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Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Chef notes

What could be better than a loaf of banana bread? Banana cake topped with a generous swoop of smooth cream cheese frosting. Much like the ever-popular banana bread, this cake is buttery, moist, lightly spiced and packed with real banana flavor. As it bakes, the batter itself rises quite a bit, creating a thick cake layer. It is soft, but not too tender; dense, but not too heavy; sweet, but not at all overpowering. Most importantly, it is a crowd pleaser. I watched this cake disappear more quickly than anything else I have baked lately. 

Super ripe bananas are your best-kept secret here. When the bananas on your counter have languished and are no longer suitable to eat out of hand, the best thing you can do is make this cake (pat yourself on the back at the same time for not creating food waste!) There is a very fragrant floral sweetness that you can only get from over-ripe bananas, and they infuse every bite of this cake. 

And we all know frosting is the best part of any cake, especially when cream cheese is involved. The tanginess from the cream cheese is the perfect complement to a sweet cake. Plenty of fluffy frosting is plopped on top and swirled to cover every inch of cake (a small offset spatula is the best tool for the job, but a spoon will help you create beautiful swoops). Good news: you might even have a little extra frosting to lick off the spatula. An optional sprinkle of toasted walnuts on top really drives home that classic banana bread feel. 

Technique Tip: The key to silky smooth frosting is using room temperature ingredients. Set them out when you start making the cake. By the time the cake cools and is ready to frost, the cream cheese and butter will be softened. 

Swap Option: Swap 1 banana for ½ cup of diced pineapple (canned or fresh) and walnuts for pecans and you have hummingbird cake!

 

Preparation

Make the cake:

1.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.

2.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.

3.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bananas, eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined, scraping down sides of the mixer bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and milk alternately to batter, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Continue to mix until everything is incorporated. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and spread to the edges.

4.

Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes, then lift the cake from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1½ hours.

Make the frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter and salt on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until thick and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread frosting onto cooled cake, then sprinkle with walnuts if desired.

This Month's Top 10 Tasty Recipes Have Me Frantically Searching For My Instant Pot After Months Of Neglect

Ahhhh, May — my allergies were bumping almost as hard as my general good vibes with this nice weather. I'll admit, the warm air and later-evening sunsets lured me out to eat a few more meals than my budget would prefer (sorry to my bank account), but we still spent plenty of time in the kitchen. From air-fried crunch to the prettiest banana cake you've ever seen, here are the Tasty recipes everyone was obsessed with over the past 30 days:

1.Mini Shakshuka Cups

Tasty

One of the best things to happen in May was the slight lowering of egg prices (even if they are wayyyy more expensive than ever before.) Ya'll are clearly making the most of your egg access with these shrunken shakshuka cups.

Recipe: Mini Shakshuka Cups

2.Easy Cottage Cheese Pizza

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We did the thing that all the gymfluencers are doing where we added cottage cheese to a classic dish for some extra protein and nutrients. And I never thought I'd say this, but thank you, gymfluencer community. This actually slaps.

Recipe: Easy Cottage Cheese Pizza

3.Carne Asada Fries

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There's a 24-hour diner in Brooklyn that does a Tex-Mex Short Rib Hash brekky dish that is OUT OF BOUNDS at like 2 a.M. These Carne Asada Fries have the same energy, only you don't need to be out and about in New York to get these bad boys in your tummy at 2 a.M.

Recipe: Carne Asada Fries

4.Instant Pot Birria Tacos

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What vibe does using an Instant Pot give? It gives casual, chill, no surprises. Somehow, this Instant Pot recipe gives NONE of those things. These juicy, cheesy tacos have out-of-bounds flavor.

Recipe: Instant Pot Birria Tacos

5.Air-Fryer Fried Rice

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Over on the Tasty app, Robert reviewed this recipe, saying: "This is super good to eat after a long, busy day. I put it in the fridge overnight, and warmed it up the next day, and it tasted even better. It is also an amazing food prep idea." Hey now! Thanks Rob!

Recipe: Air-Fryer Fried Rice

6.Blueberry Blondies

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Okay, we've finally made it to summer... Which means one thing to me in the kitchen. FRESH BERRIES ALL DAY.

Recipe: Blueberry Blondies

7.Indian-Style Popcorn Fried Chicken

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I recently read (for an article I'm working on, lmao) that frying food at home is out of fashion. Well, not according to this food writer! That said, you can make this Indian-style popcorn fried chicken in an air fryer and get basically the same delicious result. And honestly? I'd recommend that — who needs to use a whole quart of oil for dinner anyway? Okay fine, maybe I do agree with the "out-of-fashion" thing... A little.

Recipe: Indian-Style Popcorn Fried Chicken

8.Caramelized Banana Upside-Down Cake

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I've never described a banana as pretty before. But after seeing Mimo's banana upside-down cake, I can't say that anymore.

Recipe: Caramelized Banana Upside-Down Cake

9.Saucy Asian Meatballs

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Put a finger down if you've ever been romantically interested in a meatball. Ya got me! Still have nine fingers, though.

Recipe: Saucy Asian Meatballs

10.Guacamole Tostadas

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This recipe is not only the perfect answer to the age-old question — what do I serve the non-meat eater (Claudia, cough, cough) on taco night? — It also includes your new go-to guac recipe.

Recipe: Guacamole Tostadas

Help decide what's most popular next month by downloading the free Tasty app. You'll have access to thousands of recipes fit for your week ahead and be able to see what other Tasty users are cooking up in real-time — no subscription required.

Tasty

Buttermilk Banana Cake

Ripe bananas can become more than just banana bread, as this simple but striking cake proves. With its plush, cardamom-scented crumb and creamy, salt-sprinkled glaze, it's an elevated spin that's equally at home for breakfast or dessert. The cake's instant popularity among BA staff is enough to tell me it will be a winner wherever this recipe finds you.

For thorough mashing (particularly if your bananas aren't entirely ripe yet), place the fruit in a zip-top bag and mash with your hands to create a pulpy, baby-food-like consistency. Some small lumps are okay, but a smoother mash begets a fluffier cake. Don't forget: It's important to add the dry ingredients in stages to ensure even distribution and prevent overmixing, which would result in a tough outcome.

Read more: How to Ripen Bananas in Mere Minutes

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