Moist Banana Cake (Printable)
Tender banana cake that stays moist, using mashed ripe bananas, buttermilk, and optional nuts or chocolate chips.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ tsp baking powder
03 - ½ tsp baking soda
04 - ½ tsp 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 tsp 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
# Steps:
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 the sugar with vegetable oil (or melted butter) until thoroughly combined.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
05 - Fold in the mashed bananas and buttermilk (or yogurt) until just incorporated.
06 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding gently until no flour streaks remain. Avoid overmixing to keep the crumb tender.
07 - If desired, gently fold in chopped nuts or chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
08 - Transfer the batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to smooth the surface evenly.
09 - Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10 - Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve plain or topped with your preferred frosting.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cake stays impossibly moist for days, somehow tasting even better on day two when the flavors settle.
- It comes together in one bowl with zero fancy techniques, making it the most forgiving dessert you will ever make.
02 -
- Overmixing once the flour joins the batter develops gluten and turns your cake from tender to tough, so stop stirring the moment everything looks combined.
- Using cold eggs or cold buttermilk can cause the batter to seize or look curdled, so let everything sit out for 30 minutes before starting.
03 -
- Mash your bananas with a fork rather than a blender, because a few small lumps create pockets of concentrated banana flavor that make the cake irresistible.
- Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots, since even browning means even texture from edge to center.