Description
This Banana Bread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a moist and flavorful dessert that combines the rich taste of ripe bananas with a luscious cream cheese topping. Perfect for gatherings or a cozy treat, this cake offers a delightful twist on traditional banana bread with a soft, cake-like texture and a sweet, tangy frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Banana Bread Cake:
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 bananas)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk (or milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice/vinegar as a substitute)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar (adjust to desired sweetness)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan to ensure the cake doesn’t stick and bakes evenly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This step ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This creates a fluffy texture and incorporates air into the batter.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next, then add the vanilla extract for added flavor.
- Add Mashed Bananas: Mix in the mashed bananas until fully incorporated, giving the batter its distinctive banana flavor and moisture.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the banana mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined to avoid overmixing which can toughen the cake.
- Prepare for Baking: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly for uniform baking.
- Bake: Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating the cake is fully cooked.
- Cool Cake: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely, preventing the frosting from melting.
- Prepare Frosting: Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy, creating a rich base for the frosting.
- Add Powdered Sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating until the frosting is fluffy and smooth to your desired sweetness and consistency.
- Frost the Cake: Once the cake has completely cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top for a delicious finishing touch.
- Serve: Slice and serve the banana bread cake, perfect for dessert or snack.
Notes
- Use ripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor and sweetness.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute with milk plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar per ½ cup milk.
- Adjust powdered sugar in the frosting to taste for desired sweetness and thickness.
- Ensure the cake is completely cool before frosting to prevent melting.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator to keep the frosting fresh.
