This banana cake recipe really takes ‘basic banana cake’ to that next level! The best part is, it really doesn’t take that much more effort – I promise.
Moist banana cake layers, filled with a luscious caramel and topped with cream cheese buttercream, this recipe is sure to please the crowd!
How to make Banana Cake
This banana cake comes together really easily, and uses common household ingredients! The full list of ingredients is in the recipe card at the end of the post 🙂
Preheat oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 1 on the recipe card below if you don’t have a fan function) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release).
In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
Mash your bananas well using a potato masher or fork. Set aside for now.
In a large bowl, add in your butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine – see note 2), cream together for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs).
Next add in your mashed bananas, vanilla and Greek yoghurt. Mix on a medium speed until well combined. It may look a little curdled but that’s okay. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
Finish off by adding in your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until combined and there are no streaks of flour remaining. Be careful not to overmix (see note 3 on recipe card below).
Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins. Drop the cake tins lightly on your counter to remove any large air bubbles and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Once baked, allow them to cool in the cake tins for about 15-20 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before filling/topping with the caramel and cream cheese frosting.
How to make Caramel
Caramel is actually really easy to make and only requires a few ingredients!
In a small saucepan, add in the sugar and water. Mix so that the sugar is coated in the water and then place the saucepan over a medium heat. Allow the mixture to heat up and start bubbling without mixing (see note 4 on recipe card below).
Once the mixture turns a light amber colour throughout (it can take over 5 minutes for the sugar to start changing colour), turn off the heat. Immediately pour in the cream gradually while vigorously whisking the sugar with a whisk (see note 5 on recipe card below if your mixture clumps up).
Next add in your cold butter and salt, and mix until the butter is completely melted. Transfer your caramel to a heat proof bowl to allow it to cool. I like to cover my caramel with cling wrap so that the cling wrap is touching the caramel to prevent a skin from forming as it cools.
For the cream cheese frosting, check out this blog post: https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/the-best-cream-cheese-frosting/
How to decorate your banana cake
Decorating your cake is the best part (in my opinion!) and you can get creative and do it however you like, but this is how I did mine 🙂
Start off by placing your first cake layer onto your cake stand, and then spread out your caramel on top. If you don’t want your caramel to seep out the sides, then pipe a dam of frosting around the top edges of your cake and then place the caramel in the middle.
Next spread out a generous amount of your cream cheese frosting. Place your next cake layer on top and then cover the top and sides with more cream cheese frosting. I finished off with some piping on the top 🙂
And that is it! Enjoy! 🙂
Moist Banana Cake with Caramel
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 2¼ cups (280 g) flour - regular, all purpose (see note 6 if you want to use cake flour)
- ¼ cup (25 g) cornstarch - also known as cornflour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon - ground, powdered
- 3½ large (410 g) bananas - skin removed, make sure they're ripe and soft
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- ½ cup (105 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola
- 1½ cups (300 g) white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs - room temperature
- 1½ tsps vanilla essence/extract
- ½ cup (125 g) Greek yoghurt - room temperature
Caramel
- ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- ¼ cup (60 g) cream - room temperature, minimum fat percentage of 34%
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter - cold
- 1 pinch salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
Banana Cake
- Preheat oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 1 if you don't have a fan function) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release).
- In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Mash your bananas well using a potato masher or fork. Set aside for now.
- In a large bowl, add in your butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine - see note 2), cream together for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add in eggs one by one, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between eggs).
- Next add in your mashed bananas, vanilla and Greek yoghurt. Mix on a medium speed until well combined. It may look a little curdled but that's okay. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
- Finish off by adding in your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until combined and there are no streaks of flour remaining. Be careful not to overmix (see note 3).
- Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins. Drop the cake tins lightly on your counter to remove any large air bubbles and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Once baked, allow them to cool in the cake tins for about 15-20 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before filling/topping with the caramel and cream cheese frosting.
Caramel
- In a small saucepan, add in the sugar and water. Mix so that the sugar is coated in the water and then place the saucepan over a medium heat. Allow the mixture to heat up and start bubbling without mixing (see note 4).
- Once the mixture turns a light amber colour throughout (it can take over 5 minutes for the sugar to start changing colour), turn off the heat. Immediately pour in the cream gradually while vigorously whisking the sugar with a whisk (see note 5 if your mixture clumps up).
- Next add in your cold butter and salt, and mix until the butter is completely melted. Transfer your caramel to a heat proof bowl to allow it to cool. I like to cover my caramel with cling wrap so that the cling wrap is touching the caramel to prevent a skin from forming as it cools.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
49 Comments
Hi Maryam!
Can I use this recipe for making banana bread?
Many thanks
Kavita
Hi Kavita! So the cake layers are quite soft so not sure they’ll bake up as well in a loaf tin. It may be okay, but my worry is the bottom of the banana bread may be dense. I am sharing a banana bread recipe very soon though so keep an eye out for that 😀
Thanks Maryam! I will be looking forward to it😊
The cake was really good! I think it tastes even better when you eat it two days later
I only did the cake and a white chocolate glaze on it
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Poppy! A white chocolate glaze sounds delicious 😀
Can i use sour cream instead of yogurt?
Hi Lena! I haven’t tried that substitute myself so I’m not too sure how it’ll affect the texture sorry! It may work fine but will most likely make the cake a little more dense 🙂
I tried substituting sour cream for yogurt and it turned out amazing! My parents loved it 🥰
Awesome! So happy to hear you and your parents enjoyed it Lena 😀
Omg!!! You hit this one right out of the ball park!! The bananas 🍌 I used were super ripe because I had them in the freezer . The combination of banana the cinnamon and the zing from the lemon in the cream cheese frosting really complimented all flavors together! Let’s not forget the Carmel surprise inside!! I cooked the cake 350 ° with no fan 35 minutes and it came out perfect! I also used Carmel drip on the side with rosettes on the top.
Keep these super recipes coming!! Your the Best!! 👏 👏 👏
Chuck USA 🇺🇸
So pleased to hear that Chuck! 😀 And yes using super ripe bananas are key – they really take the flavour to that next level 😀
Hi,
Made this for a a kindergarten fundraiser (in Germany) and it was a huge hit! I unfortunately didn’t get to try it – it was all gone by the time I got there. But the next day the other parents asked if I had made the banana cake and told me it was insanely good! Thought I’d share. So thank you and well done
So so happy to hear that Jessica! 😀 Much love from NZ to Germany 🙂
Thank you so much ,this is the best banana cake I’ve ever made 😋
Can’t wait to try the chocolate cake
Awesome! So so happy to hear that 😀
I like it I will make it for my self it look very nice
Awesome! Hope you enjoy it Raeesah! 🙂
It was 10/10 solid yummy! I loved it, tho I put up a different8 daco..
So so pleased to hear that Victoria! 😀 Really appreciate the feedback 🙂
Hi,any alternative to Greek yoghurt?? Please suggest
Hi Anitha! You can use regular yoghurt 🙂 buttermilk may work too but haven’t tried it myself 🙂
Can i use sour cream instead of yogurt? I can’t wait to try this recipe it sounds amazing 😋
Hi Lena! I haven’t tried sour cream myself so I’m not too sure sorry! It may make the cake a little denser, but if you don’t mind that then you can give it a try 🙂
Can I use cornflour in place of corn starch
Hi Hina! Yes if you mean white cornflour that’s used to thicken sauces then yes it’s the same as cornstarch just different names 🙂 hope you enjoy the recipe!