Hot fudge frosting and fresh banana slices makes this the Best Banana Cake you will ever have. Trust me, and use the ripe bananas on your counter to make this amazing cake today.
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My husband and I both love kitchen gadgets and tools. There is something fun about wandering around a kitchen supply store and finding things that make your kitchen work easier or more fun. Over the years we have accumulated quite a few things that we "thought" were necessary.
The most unused and under appreciated appliance that we ever bought though was a large juicer! A few years about this time we (really my husband) decided that we should incorporate some juice in our life.
He had read about these juice fasts and thought we should try one to see what it did for us.
We only used the juicer once or twice in the whole time we owned it. Let me rephrase that.
I only took a sip of one of those juice concoctions. Want to know why?
Because delicious fruits and vegetables become totally destroyed when their juice is stripped from them. It was hard to even swallow! In my husband's words..."A cucumber tastes like monkey sweat, and a carrot tastes like old dish water. It is just plain horrible."
So our juicer sat collecting dust under the cabinet for a year. We kept holding on to the fact that one day we would take up juicing, and it would be magically delicious! Finally, we came to our senses and sold it to a friend who wanted to try juicing.
I would much rather eat my fruits and veggies in a Banana Split Brownie Pie or in Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cake.
I had a bunch of brown bananas to use up awhile ago, so I shared a photo on Instagram and Facebook asking what I should make with all the bananas rotting on my counter.
You guys are so awesome! I had so many comments giving me recipes of what I should make.
But then a good friend from college called me with this easy banana cake recipe, and I knew this was the one I wanted to try first. It is truly the Best Banana Cake I have ever eaten!!! It comes out perfect every single time you make it!
The cake is amazing by itself, but I love frosting, so I whipped up a batch of hot fudge frosting for on top. Best idea ever!!!
In fact, this cake was so good that we devoured it in ONE day. Then three days later, I made it again for our life group! Yup, it is that good! In fact, I would make it again right now if I had more brown bananas.
Tips for making the Best Banana Cake
- Beat the shortening and sugar until nice and creamy. You can also use butter if you like, but the shortening really does add to the soft texture of the cake.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Stir in the ripe bananas.
- Stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Slowly beat this into the banana mixture with the buttermilk.
- Pour the cake batter into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs on it.
- Let the cake cool then frost it with frosting. Cream cheese frosting is delicious, but I recommend the hot fudge frosting.
Hot Fudge Frosting
This delicious homemade frosting gets the chocolate flavor from hot fudge ice cream topping. If you can find dark chocolate hot fudge, it is even better.
- Beat softened butter, vanilla, salt, and warm hot fudge topping until nice and creamy.
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
- Spread on top of the cooled banana cake.
More easy banana recipes you may like:
- Banana Nut Cinnamon Rolls - these soft no yeast banana rolls are filled with a sweet cinnamon sugar and walnut filling
- Chocolate Nutella Banana Muffins - sweet chocolate swirls add a fun touch to these breakfast muffins
- Fudge Bottom Banana Cream Pie - layers of fudge, fresh bananas, and pudding makes this easy pie so delicious
- Homemade Southern Banana Pudding - this creamy banana pudding is an amazing treat any time of day
- Banana Split Fluff Salad - this creamy fluff salad is filled with your favorite ice cream toppings
Best Banana Cake
Hot fudge frosting and fresh banana slices makes this the Best Banana Cake you will ever have. Trust me and use the ripe bananas on your counter to make this cake today.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas
For the Hot Fudge Butter Cream
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup hot fudge topping, slightly warm + 2 Tablespoons for garnish
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- fresh banana slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy. Stir in the bananas.
- Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together and add to the banana mixture with the buttermilk.
- Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 33-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- Beat the butter, vanilla, salt, and warm hot fudge until creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.
- Add the milk and beat until fluffy. Spread on the cooled cake. Top with extra hot fudge and banana slices right before serving, if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 269Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 2g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
(original photo from February 2012)
*The post and recipe for Best Banana Cake was first published on February 17, 2012. The photos and post have been updated and republished on January 14, 2019.
Anita
Can you substitute mayple syrup for the chocolate syrup?
Jocelyn
Do you mean for the top drizzle? You could totally use maple syrup or honey. That sounds amazing! Although, I think I would do cream cheese frosting instead of the hot fudge if you do one of those toppings instead. The chocolate is really just extra...to make it look pretty. It's totally not necessary. But totally delicious 🙂
Donna
Just wondering in the frosting for the hot fudge frosting is the butter melted or softened.
Jocelyn
The butter is just softened to room temperature. I hope you enjoy the cake!!!
Kathy Goehring
We just LoVeD this cake, so much so that we chose not to frost it!!
Cloey
Can I still use coconut oil for the frosting or just use all butter for it. Thanks!
Jocelyn Brubaker
You could do either one. I have actually made this cake and frosting with coconut oil too! Still tastes just as good!!!
Maninder
Pls tell me how to make butter milk
Jocelyn Brubaker
You can make homemade butter milk by using 1 Tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then stir and use.
Ali
Love anything with bananas. Can I substitute butter for the shortening? If so, same ratio?
Jocelyn Brubaker
I have used coconut oil in place of the shortening before and it worked just fine. I think using all butter would work just fine too. Let me know how you like the cake 🙂
Michal
I'm having a hard time finding bananas in my area lol
Shayna
What if you don't have hot fudge? What can you use in place of it?
Jocelyn Brubaker
If you want to just use a plain chocolate frosting, here is a link to a recipe for that. https://insidebrucrewlife.com/2011/02/nutter-butter-truffle-cupcakes/
Yvonne
I made this today and used Nutella for the hot fudge, yummy yummy yummy
Jocelyn
Woo hoo! I love your Nutella substitution! Sounds awesome!
Sarah
Can you make this as a two layer round cake? And if so, what would you recommend cooking each cake at and for how long? And would you double the frosting to have enough?
Jocelyn Brubaker
I have actually never made this particular cake in anything but the 9x13 pan. You could just bake it in 9x13 and cut in half to do the layer cake. There should be enough frosting to frost it that way without doubling it. You can also check out this banana cake I made as a layer cake. https://insidebrucrewlife.com/2012/04/chocolate-chip-banana-cake-with-honey-peanut-butter-frosting/
Jillian
Just curious if one can use a hand mixer to make this cake or if a standing mixer is preferred? I don't want to trek over my mom's house if I don't have to, but I also don't want to ruin the cake by using the wrong mixer. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Hi, Jillian. Thank you for stopping by. You can definitely just use the hand mixer. I just always use my stand mixer because it sits on my counter. Either mixer works though. Enjoy the cake...it's one of my all time favorites 🙂
Jillian
Thanks! Can't wait to try it this weekend 🙂
Jesus-in-the-City
This cake was great! I'm normally a health food junkie, so this was actually the first time I've ever bought CRISCO or powdered sugar! But I had a hinkering, some old bananas and wanted to surprise my husband. It was really delicious! I didn't see the healthier recipe for the peanut butter banana cake til after I made this, so it must have been meant to be 🙂
I subbed teff flour for the cake and used coconut milk in the can instead of buttermilk. It's my go to buttermilk sub since I always have it on hand.
It came out DELISH!
Thanks!
Maggie Tate
I've made a similar banana cake since my high school days! At some point, I started putting chocolate chips on the warm cake just after it comes out of the over. They melt, I spread the gooey chocolate. It's delish and makes a semi hard chocolate coating on the cake the next day. I might need to go make one....
Allison
Just saw this on Pinterest...does it have to be made with buttermilk, or would regular milk (or something else) be ok? I'm off work tomorrow because of the polar vortex and I want to make this, but don't have any buttermilk and don't really want to go out in the cold to get some!
Jocelyn Brubaker
I have only made it with buttermilk. If you have regular milk and lemon juice or vinegar though, you can make your own. Measure 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit 5-10 minutes and then use it in place of buttermilk. I hope you enjoy the cake!!! Stay warm!
Carrie
When you say shortening do you mean vegetable shortening or butter?
Jocelyn Brubaker
I used vegetable shortening in this recipe.
Tammy Northrup
This cake looks amazing. I must confess that I too have an unused juicer in my cabinet.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Just saw this on the Bhg board. Omg. Repinned. The cake. the FROSTING. I need.
Jocelyn Brubaker
You will love this cake 🙂 Thanks for the repin!
Judy T
Thought your cake looked good....I kind of made it. I cut back on the sugar because my bananas were very, very ripe. Then, I thought I'm not going to do the icing, just too much fat, so I threw a few semi sweet chocolate chips on top and tried to get them to sink in a little. That didn't work and they turned out being scattered over the top. I couldn't serve anything looking that bad so I made the icing but had to use all butter. Everything was excellent. Thank you. The only comment I had was that yours looks really dense but mine came out more like a regular cake. It was good, but did leaving out a few ounces of sugar do that.?
Jocelyn Brubaker
I have made it a few times and it is dense every time. I wonder if leaving out the extra sugar did make it lighter....that would be my only guess. You could always toss the chocolate chips on the top after it comes out of the oven. Let them melt slightly and spread them out. I am glad you liked the recipe though!
Jenna@LittleKitchenBigFlavors
Not really an appliance... but I just dragged out my mortar and pestle for the first time probably since I got it, ha!
Emily @ Sweet Bella Roos
Bananas are so annoying... they are only "perfect" to eat like less than 24 hours, and then I always have the best intentions to bake with them but always forget. So either I end up with rotting bananas on my counter or in my freezer. Maybe I will buy some just to make this cake! 🙂
kayla
Mmm...banana cake!! I haven't had it in forever, and guess what I have some banana's in the freezer just waiting for me to do something with them! Pinning this for later!! Thanks for sharing!!