Banana Cream Cake

Today we are making this delicious and oh so creamy banana cream cake! It's like banana cream pie, but in a rich cake form! Yumm!

Banana cream pie is a favorite classic for a reason. It's delicious and smooth and gives a mundane fruit, like the banana, instant sophistication.

To be honest, I'm not always a fan of banana desserts. But for this delicious cake I'm willing to make an exception.

And this is the best banana cake recipe. It's got delicious layers of moist banana cake, with banana cream sutffed between the cake layers and topped with sliced bananas.

The cake itself is banana flavored, and tastes more like a banana bread. But the icing is rich and creamy and tastes a lot like banana cream pie filling.

Ingredients

For this recipe, we'll need to split the ingredients into two separate areas. One for the banana cake layers and the other for the banana cream icing.

For the Cake

All purpose flour: For the base of the cake

Granulated sugar: To sweeten the cake

Butter: Unsalted butter, brought to room temperature

Eggs: Add structure to your cake

Buttermilk: Buttermilk has a tangy flavor and helps keep the cake from being too sweet. It gives it a nice rich texture and buttery flavor. It also helps the cake rise.

Baking soda: To help the cake rise

Baking powder: To help the cake rise

Vanilla extract: To add a subtle vanilla flavor that will enhance the rest of the flavors of the cake.

Banana extract: To add more banana flavor to your cake

Bananas: Very ripe bananas, or even over ripe bananas will add sweetness and even more banana flavor than unripe bananas.

Salt: A small amount of salt will enhance all of the banana and vanilla flavors of the cake.

For the Banana Cream Icing

The icing is a cream cheese frosting with big banana cream flavor.

Cream cheese: Softened to room temperature. Although you could make the icing with cold cream cheese, it'll be lumpy and a little ugly.

Butter: Unsalted, softened to room temperature

Milk: You can use any kind of milk here or even cream!

Banana extract: To add banana flavor.

Powdered sugar: Will blend smoothly into your cream cheese and create a tasty icing.

Salt: A small pinch of salt will bring out the other flavors of the icing.

If you don't have banana extract, you can substitute it for vanilla. It won't be as banana-y but it'll still be delicious!

Instructions

To get started making this banana cake, we'll start by making the cake batter.

Start by preheating your oven, then preparing an 8-inch layer cake pan by greasing it well.  The cake pans with higher sides work best for this recipe.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until smooth.

Add the buttermilk both the vanilla and banana extract. Mix everything until well combined.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, alternate adding dry and wet ingredients, mixing until thoroughly combined.

Fold in the mashed bananas.

Finally, pour the banana cake batter into your prepared pan and bake on center rack until your cake is golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean.

When your cake has finished baking, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool, then remove from pan.

Using a serrated knife or a cake divider, cut cake in half horizontally.

Now that your cake is all ready, we'll start work on the icing.

Mix together the cream cheese, butter, milk and extract until the icing is light and fluffy.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing until smooth and creamy.

Grab your cake and generously ice bottom layer of cake with the banana cream frosting, stopping at the edge.

Gently place the top layer of the cake onto the iced bottom layer. Then ice the top layer generously, stopping at edge of the cake.

Chill in the fridge until icing is firm before slicing and serving.

Because of the cream cheese, make sure to store your cake in the fridge.

Did you like our banana cream layer cake? If so let us know!