Moist Banana Cake (Printable)
A moist, tender cake bursting with sweet banana flavor, ideal for dessert or afternoon tea.
# What You'll Need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1¼ cups)
02 - ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
03 - ½ cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
06 - 1½ cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
08 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
09 - ¼ teaspoon salt
10 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
→ Optional Add-ins
11 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round or square cake pan, tapping out any excess flour.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract together until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon if using, until evenly distributed.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this will make the cake dense.
05 - If desired, gently fold in the 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 surface evenly.
07 - Bake on the center rack for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
08 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving or frosting.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- You finally have a reason to celebrate those blackened bananas instead of tossing them out.
- The crumb stays moist for days, which means it is one of those rare cakes that tastes even better the next afternoon.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to end up with a dense rubbery crumb so stop stirring the moment the flour disappears.
- Underripe bananas will leave you with a bland cake so wait until the peels are heavily spotted or fully brown before mashing.
03 -
- Freeze your overripe bananas whole and unpeeled so you always have cake ready bananas on hand without waiting for nature to take its course.
- A pinch of nutmeg alongside the cinnamon adds a subtle complexity that most people cannot identify but everyone notices.