This easy to make Banana Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting is one that is sure to impress! Tender banana cake covered in the creamiest caramel cream cheese frosting and topped with fresh banana slices and an extra caramel drizzle. It's oh-so-delicious and quite impressive!
This is the perfect cake for all banana lovers out there. You get the delicious sweet banana flavor in the cake and with the fresh slices of bananas on top. The caramel cream cheese frosting compliments the banana flavor perfectly making this an unforgettable cake that is a great choice for special occasions or for when you just need a sweet treat fix!
This is a great way to use up overripe bananas that might otherwise go to waste. Plus, the natural sweetness of ripe bananas enhances the cake's flavor.
If you are looking for more dessert recipes, try my Homemade Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats with M&M's, Chewy Chocolate Raspberry Brownies or Maple Walnut Spice Cookies.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It is delicious. The sweet, moist banana cake paired with the rich caramel cream cheese frosting creates a perfect combination of flavors that's hard to resist.
- It is comforting. Banana cake has that comforting, nostalgic quality that brings warmth and coziness to any occasion. It's like a hug in dessert form.
- It is versatile. It's a versatile dessert suitable for various occasions, from casual family gatherings to elegant celebrations like birthdays and holidays.
Ingredients Needed
Here are notes about some of the ingredients needed to make this banana cake with creamy caramel frosting. You can find all of these ingredeints at your local grocery store or at an online retailer, like Amazon.
- Cake flour: I prefer to use cake flour, but you could easily replace with all-purpose flour. The texture may be a bit more dense, but should still turn out fine.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Banana: Use 1 ½ cups ripe mashed banana. This equals out to be about 4 bananas. The easiest way to mash bananas is to place them on a plate or in a bowl and mash with a fork.
- Buttermilk: Low fat or full fat buttermilk will work. To make your own buttermilk, combine 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Sugar
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Cream cheese: Full fat cream cheese is going to be best and provide the best texture for the frosting.
- Caramel sauce: I prefer to use Toriani premade caramel sauce. You could use your favorite store-bough caramel sauce, or if you are feeling extra ambitious, make your own!
- Powdered sugar
PRO TIP: When you have bananas that are overripe and you aren't ready to use them in baked goods, simply peel them and place them in a zip top bag. Throw that zip top bag in the freezer and save them for when you need them. Allow them to thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter before using them.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Cake flour: You can use regular all-purpose flour, but the texture might not be as tender.
This easy recipe has not been tested with this substitution. If you give this a try, please let me know how it worked out in the comments below!
Recipe Variations
- Swap out the caramel cream cheese frosting for a chocolate cream cheese frosting by adding ¼ cocoa powder instead of the caramel sauce to the cream cheese mixture.
- Fold in 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter for a nutty crunch.
- Sprinkle some nuts on top of the frosting, if desired.
- For a cozy, warm spice touch, add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves or allspice to the dry ingredients.
- Try adding some toasted coconut on top of the frosting along with the caramel sauce for a bit of a tropical touch.
Equipment Needed
- Cake pan: You will need a 9x13-inch cake pan to bake the banana cake.
- Parchment paper: I love these pre cut parchment paper sheets. It is so easy to pull one of these out and have your baking sheet or cake pan lined without fussing around with getting it just the right size.
Step by Step Instructions
Here is how to make this banana cake recipe.
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat a 9x13-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line it with a parchment paper sling. (See expert tips below.)
STEP 2: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter, brown sugar and vanilla on medium speed for 5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides, if needed.
STEP 3: Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition until you no longer see the yolks.
STEP 4: Combine the mashed banana and buttermilk in a bowl. Mix well with a fork.
STEP 5: Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate medium bowl. Add the flour mixture and banana mixture alternatively to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined.
STEP 6: Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
STEP 7: While the cake is baking, wash and dry the bowl and paddle attachment of your stand mixer.
STEP 8: Prepare the frosting by combining the cream cheese, butter, caramel sauce, and vanilla in the bowl of your stand mixer.
STEP 9: Beat on high speed for 2 minutes or until smooth.
STEP 10: Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
STEP 11: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper sling. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 13: Once the cake is cool and the frosting has had time to chill, spread the frosting on top of the cake.
STEP 14: Drizzle the caramel sauce over the frosting and, using the back of a spoon, carefully swirl the caramel sauce into the frosting.
STEP 15: Slice the cake, top with banana slices and an extra drizzle of caramel sauce, serve, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Here are some tips and tricks for making this fluffy cake:
- Make a parchment paper sling for easy removal from the pan. To do this use two pieces of parchment paper, one that will fit In the pan lengthwise with some excess hanging over, and one that fits in the pan crosswise with excess hanging over. Spray your pan with cooking spray and press your two pieces of parchment into the bottoms and up the sides of your pan.
- Add banana slice right before serving and only to pieces you plan to serve. This will ensure the banana slices are fresh and not brown. If you wanted, you could brush the bananas lightly with lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Store the frosted cake in the refrigerator until right before serving.
FAQ
Yes! This cake often tastes even better the next day, so you can savor the goodness over multiple days without sacrificing quality. After frosting the cake, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. Allow the cake to come to room temperature when ready to serve.
Absolutely, you can definitely omit the caramel frosting or use a different frosting if you prefer. Banana cake is quite versatile, and there are many frosting options to choose from. Some great options would be: plain cream cheese frosting, whipped cream, chocolate ganache, or buttercream frosting.
or the best banana cake, you'll want to use ripe to overripe bananas. Overripe bananas have a mostly brown or blackened skin. They are very soft and might even have a strong, sweet aroma. These bananas are perfect for banana cake as they are the sweetest and provide the most moisture and flavor.
Storing and Freezing
Store cake tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Allow cake to come to room temperature before serving.
Cake can also be frozen, tightly covered or in a zip top bag for up to 3 months.
Other Recpes to Try
If you have leftover buttermilk after making this banana dessert, use it up in one of these recipes:
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Recipe
Banana Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Banana Cake:
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana, about 4 bananas
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
For the Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 8-ounce block cream cheese, chilled
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup caramel sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Banana Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Cut a parchment paper sling for the short and long sides. Lightly spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk and set aside.2 cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate medium sized bowl, combine the mashed banana and buttermilk. Stir with a fork to combine.1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana, about 4 bananas, ½ cup buttermilk
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla together at medium speed for 5 minutes.1 cup sugar, ½ cup butter, softened, ½ cup packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.3 eggs
- Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, alternately with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sharply tap pan once on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs and the edges are starting to pull away from the pan..
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
For the Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, caramel sauce, and vanilla. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes, or until smooth.1 8-ounce block cream cheese, chilled, ¼ cup butter, softened, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ¼ cup caramel sauce
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, and beat just until blended. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.4 cups sifted powdered sugar
- Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Using the back of spoon, carefully swirl the caramel sauce into the frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Top with banana slices and an extra drizzle of caramel sauce, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Please note that these nutrition facts are approximations and may not be entirely precise.
Ashlyn Meredith says
We can't get enough of this cake and the caramel frosting. It is a perfect after dinner dessert or a great snack too!