Best Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This is an easy banana layer cake with cream cheese frosting and vanilla wafer cookies inside each layer of moist banana cake.
Servings: 10 slices
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 2/3 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 Tbsp sour cream
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs, large
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 medium bananas, mashed (or 3 large bananas)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 10 Tbsp butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 Tbsp half & half (or heavy cream or milk)
- pinch of salt, to taste
- 1/2-3/4 cup Nilla wafers, crushed into crumbs
Instructions
Banana Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease three 9” circular cake pans (or line with parchment paper). Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter until it is light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Next, add in the sour cream, and using the mixer, beat it until well combined.
- Next. add in the granulated sugar and the brown sugar. Cream the mixture until light and fluffy and well combined.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
- Alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mix, add the flour mix and the buttermilk to the cake batter. Mix until just combined (it’s okay if there is still some flour not entirely mixed in yet).
- Add in the vanilla extract and the mashed bananas. Mix until well combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cakes, spreading each into an even layer. Gently tap each cake pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the tops are just lightly golden brown and a cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs stuck to it. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- With a standing mixer or hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together, until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add in the vanilla extract, pinch of salt, and 2 Tbsp of half & half. If the frosting seems too thick, add in the remaining Tbsps of half & half, one at a time.
Assembly:
- Place on of the cake layers on a plate or cake stand. Spoon 1/3 of the frosting onto the layer and spread all the way to the edge of the cake. Sprinkle generously with vanilla wafer crumbs.
- Place the second layer on top of the first layer, and repeat with frosting and vanilla wafer crumbs.
- Lastly, place the final layer on top. Use the remaining cream cheese frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle with vanilla wafer crumbs.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve*.
Notes
*If you refrigerate the cake, I suggest letting the cake come to room temperature (or close to room temperature) before you serve, as the cake’s texture will be lighter and fluffier. However, it is delicious cold!
**You can halve the cream cheese frosting recipe if you don’t want as much frosting on the cake. The layers will have a little less in between them and the sides might look more like a “naked cake.”
***You can also use three 8" cake pans. If you use these, you will likely need to add 3-4 minutes of extra bake time.