Moist Banana Cake (Printable Version)
A moist, tender banana cake bursting with ripe banana flavor and a delicate crumb everyone loves.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed
06 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
07 - ½ cup vegetable oil
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - ¼ cup milk
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Optional Add-ins
11 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - ½ cup chocolate chips
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat together the mashed bananas, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the banana mixture, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
05 - If desired, gently fold in chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and use a spatula to smooth the top evenly.
07 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
08 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
09 - Slice into portions and serve plain or topped with your favorite frosting. Cream cheese frosting pairs especially well.
# Top Tips:
01 -
- It uses everyday pantry staples and turns sad brown bananas into something genuinely exciting.
- The crumb stays impossibly moist for days, making it the rare cake that tastes better on day two.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter once the flour is added develops gluten and turns a tender cake into something rubbery, so fold gently and stop early.
- Underripe bananas will make the cake taste flat and starchy, so wait until the peels are heavily spotted or even mostly black before mashing.
03 -
- Replacing the vegetable oil with melted butter gives the cake a richer flavor but slightly less moisture, so choose based on what matters more to you.
- Toasting the nuts before folding them in deepens their flavor and keeps them from tasting flat against the sweet banana crumb.