Moist Banana Cake (Print Page)
Tender, moist banana cake made with mashed ripe bananas and buttermilk; great for brunch or a sweet coffee-time treat.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 4 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
10 - 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
→ Optional Add-ins
11 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil (or melted butter) until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
04 - Fold in the mashed bananas and buttermilk (or yogurt) until just combined.
05 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding gently just until no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix.
06 - If using, gently fold in the chopped nuts or chocolate chips.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve plain or with your favorite frosting.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The crumb stays velvety soft for days, almost as if the bananas refuse to let it dry out.
- It requires zero fancy technique, just two bowls and a spoon or whisk, and forgives almost every mistake you throw at it.
02 -
- Underbaking by even five minutes leaves a gummy center that sinks as it cools, so trust the toothpick test over the timer.
- Using cold eggs straight from the fridge can cause the oil or butter to clump, which creates uneven holes in the finished crumb.
03 -
- If your bananas are not ripe enough, bake them unpeeled at 300 degrees F for 15 minutes until the skins blacken and the insides turn syrupy sweet.
- Fold the batter with a spatula instead of stirring with a spoon, because the folding motion preserves the air bubbles that keep the cake fluffy.