Easy Banana Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting is our favorite banana cake recipe. It starts with a box cake mix but you would not know it because it tastes better than scratch cake.
Banana cake is my family’s favorite desserts. In fact it is our favorite way to eat bananas. This Easy Banana Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting is a take off from my late mother-in-law’s banana cake. My mother-in-law was a no nonsense kind of cook. She was one of nine children brought up during the depression and she was also the mother of six children. Betty would cook all of the family meals on a budget and she learned quickly what worked and what did not. Her banana cake became a family favorite and tradition.
It is a cheater cake but it tastes better than any banana cake I have ever had or made from scratch. So you ask what is a cheater cake. I call cakes that use a box mix with add ins cheater cakes. Let me tell you that there really is a place for these kind of cakes. They are quick to come together, amazingly dependable and are absolutely delicious.
Again I repeat myself, I have tried baking many banana cakes from scratch without even coming close to the deliciousness in this Easy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. I have even proposed taste tests for family and friends and hands down every time this cake comes out the winner. This delicious beauty can be prepped and in the oven in about ten to fifteen minutes. The icing only takes about five minutes to whip up and tastes heavenly.
How to make Easy Banana Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
Whisk together the dry ingredients; cake mix, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add water, oil and eggs as directed on box. Stir in mashed bananas. Bake in greased pan. For the frosting cream butter and cream cheese. Beat in vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Ice cake when completely cooled. If desired top with chopped pecans. It is just that simple.
Tips for making this Easy Banana Cake!
- Always preheat your oven and bake the cake in the center of the oven.
- Grease and flour your baking dish well. I love Baker’s Joy which is a non stick baking spray with flour.
- Use over-ripe bananas. Brown mushy bananas make a more flavorful moist cake.
- If you really love cinnamon go hog wild and use a whole teaspoon.
- Experiment with different cake mixes like butter pecan and spice.
- Do not over-bake the cake. Start testing with the toothpick at 35 minutes.
- The frosting can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Other delicious banana recipes you will love!
Easy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 1 box yellow cake mix I used Betty Crocker
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of cloves
- Water oil and eggs (that are listed on the box)
- 3 large over-ripe bananas mashed about 1 1/2 cups
Cream Cheese Icing
- 1 box 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- Optional: 1/3 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 pan.
- In large bowl whisk together dry box mix, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add water, oil and eggs as directed on box. With mixer on medium speed or beat vigorously by hand for 2 minutes. Stir in mashed bananas.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- In medium bowl using mixer cream butter and cream cheese. Beat in vanilla extract. Beat in powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time. Spread over cooled cake. If using top with chopped pecans.
- Store cake in refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- Always preheat your oven and bake the cake in the center of the oven.
- Grease and flour your baking dish well. I love Baker’s Joy which is a no stick baking spray with flour.
- Use over-ripe bananas. Brown mushy bananas make a more flavorful moist cake.
- If you really love cinnamon go hog wild and use a whole teaspoon.
- Experiment with different cake mixes like butter pecan and spice.
- Do not over-bake the cake. Start testing with the toothpick at 30 minutes.
- The frosting can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
Nutrition
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Yaya
Made this last night, your recipe calls for 40 minutes of bake time. Mine was overcooked at 30 minutes. Any suggestions?
Beth Pierce
Sorry about the delayed response. I wonder if it could have something to do with the size of the bananas or the cake mix. I am going to add a note to the recipe.
Kaitelynn
I really liked this recipe! My dad requested a banana cake for his birthday this year and after reading through lots of recipes and comments I decided this was the best reviewed. The cake was a hit! Very moist and had a wonderful flavor! My only critique was it was more dense than I would prefer for cake. Any tips on how to make it less dense?
Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome! Glad that you liked it and happy birthday to your Dad! Is it possible that it was over-mixed?
Barb
I just made this cake for a Celebration of Life at our American Legion Post 83 yesterday. Everyone loved it! Not only loved it, but raved about it! I’m hoping against hope that there’s a piece left when I go back for a meeting tonight! But I think I might have to make another for us!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! You made my day. I am so glad that everyone loved it!
Tammy
This is a keeper! Agree with others 28 minutes was perfect timing. I took it to church and even the crumbs were scraped together and eaten, Thank you.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Tammy! So glad that you liked it!
Sherry Logsdon
I think a bigger pan would be better. I had to bake it for an hour to get it done. Also, there wasn’t enough room for the frosting.
Byenia
I made this recipe last night in 3 loaf tins (2 to give away as gifts this holiday season), and the cake tastes amazing! Didn’t have cloves so omitted them, used coconut oil in place of vegetable oil, and upped the bananas to 4. Also, I did reduce the powdered sugar by 1/4 cup and increased the butter by 2 tbsp. in the frosting portion of the recipe. Toasted the pecans before adding to the top. Such a tasty recipe! 🙂
Beth Pierce
Thanks Byenia! I am so glad that you liked it. Thanks for the all the tips.
patch
Had some over-ripe bananas I wanted to use up, but didn’t feel like the usual banana bread, so tried this recipe after looking at many others. I made a 9×13 Betty Crocker ‘Golden’ cake mix. I was a bit worried about the ‘cloves’ as I didn’t like the smell of them, but once mixed in and baked, it wasn’t noticeable. I was thinking the mix was too liquidy/runny when I poured it into the pan and wondered if it would bake properly, but it baked and rose fine. Everyone enjoyed it. Was nice and light like cake, which is what I was seeking as opposed to the heavier textured banana bread or muffins. It had a definite banana smell and flavor. The cream cheese frosting was way too sweet for me (although I had used same recipe in the past and loved it – my tastes have changed, so have to find less sweet frostings to make!), couldn’t eat it, but others enjoyed it! Next time I will try it using ‘white’ or french vanilla cake mix instead.
Beth Pierce
Awesome! So glad that your friends liked it. Yes my taste buds are changing a little too. I used to be able to eat everything sweet but not it hurts my teeth sometimes.
Cindy Fine
So delicious Beth, Thanks for another wonderful recipe! I brought this into work today and everyone is raving about it. My VP said I should keep this at the top of my list.
Victoria Frazier
I made this for some girls at work, they loved it, I had never made bannana cake. Great recipe ?
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Victoria! I am so glad that you and your co-workers enjoyed it!
jacque
Anyone who loves bananas will love this! To be honest I would just eat the frosting 😉
Megan
I love how easy and tasty this recipe is! Perfect for all of our summer get-togethers!
Jade Manning
This really is a sweet treat!
Katerina
I would LOVE a slice of this incredible cake!! And that frosting…YUMMMM!!!!
Sara
What a savory dessert for after dinner! I know what I will be making tonight! This looks amazing!
Jocelyn
Banana is seriously one of my favorite cakes to make! I love the banana flavor. It is for reals amazing.
Farm_mama87
I had some organic yellow cake mix I got from Grocery Outlet that I wanted to try something different with. I also had a few brown bananas awaiting their destiny. Cream cheese frosting is my favorite because I dont like super sweet frosting. When I stumbled across this recipe it was a perfect match. I’ve made it twice now and I used coconut oil for the oil in the recipe. It’s a wonderful recipe!! Very easy to throw together and tastes better than scratch. I saved it and will definitely use it again. Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! I am so glad that you liked it. We love it too! I will have to try the coconut oil. Some people don’t like the taste of coconut oil but I love it.