This simple one layer banana cake is soft, moist, and is the most perfect dessert that utilizes your overripe bananas. Topped off with a dreamy cream cheese frosting, you'll love making this one layer cake over and over again!
This recipe was originally published in August of 2020, but was updated on July 26 , 2021 with newer content and fresh pictures.
When you have overripe bananas sitting on your countertop, you bake delicious baked goods. That's a given, right? Well, here's another delcious banana-forward recipe to add to your collection: this easy one layer banana cake!
This cake is extremely moist, has a soft-crumb, and is so tender and fluffy. Just one bite of this cake (have I mentioned there's cream cheese frosting involved?!) will have you back for seconds.
Now, it's always good to have a few banana recipes on hand, especially when we don't feel like making another banana bread (if you do, though, here's my recipe for Banana Bread that only uses one banana). Along with my Strawberry Banana Bread, Banana Oatmeal Bars, or even these Banana Split Cupcakes, you'll now have the option to bake this amazing banana cake!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Cake
- The overripe bananas makes the cake sweet, tender, and moist.
- It's topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting.
- From start to finish, it is so easy to make.
- It's made with simple pantry ingredients.
- The soft-crumb and buttery texture just melts in your mouth!
The overall flavor of this small banana cake is just unbelievable. With the combination of the creamed butter and brown sugar, along with two overripe bananas, just one bite isn't an option. If you absolutely love banana desserts, I have no doubt you'll be in love with this one too.
Plus, the cream cheese frosting just makes this cake even better!
Ingredients Needed
- All-Purpose Flour: Adds structure and stability.
- Baking Soda: The leavening agent that helps the cake to rise when baking.
- Salt: Enhances all of the other flavors.
- Unsalted Butter: Provides flavor and a soft-crumb.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and makes the cake more tender.
- Egg: Helps to bind all of the ingredients together.
- Bananas: The more ripe your bananas are, the more sweetness and flavor they will extract into the cake. Two medium-sized overripe bananas are what you'll need for this recipe.
- Yogurt: Adds moisture. You can use either plain or vanilla yogurt, or even sour cream if you do not have yogurt.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor.
- Milk: I used 2%. This also adds moisture and contributes to a soft cake.
- Cream Cheese: Always use the block-style cream cheese for baking.
- Powdered Sugar: Adds body and sweetness to the frosting.
- Heavy Cream: I like to add just a little bit to the frosting. You could also substiture it for milk or just leave it out.
Instructions
Since this cake is only one layer, it's quite simple to make and takes just a few steps!
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Creaming Method: In the large bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until thoroughly combined.
- Wet Ingredients: Add the egg and mix until combined. Then add the mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated.
- Combine Ingredients: Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed. Then add the milk, also mixing on low speed. Then add the rest of the flour mixture.
- Bake: Scrape the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes and use a toothpick to check for doneness. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and continuing to cool on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
If you don't want to have extra frosting, feel free to halve the recipe. But, who doesn't love extra frosting. 🙂
- Start by creaming together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Once incorporated, mix on high speed for 1-2 minutes until light and creamy.
- Frost your cake by using an icing spatula. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Cake Pan: I use two methods for preparing my cake pans: parchment paper and non-stick spray. Lining your 8-inch (or 9-inch) cake pan with parchment paper and then with non-stick spray makes it so much easier to remove the cake from the pan once it's cooled.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Cake Batter: Because the batter is a little bit thicker, we'll need to smooth out the top with a silicone spatula before placing the cake pan into the oven. So, scrape the cake batter into the prepared pan and then smooth it out.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: I used my favorite cream cheese frosting for this recipe and it makes enough to frost a two layered cake. If you don't want that much frosting, then halve the recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can. Simply bake the cake layer the day before, wrap it in plastic wrap, and leave it on the counter at room temperature overnight. Frost and decorate the next day.
For this cake, yes, because it's frosted with cream cheese frosting. If you choose to leave the cake unfrosted, then it can be stored at room temperature for about 2 days.
Keep your banana cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Although I love this cake with cream cheese frosting, you can certainly use a different flavor. Other flavors to consider would be: vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, or even a cinnamon spiced cream cheese frosting.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy Baking!
More Cake Recipes
📖 Recipe
One Layer Banana Cake
Equipment
- 8 or 9-Inch Cake Pan
- Electric Stand Mixer
Ingredients:
Banana Cake
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup mashed overripe bananas (2 medium-sized bananas)
- ¼ cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup milk
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line one 8-inch (or 9-inch) cake pan with parchment paper and grease with non-stick spray.
Banana Cake
- Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- In the large bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined. Mix in the egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once with a silicone spatula.
- Add the mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed. Then add the milk, also mixing on low speed. Then add the rest of the flour mixture.
- Remove the bowl from the stand and scrape the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Use your silicone spatula to smooth out the top of the batter (this helps for the cake to bake evenly). Bake for 22-25 minutes and use a toothpick to check for doneness (toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake).
- After about 10 minutes, remove the cake from the cake pan and cool on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream together the cream cheese and butter in an electric stand mixer on medium to high speed. Once light and fluffy, add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, mixing on low speed for about 30 seconds. Finish mixing on high speed for an additional 1-2 minutes until the frosting is white and creamy.
- To frost the cake, use an icing spatula or silicone spatula to smooth the frosting over the top of the cake. Make sure your cake is completely cooled before you frost it!
- Keep any leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes:
Nutrition
This cake was easy to make and was delicious. Very moist and had a great banana flavor. I only had an 8” pan and I should have cooked the cake about 5 minutes more to compensate for the depth factor. But other than that, it was perfect. The frosting was enough to cover the sides as well as the top of the cake and mine did not need the addition of the cream, probably because my butter was rather warm, so it thinned the frosting enough to make it very spreadable. I would store this cake in the refrigerator if not eaten all in one day.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Darleen! And thanks for those extra tips!
Made this cake for the first time. It turned out well. Didn’t make the frosting though, still very good. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Esh! So glad you liked the cake! It's one of my favorites for sure 🙂