Best Banana Cake

Name: Best Banana Cake Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 33 min
Total time: 53 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup vegetable shortening; 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon table salt; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 2 cups all purpose flour; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon table salt; 1/3 cup hot fudge topping, slightly warm + 2 Tablespoons for garnish; 4 cups powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons heavy cream; fresh banana slices

Published: Aug 4, 2022 by Jocelyn · As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 64 Comments

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This is the Best Banana Cake recipe you will ever taste. It has a dense and moist, yet fluffy texture that is perfect. Plus, it is topped with a creamy hot fudge frosting that everyone goes crazy for.

Squares of frosted cake on white plates.

A friend from college gave me this recipe for ripe bananas years ago. It is truly the best banana cake I have ever eaten!

This banana cake and these double chocolate banana muffins are my go to recipes when I have extra brown bananas.

The cake is amazing by itself, but I love frosting. So, I whipped up a batch of hot fudge frosting for the top. Best idea ever!

Why This Recipe Is Best

The best banana cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion. It is easy to make, and it comes out perfect every single time.

One bite of this cake and you will be jumping for joy. It is moist, fluffy, and topped with a creamy chocolate frosting that will have you coming back for another bite.

A hot fudge frosting is what sets this banana cake recipe apart from all the rest. The delicious chocolate flavor comes from using dark chocolate ice cream topping.

A white plate with a cake square on it and a bite missing from the front.

Key Ingredients

This banana cake is so easy to make. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already.

Granulated Sugar - Sweetens the cake batter. You can also use a mixture of half granulated and half brown sugar, if you like.
Shortening - Gives the cake a soft crumb texture. You can use unsalted butter if you like, but shortening really does give it the best texture.
Eggs - Use large eggs for the best results.
Vanilla Extract, Salt, & Cinnamon - Added for flavor.
Baking Soda - Reacts with the buttermilk to provide the rise as the cake bakes.
Flour - We use all purpose flour in most of our recipes. See how to measure flour correctly, so your cake turns out correctly every time.
Buttermilk - Provides a soft texture to the cake crumb and also helps it rise.
Bananas - Dark, spotted bananas are best for baked goods because they are sweeter.
Hot Fudge Frosting - adding dark chocolate hot fudge topping to a simple buttercream icing gives it a light chocolate flavor.

A dark board with bowls of ingredients to make a banana cake.

How to Make the Best Banana Cake

Not only is this banana cake absolutely delicious, it is also very easy to make. It takes minutes to put together, and only requires one bowl.

Recipe prep. Preheat the oven. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick baking spray, so the cake doesn't stick. Assemble and measure ingredients first because this makes it easier to make the cake.
Mash the bananas. I usually just use a plate and fork, but a potato masher would work too.
Make banana cake batter. Beat the shortening and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas and mix again. Stir together the dry ingredients. Alternately add to the batter with the buttermilk.
Bake and cool. Pour the cake batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A few moist crumbs is ok. Place on a wire rack until it cools completely.
Make hot fudge frosting. Beat softened butter, vanilla, salt, and warm hot fudge topping in a medium bowl until creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar and heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy.
Decorate and serve. Spread the chocolate frosting on top of the cooled banana cake. Add warm hot fudge drizzles and sliced banana to the cake squares right before serving, if desired.

Storage Recommendations

Store the frosted banana cake in an air tight container on the counter for 2-3 days. You can also refrigerate it, and it will keep for 5-7 days. Make sure the cake is tightly covered, so it does not dry out.

You can also freeze the unfrosted cake. Wrap the cooled cake tightly in 2 layers of plastic wrap, then in foil. Place in a freezer safe container and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and frost right before serving.

Two white plates with squares of frosted cake on them.

Tips and Tricks

Do not over mix the batter because it can cause the cake to be overly dense or to sink in the center.
Use extra ripe bananas for the best flavor. If the bananas are not quite ready, see how to ripen bananas in the oven with these easy tips.
Don't like chocolate? Add cream cheese frosting or marshmallow buttercream to the top.
Change up the cake by adding mini chocolate chips or your favorite chopped nuts to the batter before baking.

Recipe FAQ'S

Why is my banana cake dry?

This particular banana cake should be very moist. One reason that your cake is dry might be because you used too much flour or not enough liquid.

Another reason for dried out cakes is over baking or an oven that doesn't run true to temperature.

Why doesn't my banana cake taste like banana?

If your cake doesn't taste very banana-y, it might be because your bananas weren't ripe enough when you baked it. You want to choose very dark bananas for the best and sweetest flavor.

Can this banana cake be made ahead of time?

Yes, in fact the taste just keeps getting better and better. It is an easy recipe to make 1-2 days ahead of time.

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Recipe

Best Banana Cake Recipe

Yield: 24 squares

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 33 minutes

Total Time: 53 minutes

This is the Best Banana Cake you will ever taste. It has a dense and moist, yet fluffy texture that is perfect. Plus, it is topped with a creamy hot fudge frosting that everyone goes crazy for.

Ingredients

For the Banana Cake

½ cup vegetable shortening
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas

For the Hot Fudge Frosting

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅓ cup hot fudge topping, slightly warm + 2 Tablespoons for garnish
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
fresh banana slices

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick baking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening and sugar until creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy. Stir in the mashed bananas.
Stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together and add to the banana mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 33-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Remove and place on a wire rack until completely cool.
Beat the softened butter, vanilla, salt, and warm hot fudge until creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.
Add the cream and beat until light and 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.

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

A white plate with a square of banana cake topped with chocolate frosting on it.

(original photo from February 2012)

*The post and recipe for Best Banana Cake was first published February 2012. The photos and post were updated January 2019 and then republished August 2022.

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