Moist Banana Cake – Soft, Fluffy & Easy to Make
There’s nothing better than a good homemade moist banana cake, especially when you’ve got a few overripe bananas sitting on the bench that need using up! This banana cake is soft, moist, full of banana flavour and incredibly easy to make.
The secret to getting that lovely, tender texture is adding a little lemon juice to the milk. It creates a quick homemade buttermilk substitute that helps keep the cake beautifully soft and fluffy.
You don’t need any fancy ingredients, just a few pantry staples and some ripe bananas. It’s perfect for afternoon tea, lunchboxes or simply using up those bananas before they go to waste.
Why You’ll Love This Banana Cake
- Super moist and fluffy: The combination of ripe bananas and homemade buttermilk gives this cake a beautifully soft texture.
- Simple ingredients: Everything you need is probably already in your pantry.
- Great for using up bananas: The riper your bananas, the sweeter and more flavourful your cake will be.
- Easy to make: No complicated techniques or fancy equipment required.
- Perfect with icing: Delicious on its own, but even better topped with a generous layer of vanilla icing and a sprinkle of chopped walnuts.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ripe bananas: The star of the show! You’ll need around 350–370g of peeled bananas. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots, as these are sweeter and easier to mash.
Butter: Gives the cake a lovely rich flavour and soft crumb. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature so it creams properly with the sugar.
Caster sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create a light, fluffy texture.
Eggs: Help bind everything together and give the cake structure.
Vanilla extract: Adds a little extra warmth and flavour.
Plain flour: Forms the base of the cake.
Baking powder and baking soda: Work together to help the cake rise and stay fluffy.
Milk and lemon juice: Instead of buying buttermilk, we’re making our own by adding lemon juice directly to regular milk. The acidity also reacts with the baking soda to help give the cake a tender crumb.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the banana flavour.
Tips for the Best Moist Banana Cake
Use really ripe bananas. Bananas with brown spots are ideal. They mash easily and have a stronger, sweeter flavour than firm yellow bananas.
Don’t overmix the batter. Once you’ve added the flour, mix only until everything is combined. Overmixing can make your cake dense rather than soft and fluffy.
Use room-temperature ingredients. Softened butter and room-temperature eggs combine more easily, helping create a smoother batter.
Measure your bananas. Bananas vary quite a bit in size, so weighing them after peeling is the easiest way to get consistent results.
Check the cake before removing it from the oven. Every oven is slightly different. Insert a skewer into the centre; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, rather than wet batter.
How to Make Moist Banana Cake (Step-by-Step)
Step 1 – Make the Homemade Buttermilk
Start by adding 1¼ teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to 160ml of milk. Give it a quick stir and leave it to sit for 5–10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. The milk may thicken or curdle slightly, which is exactly what you want.
Step 2 – Prepare Your Cake Tin
Preheat your oven to 165°C fan bake. Grease and line a 21cm round cake tin with baking paper to prevent the cake from sticking.
Step 3 – Cream the Butter and Sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat 150g of softened butter and 265g of caster sugar together until pale, light and fluffy.
Take your time with this step, as creaming the butter and sugar properly helps create a lighter cake.
Step 4 – Add the Eggs
Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until combined.
Using room-temperature eggs helps everything mix together more evenly.
Step 5 – Add the Bananas and Vanilla
Mash 350–370g of ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are completely fine!
Add the mashed bananas and 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract to the butter mixture and gently mix until combined.
Step 6 – Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together 300g of plain flour, 1¾ teaspoons of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
This helps distribute the raising agents evenly throughout the cake.
Step 7 – Bring Everything Together
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, alternating with the homemade buttermilk you prepared earlier.
Gently fold everything together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make your banana cake dense rather than light and fluffy.
Step 8 – Bake the Banana Cake
Pour the batter into your prepared cake tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake at 165°C fan bake for approximately 50–55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil towards the end of baking.
Step 9 – Cool the Cake
Allow the banana cake to cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make sure the cake is completely cool before adding any icing, otherwise the icing can melt and slide off.
Step 10 – Ice and Serve
Once the cake has completely cooled, spread your favourite icing evenly over the top.
Slice into generous pieces and enjoy!
Share Your Moist Banana Cake!
Made this recipe? I’d love to see how yours turned out! Share your creation and tag @Sara_elcock on Instagram so I can see your baking. #OldMateEats
Homemade Moist Banana Cake
Ingredients
- 160 ml milk
- 1¼ tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
- 150 g butter softened
- 265 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 350-370 g ripe bananas peeled weight
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 300 g plain flour
- 1¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Prepare the buttermilk substitute. Add the lemon juice or vinegar to the milk, stir and set aside for 5–10 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients. It may look slightly curdled, which is completely normal.
- Preheat the oven. Preheat to 165°C fan bake. Grease and line a 21cm round cake tin with baking paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until pale, light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the banana and vanilla. Mash the ripe bananas with a fork, then mix them into the butter mixture along with the vanilla extract.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Make the cake batter. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture in batches, alternating with the prepared milk mixture. Gently fold until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for approximately 50–55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool and serve. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Ice if desired.
Notes
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Use very ripe bananas for the best flavour.
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Don’t overmix once the flour has been added.
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Allow the cake to cool completely before icing.
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Baking time may vary depending on your oven and cake tin.
How to Store Banana Cake
Banana cake keeps beautifully, making it a great option to bake ahead.
At room temperature: Store the uniced cake in an airtight container for up to 2 days in a cool spot.
In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, particularly if you’ve added cream cheese icing. Allow a slice to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
In the freezer: Wrap individual slices of uniced cake tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen bananas?
Absolutely! Frozen bananas work well in banana cake. Allow them to thaw completely before using, then mash them and include their juices in the measured banana weight.
Can I use vinegar instead of lemon juice?
Yes! White vinegar works just as well. Use the same quantity and leave it in the milk for 5–10 minutes before adding it to the cake batter.
Why is my banana cake dense?
Overmixing the batter is one of the most common causes. Once you add the flour, fold everything together gently until just combined. Using too much banana can also make the cake heavy, which is why weighing it is helpful.
What icing goes best with banana cake?
I love topping this banana cake with a simple vanilla icing and some chopped walnuts for a little crunch. Cream cheese or chocolate icing would also work beautifully if you fancy something different.
Final Thoughts
This homemade banana cake is one of those simple, reliable recipes that’s perfect for using up overripe bananas. It’s soft, full of flavour and doesn’t require any special ingredients.
Whether you serve it plain, with a dusting of icing sugar or topped with your favourite icing, it’s a great little cake to have in your baking rotation.
If you’re looking for another delicious way to use up ripe bananas, give my Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins a go!
