Sour Cream Banana Cake
If you’re anything like me, overripe bananas are a common sight in your kitchen. Instead of…
Equipment
- 9x13 pan
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1/2 cupunsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cupsgranulated sugar
- 2 largeeggs at room temperature
- 1 cupfull-fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
- 2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoonbaking soda
- 1/4 teaspoonsalt
- 1 cupmashed bananas ~2-3 large overripe bananas
- 1/2 cupunsalted butter softened
- 8 ouncesfull-fat cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
- 1 tablespoonsmilk + 1 tablespoon more to thin if needed
- 2 1/2 cupspowdered sugar sifted + 1/2 cup more if needed
Instructions
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream ½ cup softened unsalted butter and 1½ cups granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes.
- Add 2 large eggs (at room temperature), 1 cup full-fat sour cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until combined. Stir in 1 cup mashed bananas until evenly distributed.
- In a separate large bowl, sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt, then whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour pockets remain. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9x13 pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 25–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan at room temperature before frosting.
- For the frosting, beat ½ cup softened unsalted butter and 8 ounces softened full-fat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon milk and beat until combined.
- Gradually add 2½ cups sifted powdered sugar and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add up to 1 additional tablespoon of milk, a little at a time, to thin. If it is too thin, add up to ½ cup more powdered sugar, a little at a time, until you reach a thick, easily spreadable consistency.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the completely cooled cake. Refrigerate the frosted cake for 2–3 hours before serving for best results.
Notes
Notes
*Be sure to mash bananas well before you add to the cake batter.
Sour Cream:
Use full-fat sour cream, not reduced-fat or fat-free sour cream.
Layered Banana Cake:
To make a 2-layer cake, divide the batter between 2 greased 9-inch cake pans, and bake at 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack, and then remove from cake pans and cool fully before icing. You will want to double the frosting to fully ice the cake.
Underripe Bananas
: Place unpeeled bananas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the skins on the banana are fully browned. Allow to cool, peel, mash, and use in the banana cake recipe as directed.
Baking Time:
Every oven is different, hence the variance in bake time. For best results, position a rack in the middle of the oven and fully preheat before baking the cake. Check the cake at 25 minutes. If the cake jiggles, set the timer for an additional 5 minutes. If the cake looks set, test it with a toothpick. If the toothpick is dry remove the cake, if it is wet bake for an additional 2 minutes and recheck until fully set.
Optional Mix-Ins:
Feel free to add up to 1 cup of chopped walnuts and/or semi-sweet chocolate chips to the flour mixture before combining the wet and dry ingredients. Coating the nuts/chocolate chips in the flour will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Storage:
Refrigerate cake iced or uniced cake covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing:
To freeze this cake, bake in a disposable or freezer-safe cake pan. Cool fully and then ice as directed. Cover the cake pan tightly with 2 layers of plastic wrap and then 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months but tastes best if enjoyed within 6 weeks. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying.
Halving the Recipe:
This cake can be halved and baked in an 8x8 cake pan for the same amount of time with great results.
*Be sure to mash bananas well before you add to the cake batter.
Sour Cream:
Use full-fat sour cream, not reduced-fat or fat-free sour cream.
Layered Banana Cake:
To make a 2-layer cake, divide the batter between 2 greased 9-inch cake pans, and bake at 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack, and then remove from cake pans and cool fully before icing. You will want to double the frosting to fully ice the cake.
Underripe Bananas
: Place unpeeled bananas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the skins on the banana are fully browned. Allow to cool, peel, mash, and use in the banana cake recipe as directed.
Baking Time:
Every oven is different, hence the variance in bake time. For best results, position a rack in the middle of the oven and fully preheat before baking the cake. Check the cake at 25 minutes. If the cake jiggles, set the timer for an additional 5 minutes. If the cake looks set, test it with a toothpick. If the toothpick is dry remove the cake, if it is wet bake for an additional 2 minutes and recheck until fully set.
Optional Mix-Ins:
Feel free to add up to 1 cup of chopped walnuts and/or semi-sweet chocolate chips to the flour mixture before combining the wet and dry ingredients. Coating the nuts/chocolate chips in the flour will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Storage:
Refrigerate cake iced or uniced cake covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing:
To freeze this cake, bake in a disposable or freezer-safe cake pan. Cool fully and then ice as directed. Cover the cake pan tightly with 2 layers of plastic wrap and then 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months but tastes best if enjoyed within 6 weeks. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying.
Halving the Recipe:
This cake can be halved and baked in an 8x8 cake pan for the same amount of time with great results.