Soft, Moist Buttermilk Banana Cake
A soft, moist banana cake with a tender crumb, subtle tang from buttermilk, and rich banana flavor, topped with smooth, creamy cream cheese buttercream.
July 2025 update: I first published this recipe back in December 2023, back when I was a blogging newbie and it shows. The recipe was almost unreadable. Yikes! Sorry. I updated it so you could actually replicate it. It is really good and I hope you give it a try…or another try. I am till trying to make a banana cake recipe that is as soft as a regular cake so if you have any tips, let me know please.
👩🍳 Soft, Buttermilk Banana Cake
This Buttermilk Banana Cake is soft, full of flavor, and seriously satisfying. The buttermilk gives it a tender, light texture while the bananas bring that rich sweetness without weighing it down. The balance is spot on, and the cream cheese buttercream on top ties it all together with smooth, creamy richness.
The buttermilk adds a little tang that keeps the cake soft, while the bananas add flavor, moisture, and that familiar aroma everyone loves. If you enjoy banana bread, think of this as the cake version with a lighter texture and something a bit more special.
My birthday usually falls around Thanksgiving, and growing up, we always celebrated at my Great Aunt Jo’s house. With cake and singing mixed into the holiday gathering, it felt like the whole day was my birthday party.
Years later, I was at Thanksgiving with my husband’s family when they surprised me with a banana cake, candles, and singing. For a moment, it felt like I was a kid again and Thanksgiving really was all about my birthday. I am not someone who loves being the center of attention, but the cake made it unforgettable.
That cake came from a small French bakery in Springfield, Missouri, and it was so good I knew I had to make my own version. I think this one comes pretty close (maybe…. or not, there’s was amazing). I am still chasing their unbelievably light frosting, but this buttermilk banana cake is worth sharing and one you will want to bake again and again.
🛒 Recipe Ingredient List
🥣 Visual Process for Making Banana Cake
You want to make sure your ingredients are all prepped before you start. Use ripe bananas that are deeply speckled but not leaking liquid. Peel and mash them until mostly smooth with a few small lumps for texture. Bring your butter, eggs, and buttermilk to room temperature so they blend smoothly into the batter.
Room temperature ingredients blend more evenly, trap air better, and help create a stable batter that rises well. Soft butter creams properly with sugar, room temp eggs emulsify without curdling the batter, and warm buttermilk keeps everything smooth. Cold ingredients can cause a lumpy batter, uneven baking, dense texture, and sinking in the middle. Using room temp ingredients gives you a soft, fluffy cake with a tender crumb, which is exactly what you want in a banana cake.
Preheat your oven and grease your pans. If you’re making a layer cake, line the bottoms with parchment to help with release. Use light-colored metal pans for an even bake and soft texture. Glass and dark pans can brown the edges too quickly.
In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. This gets everything evenly distributed before it hits the wet ingredients. If you’re going for an extra soft crumb, you can replace a little of the flour with cake flour or cornstarch.
🌾 How to replace all-purpose flour with cake flour in this banana cake recipe
All-purpose flour has more protein, usually around 10 to 12 percent, which means it forms more gluten when mixed with liquid. That extra gluten gives structure, which is great for bread, but it can make cakes a little tough or dense if overmixed.
Cake flour has less protein, about 7 to 8 percent, and it’s milled extra fine. Less protein means less gluten, which gives you a softer, finer, more delicate crumb. That’s the texture you get in classic bakery-style white or yellow cakes.
Cornstarch works in a similar way. It doesn’t form gluten at all. Swapping a few tablespoons of your flour for cornstarch lowers the overall gluten potential in the batter. Swap about 2 tablespoons of flour per cup with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Beat the softened butter until smooth. This step loosens it up so it can trap air during creaming. Give it about 30 seconds to a minute on medium. If it’s still stiff or clumpy, it won’t blend right with the sugar and you’ll miss out on that light texture.
Add both the granulated and brown sugar. Mix on high speed for 2 to 4 minutes. You’re looking for a mixture that’s pale, fluffy, and slightly increased in volume. That’s how you know air has been incorporated, and those air bubbles are what keep the cake light.
Mix the mashed banana into the butter and sugar mixture until combined. It might look thick and curdled at first but it will smooth out. The banana adds moisture and flavor but also weight, so good mixing and proper leavening are key.
Crack in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. This helps trap more air and strengthens the structure. Add the vanilla extract here too and mix until everything looks smooth and cohesive.
Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the buttermilk. If the batter looks a little separated, that’s fine. It will come together when the dry ingredients go in. The acidity in the buttermilk helps tenderize the crumb and activates the baking soda.
With the mixer still on low, add the flour mixture one cup at a time. Mix just until you stop seeing dry flour. Do not overmix. It’s okay if there are a few small lumps. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make the cake tough.
If you’re adding nuts or chocolate chips, now’s the time. Use a spatula and fold them in gently so you don’t deflate the batter.
Pour the batter into your prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake on the center rack. If it starts browning too quickly before the middle is done, loosely cover the top with foil. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back lightly when pressed.
Spread cream cheese buttercream frosting over the cake, slice and serve.
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Banana cake
Equipment
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 1½ cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large)
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 5 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 egg white (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups buttermilk (at room temperature)
- Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing (or your favorite icing)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease 1, 9×13 pan or 2 8 inch circle cake pans.
- In a seperate bowl, whisk together 2½ cups all-purpose flour, 5 tablespoons corn starch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt, together. Set aside.
- Add 1 cup unsalted butter and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until its soft and creamy.
- Add 1⅓ cups granulated sugar and ½ cup light brown sugar. Cream together until soft, fluffy and lighter in color. The sugar crystals will not dissolve completely and that is okay. This takes around 5 minutes to do properly. A stand mixer is your friend.
- Add 1½ cups mashed bananas and combine well.
- Add 4 large eggs and 1 egg whiteone at a time and beat well between each addition. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Add 1½ cups buttermilk and combine well. The batter might look a little curdled at this point. That is okay.
- This next part is important. Add the flour a cup at a time and mix on low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix. A few lumps are ok. If using nuts, fold them in now with a rubber spatula.
- Spread batter into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours–mine was done in 45 minutes this time. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before icing it with Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
How Ripe Should Bananas Be for Cake?
You definitely want those bananas soft and spotty. Like, the peel should be browning but juice shouldn’t be coming out of the peel (those are not ok). The sugar concentrates as they ripen, giving you that rich banana flavor. I always freeze my overripe bananas for later baking. But if you just grabbed fresh ones and need them ripe fast, I’ve got tips!
How can I ripen bananas quickly?
If your bananas aren’t ripe yet, pop them in a paper bag with an apple for 1-3 days. The apple releases ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process. This natural method is my go-to!
In a rush? You can also use the oven method:
- Preheat your oven to 300°F.
- Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the skins turn black and shiny.
- Let them cool before peeling.
Keep in mind, though, that while this method gets the job done, oven-ripened bananas won’t taste exactly like naturally ripened ones.
Can I use frozen bananas in banana cake?
Absolutely. When I can’t use my ripe bananas, I place them, peel on, in a freezer safe ziploc baggie. Then they are ready for me when I need them.
Desserts You’ve Got To Try
If you loved this Buttermilk Banana Cake, you’re in for a serious treat with some of my other favorite sweet bakes. For something fruity and foolproof, try the Lemon Berry Dump Cake. It’s tangy, sweet, and comes together with almost zero effort. Perfect for when you want a sunny dessert without making a fuss. Craving something rich and chocolatey? The Milk Chocolate Ganache is silky smooth and perfect poured over cakes, cupcakes, or eaten straight off the spoon (no judgment here).
And when it comes to frostings, you’ve got options! My Buttercream Cream Cheese Icing is the best of both worlds. It’s sweet, tangy, and ultra spreadable. Want a cake that never fails to impress? The Only Carrot Cake Recipe You Need lives up to the name. It’s packed with warm spices and topped with cream cheese frosting.
Fall fans, don’t miss the Pumpkin Bars with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting. They’re moist, flavorful, and dangerously addictive. Oh, and for the chocolate lovers? The Better Than Boxed Chocolate Sheet Pan Brownies are fudgy, rich, and super easy to whip up. Basically, whatever your sweet tooth is craving, I’ve got you covered.