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up close of a fork cutting into banana cake
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Banana Cake with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

This Banana Cake is uber soft, moist, fluffy and flavorful. It’s infused with sweet ripe bananas, cinnamon, vanilla and optional chocolate chips and walnuts and smothered with intoxicating Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting. This from-scratch Banana Cake recipe is super easy to make and made in a 9x13 pan, so you don’t have to worry about layering cakes or your cake falling apart. This Banana Cake recipe is always a crowd pleaser and is guaranteed to be a new family favorite!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 12 -16

Ingredients

Banana Cake

  • 3 large over-ripe bananas (1 1/2 cups mashed)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk or sour milk* at room temperature (see notes)*
  • 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips optional
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optitonal

Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk
  • 4 oz. oz. cream cheese cut into pieces softened to room temprature
  • 1/2 cup Nutella
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Banana Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. Whisk vanilla with buttermilk and set aside.
  • Add butter and sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for at least 3-4 minutes (no shorter!), until light and fluffy, scraping down sides occasionally. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg, then beat in mashed bananas just until combined.
  • Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, alternately with buttermilk in between each third. Beat just until combined.
  • Add chocolate chips and walnuts and fold in by hand just until combined.
  • Transfer batter to prepared pan and tap pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees F until a wooden pick inserted near the center of cake comes out with a few crumbs, 45 – 55 minutes.
  • Place cake on a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting. You can place the cake in the refrigerator after 30 minutes if you want to speed the process along. While the cake cools, you can make the frosting.

Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Beat butter, sugar, cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons milk with handled mixer at medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth.
  • Add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add Nutella and vanilla and beat to combine. Add additional milk if needed to reach desired consistency.
  • Evenly spread frosting over COOLED cake. Cake is best if frosting is allowed to set for at least 30 minutes.

Video

Notes

Don't miss the "how to make" recipe video at the top of the post!

*DIY BUTTEREMILK

You can make DIY buttermilk/sour milk by adding 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring glass. Add enough milk (not nonfat) to equal 1 ½ cups.  Give it a stir and let sit 5-10 minutes.  The milk will curdle so you know it’s ready.

Storage

Cover cake tightly with foil or place it in an airtight container.  Refrigerate cake for 5-7 days.  Let cake come to room temperature before serving or I like to microwave slices for 10-15 seconds.

HOW TO FREEZE BANANA CAKE

  1. Let the cake cool completely.
  2. Double wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and then in 1-2 layers of foil until completely sealed.
  3. If you are freezing individual slices, then place these plastic/foil wrapped slices in a freezer bag. If you are freezing your entire Banana Cake for an extended period of time, then secure the aluminum foil with freezer tape to prevent freezer burn.
  4. Freeze cake for up to 3 months.
  5. Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator then unwrap and come to room temperature on the counter before serving.

Banana Cupcakes

  1. Prepare the recipe as written.
  2. Pour batter into 20-22 greased cupcake liners.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  4. Cool completely before frosting.