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Best Banana Cake

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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.

A white plate with a piece of banana cake with hot fudge frosting and a fork on it

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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.


Two white plates with squares of banana cake topped with hot fudge frosting and banana slices

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.

A square of banana cake with hot fudge frosting and banana slices on a white plate and the cake behind it

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.

A square of banana cake with hot fudge frosting on a white plate with a bite taken out of it

Tips for making the Best Banana Cake

  1. 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.
  2. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.  Stir in the ripe bananas.
  3. Stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Slowly beat this into the banana mixture with the buttermilk.
  4. Pour the cake batter into a greased 9×13 pan and bake for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs on it.
  5. 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.

A fork with a bite of best banana cake on it and the rest of the cake behind it

More easy banana recipes you may like:

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Yield: 24 squares

Best Banana Cake

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.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 33 minutes
Total Time 53 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 1/2 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
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

For the Hot Fudge Butter Cream

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup hot fudge topping, slightly warm + 2 Tablespoons for garnish
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • fresh banana slices

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick baking spray.
  2. 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.
  3. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together and add to the banana mixture with the buttermilk.
  4. 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.
  5. Beat the butter, vanilla, salt, and warm hot fudge until creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.
  6. 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:

1
Amount 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.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Jocelyn @ Inside BruCrew Life
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes & Cupcakes

Two pictures of best banana cake collaged together with a dark brown text box

Best Banana Cake with Hot Fudge Frosting

(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.

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Comments

  1. Aimee says

    First, yummo cake!

    Second, want a list of appliances I have that never get used? Rice Cooker, Deep Fryer, bread machine, waffle maker, rotisserie, juicer…and probably more. Those are the ones off the top of my head. I actually have a cabinet for never used small appliances…I really should get rid of them and use that cabinet for other things…anyone want some of these small appliances????

    Reply

      • Elaine says

        and one of those neat spiralizer things that I used quite a bit at first, but then the stores caught on to the fact that we’d buy it if they spiralled it, and I got lazy…….

        Reply

    • Melissa Soden says

      I make bread by hand. I love my rice cooker and I use my deep fryer a lot. I use my juicer once in awhile. I will make this cake soon.

      Reply

    • jaja says

      yummy… so sorry to ask this but im not familiar with “hot fudge sundae” i saw fudge sundae in groceries but located in the freezer are they the same..? there are so many ingredients i read in the internet i am not familiar with and cant find in the market and in the groceries here in the philippines.. OHHH those small appliances from other readers so interesting but then i am so far from you..

      Reply

    • Joanne Newland says

      The bread machine is the greatest thing I have ever used, I can not knead bread anymore because my hands are weak from a surgery that left me a quad. I am doing things again but my hands are still to weak. so I use the bread machine to do the kneading for me. I make all kinds of breads to give away and eat of course ! Makes great pizza dough too, I would take all those small appliances, they all have a wonderful job to do. Thanks for listening…
      Joanne

      Reply

  2. Audra @ Once a Mom Always a Cook says

    I sold my juicer a few months ago bc it too was very lonely and it needed a good home! I did juice very often with my last pregnancy but after I stopped breastfeeding I stopped juicing. Love your recipe for banana cake! Just made chocolate spiced banana muffins last night for breakfast this morning 🙂 I would love for you to stop by my cooking blog sometime! Have a wonderful weekend 🙂

    Reply

  3. Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says

    That cake looks so good. I want a slice! I use most of my appliances, but probably the rice maker or the babycakes cake pop maker collect the most dust. I would love Aimee’s deep fryer. Oh the stuff I could do with that! (Like gain 100 pounds…)

    Reply

  6. Hattie says

    My Nannie used to make a banana cake just like that!!! Yum! I’ve never understood the whole juicer thing. I love fruit smoothies, but vegetable juices just don’t sound good!!! My mom gave me a sandwich maker for grilled cheeses and I don’t think I’ve ever used it! How hard is it to just make one on the stove?! Ha! Hope y’all have a great weekend!!!

    Reply

  7. tFamily says

    Hot fudge frosting = genius! I have a quesadilla maker…why I ever got that thing I’m not sure – anyone can make a quesadilla on the stove.

    Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos

    Reply

  8. The Crunchy Mamacita says

    First of all, these look amazing! Second, I LOVE your blog and your photos! I have a new food blog, The Sweet Spot, and I was wondering if you would like to do a guest post on tips for taking great food photos. Please let me know if you are interested!

    thesweetpotemail (at) gmail (dot) com

    Reply

  9. The Life of Susan says

    ooohhh this looks so good and i have a bunch of brown bananas just begging me to do something with them! do you think i could use regular chocolate syrup? like hershey’s?

    the only appliance that really goes unused is my wok. i’ll bring it out maybe once or twice a year for stir fry but that’s about it!

    Reply

  10. Alice says

    Great recipe! I use bread maker, rice cooker (it’s really a multi-cooker so can make soups and oatmeal, too), pizza oven, and slow cooker a lot throughout the year. Our juicer does not come out until late December, when our oranges are beginning to ripen. Then we have lots of yummy orange juice. You can try making orange juice from store-bought oranges. Homemade orange juice tastes so much better than store-bought.

    Reply

  11. Terry says

    1) You always make the most amazing desserts! I want to be your neighbor and hope you share.

    2) Moving into an RV helped me to rid myself of unused and even under-used appliances. If it isn’t being used it doesn’t need to be taking up space.

    Reply

  13. Hayley says

    I love banana cake! It’s one of my favorites. This almost reminds me of a delicious banana cake we used to get as kids but the chocolate frosting is the only difference. Must make!

    Reply

  20. Six Sisters says

    This cake looks so good. The chocolate frosting looks wonderful…it’s a keeper!! Thanks for coming to our “Strut Your Stuff Saturday.” We hope you’ll join us again next Saturday with more great recipes! -The Sisters

    Reply

  21. kayla says

    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!!

    Reply

  22. Emily @ Sweet Bella Roos says

    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! 🙂

    Reply

  24. Judy T says

    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.?

    Reply

    • Jocelyn Brubaker says

      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!

      Reply

  28. Allison says

    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!

    Reply

    • Jocelyn Brubaker says

      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!

      Reply

  29. Maggie Tate says

    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….

    Reply

  30. Jesus-in-the-City says

    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!

    Reply

  31. Jillian says

    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!

    Reply

  32. Sarah says

    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?

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      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 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  8. […] that were on their way to becoming fruit fly heaven, so I needed to use them up quickly.  This Best Banana Cake is one of my all time favorite ways to use up ripe bananas, but I decided to change it up some.  I […]

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