Let me start by saying I hate the word moist…always have, always will. It’s one of those words that makes my nose wrinkle. However, I must use the word moist throughout this post because, well, there is really no other way for me to describe this banana cake. I have mentioned in other blog entries that I have a problem with buying bananas and never eating them in their yellow state. Instead, I wait until they are a nice shade of rotten before contemplating their fate. Once they hit the “nasty” stage I start searching…this week I went for a recipe that I have seen several times on various food boards.
It is from Recipe Zaar and has an interesting preparation method. After you bake the cake at a low 275 degrees, you immediately chuck the cake into the freezer for 45 minutes. Apparently this is what makes this cake so….well, moist! I cooked this in a bundt pan because I am on a bundt pan kick right now, don’t worry, it will pass. The cake took a lot longer to bake, so I had to keep checking it, which was really infringing on my Sunday night TV time, but it turned out to be amazing. The icing is to die for and adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the cake. If you have some rotten bananas and are looking to make a moist, delicious treat, look no further, this is a winner!
The Best Ever Banana Cake
adapted from Recipezaar
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/8 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 275°. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
2. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
5.Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.
8. For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
9. Spread on cooled cake.
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
YUM! I’ve got a couple pretty disgusting looking bananas that need to be used. Perfect timing!
Mmmm, that does look moist. I have the same problem when I buy bananas. So, now I only buy them when I want to make cake!
That looks so delicious!
haha, we hate that word, too. Especially if you say it like this: “MMMMMooist” If you heard me saying it right now, you’d be jeebed out. But your bread looks yummy!
I always have brown bananas, can’t wait to try this cake..and moist is not my favorite word either:)
Perfect timing….I have five or six bananas that are passed eating and the kids aren’t drinking many smoothies right now. I’m going to give this a try tonight. Love all that yummy icing. I haven’t made a bundt cake in quite awhile so I’ll give that a try, too.
I’ve heard of doing the same with brownies and cakes. I’d wondered how true it was. Guess it works. I need to pay better attention next time.
~ingrid
Wow, I’ve never seen that low heat/freezer cooking technique before! I am so intrigued! And if it is as MOIST as you say it is, I know that we’ll love it! And we always have rotten bananas around here! Thanks, Jamie!
As I was walking out the door this morning, I looked at my bananas and decided to make banana bread tonight. I’m definitely giving this one a try!
Thank you!
Freezer??? Now who in their right mind would ever think to put a partially baked cake in the freezer. I wish my mind word liked that!!!
You have a wonderful blog! I’m getting hungry just observing
Oh, we are totally in the “hate that word” camp, too. I even hate using it in my blog, but there are times when that is just the only word! You’ve got a string of beautiful food posted – I don’t know how you do it! I’ve got a fun blog award for you; stop by my blog to claim it.
Nancy
So I tried the banana and it turned out to be very moist. Great for a morning cake. Everyone loved it!!!
I tried the recipe without the frosting…It was delish! Cant wait to bake another one this time with the frosting galore..
I tried the recipe it was delish even without the frosting!! I cannot wait to bake it again.
Im also looking for a delish carrot cake recipe…Anyone?
Thanks
Hey, if you dont have any ripe bananas and the shops only sell you the green ones, you can ripen them faster by putting them in an enclosed paper bag with a whole tomato or apple (preferrably in a warm dry place)
delicious cake, it really gets moist!
Made this Banana Cake for my family at the end of June…it was absolutely awesome.I already had a good banana cake recipe but decided to try this one.This is my new fav recipe and I will be baking it for a 30th birthday party on Sunday.
Wow! No kidding! I ALWAYS have at least 2 bananas that get overly ripe and I was sick and tired of banana bread every week, so I googled and found your recipe. I had to split it into 2 square pans, but it still took the same time to bake and it’s PERFECT! I’m too lazy to make the frosting, so I bought a butter cream…I’m 8 months pregnant and the baby is jumping like crazy inside right now! Yummmmmy!!!!
I am going to make this tonight and have NO room in my freezer! What to do? I will figure it out but intend to add an entire bag of DARK chocolate chips and a really dark fudgy buttercream. Yes, moist is one of those yucky (medical term) words for me! ;=)
OMG this recipe is amazing!
My brother and I just made it…and used the leftover batter for mini cupcakes as tasters…IT IS SUPER YUMMY!
Extremely moist & light texture, nothing resembling bread about this recipe. Served it at Thanksgiving after the Tiramisu that was purchased was a flop.
This cake was a huge hit…here’s what I changed.
2 cups of mashed bananas instead of 1 1/2 cups
1 1/2 cups of cake flour & 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
The Frosting recipe was also a smashing hit.
Hi,
can anyone tell me how much is 2 1/8 cups sugar in grams? and when mentioned preheat oven 275 is it in F or C ? thanks!!
I’m wanting to try this recipe but the one thing that bothers me. Putting a hot cake into the freezer. I wouldn’t think this would be good on a freezer. And I would think it would not be good on the frozen items either. Comments please.
WHOOO MOMMA ! just tried it : it is de-li-cious. thank you so much, jamie ! i feel as claire, uncomfortable freezing it hot (although stuff could be moved around to allow it to freeze without touching other items). however, i intend to freeze half of it once it’s cooled a bit. (if any left, haha)
I don’t have a 9×13 inch tin. Could I use a round cake pan & how long would I need to bake it for?
Don’t know what I did wrong but ended up baking this cake for 3 hrs
probably should have used a thinner pan :/