Easy Banana Cake – this fluffy and moist sheet cake has a light mascarpone frosting on top and is ready in under 30 minutes! A perfect cake to use all those overripe bananas.
I don’t know why I end up with so many overripe bananas every week?!
I buy some because I think they’ll make a great snack and then nobody eats them. Perhaps I should stop buying bananas … but that would also mean no more delicious Banana Muffins, Banana Bread, or banana cake like this one and I think that would be very sad!
Today’s recipe is a really moist banana cake with a delicious mascarpone frosting! This cake is smooth but not dense because of the creamed butter and sugar and the silky frosting on top is not too sweet, just perfect!
Sheet cakes like this or my Lemon Sheet Cake are one of my favorite things to bake! They don’t take much time to make, 20-25 minutes in the oven and they’re done vs. 50 minutes for a bundt or loaf cake, the amount of frosting or icing on top is perfect and they are super easy to make from scratch.
Cakes like this are also perfect for parties, I decorated mine quite minimalistic with a few banana slices but you definitely can get creative. Another big plus is that you don’t need special equipment like you’d need for a fancy layered cake!
I love layered cakes but they are more time intensive than a sheet cake and you need all those special cake things like a piping bag, tips, a cake board and patience (which I don’t have most of the time). A sheet cake is much more forgiving!
This easy banana cake is made in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (this one is my favorite because it comes with a lid) and is lighter, more delicate and in my opinion more flavorful than banana bread. Making the frosting on top with mascarpone instead of cream cheese gives it a milder not as sharp taste that goes perfectly with the banana cake.
My biggest tip when it comes to making a cake recipe is to follow the ingredients and steps that are called for. For this recipe, use overripe bananas with brown spots and cream the sugar and butter together until fluffy and light, just keep beating until the color of the mixture changes from yellowish to white.
You’ll be rewarded with the BEST banana cake!
Easy Banana Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the banana cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas, 3 medium ones
- 1 cup buttermilk, or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the frosting:
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz cold mascarpone, or cream cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix at low speed until combined.
- In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add flour mixture in three additions to the wet mixture, mix just until combined.
- Pour batter into the baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. When the cake is done a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean with only a few crumbs attached. Let the cake cool down completely before frosting it.
- To make the frosting, beat together butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract and mascarpone and beat until blended. Frost cooled cake.
Nutrition Information
Here are more of my favorite banana recipes:
Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
Double Chocolate Banana Muffins Recipe
Banana Bread with Maple Walnut Topping
Celine says
Can I substitute the mascarpone for sour cream or creme fresh?
Thank you -Celine
Julia Foerster says
Cream cheese would be a good substitute.
Charlotte says
Came out perfect! So pleased – just that bit different from “banana bread” that I was looking for.
Elizabeth says
Looks divine! Can cream cheese be used as a substitute for the mascarpone cheese?
Julia says
Thank you, Elizabeth! Yes, you can substitute the same amount of cream cheese for the mascarpone cheese. – Julia
Julia @ HappyFoods Tube says
I like what I see :)! Love moist desserts and yours is also covered in mascarpone frosting! That must definitely be delicious! :)
Julia says
It was really hard to stop eating after two pieces, my husband had to take the leftovers to work for his co-workers otherwise I’d have eaten the whole thing! I love everything with mascarpone!!