Moist Banana Cake (Print Version)
Tender, moist banana cake made with ripe bananas, oil and buttermilk; optional nuts or chocolate for added texture.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
06 - ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 4 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups / 375 g)
10 - ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk or plain yogurt
→ Optional Add-ins
11 - ½ cup (75 g) chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - ½ cup (90 g) chocolate chips
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat together the granulated sugar and vegetable oil (or melted butter) until well combined.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
05 - Fold in the mashed bananas and buttermilk (or yogurt) until just combined.
06 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing gently just until no flour spots remain. Do not overmix.
07 - If using, fold in the chopped nuts or chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
08 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
09 - Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve plain or with your favorite frosting.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The crumb stays incredibly moist for days, making it the rare cake that tastes even better on day two.
- It comes together with one bowl and a whisk, no fancy equipment or technique required.
- It doubles effortlessly for a crowd and freezes beautifully for unexpected guests.
02 -
- Overmixing once the flour goes in is the fastest way to turn this tender cake into something tough, so stop the moment the streaks disappear.
- Underripe bananas will leave pale, fibrous lumps in the batter, so wait until the skins are heavily spotted or even mostly black.
03 -
- Mash the bananas by hand with a fork rather than a blender, a few small lumps actually improve the texture and prevent the batter from becoming watery.
- Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots, because banana cake bakes into a more even crumb when the heat reaches all corners equally.