recipe because they add texture.
- Serving it: I highly recommend room temperature for the best experience. The flavors are somewhat numbed when they are cold.
- Chocolate chips: I find this banana cake is great as it is. Make the Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, which is one bowl, if you want that flavor combo. Use all white flour (no whole wheat) for a fluffier banana bread.
- I posted a Guide to Freezing Baked Goods & Desserts, which might be useful. We all prep and freeze savory food, but what about our sweet tooth?
Pan sizes
Though this is a bundt cake, it is the type of recipe that can be made in different pans:
- Bundt cake - I use a 10-cup bundt cake pan, also known as a large bundt pan. A recipe also makes about 6 individual bundts, like the Coffee Chocolate Bundt Cakes.
- Sheet cake - bake it in an 8x11-inch cake pan and top it with cream cheese frosting.
- Loaf cake - one recipe yields 2 medium loaf pans.
- Layer cake - I recommend no more than two 8-inch layers. Fill with cream cheese icing, similar to the sheet cake above. Or with dulce de leche. If you follow my lead and use the latter (you can buy dulce de leche online), you'll unlock a magic flavor combination you didn't know existed!
Related recipes you might like:
One last thing
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Banana Bread Bundt Cake (with buttermilk)
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Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, see Notes below for substitutions
- 1 cup mashed bananas, about 2 very ripe, medium-sized bananas
For the glaze:
- 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons cream or milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar, an estimate
For the chocolate bourbon glaze (bonus):
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup , or golden syrup
- 2 tablespoons bourbon, or whisky
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Grease (use shortening not butter) and flour a 10-cup capacity or large 12-cup Bundt pan.
- Sift together 2 ½ cups all-purpose , 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat ¾ cup unsalted butter until creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add 1 cup white sugar and ½ cup brown sugar gradually, beating for 2 more minutes until light.
- Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and beating an additional 1 minute after the last one is incorporated.
- Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extractextract and mix.
- Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with 1 ¼ cups buttermilk in 2 parts. That means you start and end with dry ingredients.
- Add 1 cup mashed bananas and mix just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle rack for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Time might differ depending on the oven and pan used.
- Cool in a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes, carefully invert onto a plate, invert it again onto the wire rack and let cool completely. If the cake at first resists, shake the pan up and down carefully or let it cool down a little more, and try again.
- Let cool completely, glaze and let it dry before you cut it into individual slices.
- Store leftover cake for a day at room temperature, covered in plastic wrap and then refrigerate or freeze.
For the glaze:
- Beat together 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons cream cheese in a medium bowl until creamy and no lumps remain.
- Add 1 cup powdered sugar and integrate well until very smooth. The amount of sugar depends on how thin or thick you want the glaze. Add 2 tablespoons cream or milk if you want to thin it.
- Drizzle over the cooled cake that has been put on a wire rack with a parchment paper underneath to catch any drips. Let it run down the sides and center of the cake.
For the chocolate bourbon glaze:
- Chop 4 ounces semisweet chocolate and put in a glass or ceramic bowl together with ⅓ cup heavy cream over boiling water (the bottom of the bowl not touching the water). When the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth remove from the heat. Or microwave them in 15-second spurts, stirring well after each one. Be careful not to scorch it.
- Immediately add 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons corn syrup and mix well.
- Add 2 tablespoons bourbon, mix until completely incorporated and let the glaze reach a thick consistency before drizzling it on top of the cooled cake.
Samantha says
Make this! I made this last night for my coworkers to enjoy this morning. It is a massive hit! You were very right when you said it's like a mix between banana bread and banana cake. It is perfectly moist when made as directed. 2 bananas was perfect for one cup. I roasted my bananas according to your directions, which I thought was very helpful! I made my own whipped cream cheese frosting but other than that, I followed the recipe to a T and will definitely recommend this, by far, to anyone who wants to make a good banana cake. Thank you!
Betty D says
This is a delicious cake and a recipe I'll hang on to. However, I did find a couple of the proportions off. I mashed 5 bananas of what I consider a pretty average/medium size and it still only came to about 1 3/4c; but that amount worked fine and the cake was plenty moist.
Using a non-stick bundt pan the cake needed a total bake time of about 70 minutes; I covered the top with foil for the last 15 minutes, as it was getting pretty brown.
I don't know how the 'glaze' would possibly run down the cake when made as directed. I quit adding powdered sugar after 1/2c and still had to add about 3T of cream before I got a glaze consistency. But it tasted good (and had to be kept in the fridge, of course). The chocolate bourbon glaze sounds amazing; I'll try that one next time!
doris says
the recipe called for 3/4 cup not 1 3/4 cups
Deb says
Turned out beautifully ! I interchanged Eggnog with Buttermilk and used lemon juice to sour the nog. Yummy !
Paula Montenegro says
So happy to hear that Deb! I love that substitution, very festive!
Deb says
Made another substituting clabbered eggnog and 15oz can pumpkin puree. Texture is delicate. Will glaze with a rum sauce. So good for gifting !
Paula Montenegro says
Love all your iterations on the recipe Deb!
Lisa Burrelli says
I was looking for a bundle cake recipe and I came along yours. Its exactly what I was looking for!! Can't wait to make this with my 4vyear old granddaughter!! Hoping the nuts I add make it still come out okay.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Lisa, glad you like it! It will come out fine with some nuts. And you can also make 2 loaf cakes. Let me know if you have questions.
Sam says
Yum, this cake looks amazing! I love anything banana but have never tried a banana bundt cake. Can't wait to make this.
Eden says
This bundt cake looks amazing! Definitely going to put it in my meal plan!
Gunjan says
I have tons of banana and was wondering about some creative recipe. So glad I found d yours. It’s on my to do list for tomorrow. So excited to bake this cake.
Eileen Kelly says
This banana bundt cake is delish. It is so moist and full of flavor. The Bourbon chocolate glaze puts this over the top amazing.
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli says
The texture of this banana bundt cake is spectacular! And I also love the idea of the chocolate bourbon glaze...yum!
Jenny says
I love your banana cake, the whole family loved it. It came out perfect thanks to your detailed recipe and tips and it was absolutely delicious. Light, airy and yummy! Thank you!
Anna says
I'm a huge fan of banana cakes, and absolutely love your bundt cake! That crumb looks so spot on, and I would love to taste it with that bourbon chocolate glaze, it sounds and looks utterly delicious!
Leslie says
What a stunning recipe! I've never had a banana-flavored bundt cake. Great flavor choices for this!
Mikayla says
My toddler has the habit of eating half a banana so I end up with a freezer bag of banana chunks and this was just the right way to use some up. Very light and tasty, and your tip for using breadcrumbs to coat the bundt pan worked great!
Heidy says
This Buttermilk Banana Bundt Cake was to die for GOOD! The kids and the husband loved it so much it was gone in two short days. Keeping this recipe to make again.
Juliana says
Bought more bananas that ever, and they started to go bad! Perfect recipe to use them! Love the banana chips on top. Thanks for the inspiration!