Old Fashioned Banana Cake Recipe & Video

I love this old fashioned banana cake recipe. The ripe bananas add natural sweetness and make it moist and delicious. Whether you are a beginner baker or an experienced one, this recipe will surely impress your friends and family.

Old Fashioned Banana Cake Recipe

This easy banana cake recipe is a great alternative to banana bread for using up those ripe bananas. You can serve it plain, or dress it up with whipped cream or icing. This recipe is adapted from the 1961 Betty Crocker New Picture Cookbook One Egg Cake.

Baking soda needs acidity to activate, which comes from the milk product in the recipe. You can use cultured buttermilk, plain milk kefir, or soured milk. We make milk kefir at home, so we used milk kefir.

To make soured milk, add 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk. Let stand for 5 minutes before using.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup ripe mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk OR 1/2 cup plain milk kefir OR 1/2 cup soured milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a nine inch round pan or 9×9 square pan.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients – sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl combine wet ingredients – melted butter, mashed bananas, buttermilk, vanilla, and egg.

Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until it tests done with a toothpick. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. (You can remove the cake from the pan before cooling if you prefer, or serve it directly from the pan.)

The plain cake will keep at room temperature for several days, or wrap and freeze for up to a month. Once the cake is decorated, it’s best to store it in the refrigerator and use within a few days.

Topping Ideas

We like our banana cake with lightly sweetened whipped and banana slices for extra banana flavor. Cream cheese frosting, chocolate and peanut butter are other classic combinations.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the whipping cream and vanilla in a bowl and whip until it starts to thicken. Add in the powdered sugar, and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Spread on the top of the cake and dot with banana slices.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla extract. Beat with a mixer until creamy and smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix until fluffy. Scape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure all the sugar is mixed in.

Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
• 3/4 creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and peanut butter for 60-90 seconds, until fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix well.
Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, mixing for 1-2 minutes until well blended.
Add heavy cream and mix for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

This recipe makes enough frosting to coat the entire 9 inch cake turned out on a platter.

For a chocolate/peanut butter/banana combination:

Cover the banana cake with peanut butter frosting, and then drizzles with chocolate sauce or sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.

Baking Tips

Use ripe bananas for maximum sweetness and flavor. Ripe bananas have more antioxidants and vitamin C, too. As long as they are not spoiled, even squishy bananas work just fine. If you’re using bananas that were frozen, bring them to room temperature before adding them to the batter.

If you don’t have 9 inch cake pan, you can use the recipe to make around 12 cupcakes.

Add one half cup mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts to the batter for extra texture and flavor. You can also add a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg with the dry ingredients for a spiced flavor.

To keep the banana slices on top of the cake from turning brown, dip them in lemon juice and pat dry. If you plan to eat the cake within an hour or two after decorating, there’s no need for dipping.

Print Friendly Recipe

Use the recipe card below for printing, converting measurements, or preventing your screen from going dark while baking. You can also double the recipe to fill a 9×13 cake pan.

Old Fashioned Banana Cake

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This easy banana cake recipe is a great alternative to banana bread for using up those ripe bananas. You can serve it plain, or dress it up with whipped cream or icing. 

• Author: Laurie Neverman
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 16 slices 1x
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup ripe mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk OR 1/2 cup plain milk kefir OR 1/2 cup soured milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a nine inch round pan or 9×9 square pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients – sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl combine wet ingredients – melted butter, mashed bananas, buttermilk, vanilla, and egg.
3. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until it tests done with a toothpick. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. (You can remove the cake from the pan before cooling if you prefer, or serve it directly from the pan.)
5. The plain cake will keep at room temperature for several days, or wrap and freeze for up to a month. Once the cake is decorated, it’s best to store it in the refrigerator and use within a few days.

Notes

To make soured milk, simply add 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk and let stand for 5 minutes before using.

Topping Ideas

We like our banana cake with lightly sweetened whipped and banana slices for extra banana flavor. Cream cheese frosting, chocolate and peanut butter are other classic combinations.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the whipping cream and vanilla in a bowl and whip until it starts to thicken. Add in the powdered sugar, and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Spread on the top of the cake and dot with banana slices.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla extract. Beat with a mixer until creamy and smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix until fluffy. Scape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure all the sugar is mixed in.

Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
• 3/4 creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and peanut butter for 60-90 seconds, until fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix well.
Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, mixing for 1-2 minutes until well blended.
Add heavy cream and mix for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

This recipe makes enough frosting to coat the entire 9 inch cake turned out on a platter.

For a chocolate/peanut butter/banana combination:

Cover the banana cake with peanut butter frosting, and then drizzles with chocolate sauce or sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.

More Old Fashioned Recipes

I love old cookbooks and old family recipes. In our kitchen, we enjoy mixing old and new to keep things interesting. These are some of our favorite vintage recipes.

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pudding Cake

Grandma Catherine’s Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Mom’s Best Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe

Easy Apple Cake with Caramel Topping

Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe with Canned Peaches 

This article is written by Laurie Neverman. Laurie grew up in the kitchen, learning baking and home cooking from her momma. At age 15, she and her mom and two sisters created Irene’s Custom Cakes & Catering, which was her summer job through most of high school and college.