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Banana Walnut Cake

April 8, 2025

Moist and fluffy, this banana cake recipe is sweetly celebratory—even if all you’re celebrating is the fact that you baked a cake!

banana walnut cake on a cake stand with two slices on plates

Oh This? It’s Nothing. Just A Little Thing We Call The Best Banana Cake Recipe, Ever.

Name a major milestone event—wedding, baby shower, birthdays big and small—and we’ll tell you we served this banana layer cake. Banana cake may sound like a humble thing, but the way we make it, the cake is a milestone all of its own! Loaded with caramelized bananas and walnuts, made wonderfully moist by the addition of creamy buttermilk, this banana cake recipe is all kinds of special. Topped with a zillion candles, graduation message or simply a layer of whipped cream frosting, this cake is guaranteed to please any crowd that needs pleasing! Try banana bread next!

caramelized banana in a white pot
a bag with walnuts spilling out of it on a counter

What You’ll Need To Make A Truly Moist Banana Cake

While banana bread is sort of a plain Jane food—one that we happen to love—there’s something wonderful about a banana cake that walks that tightrope between familiar and unexpected so well. It’s familiar—everyone knows what bananas taste like—and most people have positive associations with the mild, sweet flavor of banana bread. But it’s also unexpected—a banana layer cake? What? They expect carrot, chocolate, funfetti, lemon—but banana? Hold the phone. It’s surprising in the gentlest way, and we’ve found that it’s always a big hit. Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy banana cake:

  • Bananas
  • Flour
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Butter—always use unsalted butter for baking.
  • Sugar—you’ll need both brown and white sugar.
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Buttermilk
  • Walnuts
raw banana cake in 2 9 inch baking pan
banana cake in a 9 inch baking pan
whipped cream frosting on top of a layer of banana cake
whipped frosting cream and banana slices on top of a layer of banana cake

How To Make Banana Cake

We’ll give it to you straight—a layer cake is always a bit of an undertaking. But the good news is that making this banana nut cake is time consuming, not complicated. You just need a little patience, and you’ll be able to totally nail it. Here’s how to make a banana cake:

  1. Prep your cake pans. This is a must! First, thoroughly coat the pans with butter. Then, sprinkle flour into the greased pan and shake it around to cover the entire pan with a nice layer of flour. This will prevent sticking, which is super important.
  2. Caramelize the bananas in some butter and brown sugar. Try not to eat them all before smashing them and mixing them into the cake batter.
  3. Make the cake batter! The usual order of things applies—dry ingredients sifted together. Cream the butter with the sugars, then add the eggs, then the smashed caramelized bananas. Slowly add the dry ingredients a little at a time, and alternate between adding dry ingredients and buttermilk. Finish by gently folding in the walnuts.
  4. Bake the cake!
  5. Let the cakes cool in their pans.
  6. Make the frosting!
  7. Frost the cake! You can decide if you’d rather leave the cake layers whole for a two-layer cake, or slice them in half to make a four-layer cake. Whatever you do, though, don’t try to frost the cake until the cakes are completely cool.
  8. Eat the cake! YAY!
a 4 layer banana cake with whipped cream frosting on a cake stand

Banana Cake Frosting

A lot of people love to frost banana cake with cream cheese frosting, but we’re all about this simple whipped cream frosting. It’s just so light and luscious, and compliments this humble, surprising cake in a way that we adore. Plus, it’s as un-fussy as can be. You’ve made whipped cream before, right? That’s basically all that this is. All that’s in our banana cake frosting is:

  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Sugar
  • Vanilla extract
hand sprinkling walnuts over a homemade banana cake with whip cream frosting
banana walnut cake on a cake stand
banana walnut cake on a cake stand

More Cookie and Cake Recipes To Try

Ever thought that maybe you needed to make a little more space in your life for dessert? Yeah, us too. Here are a few we’ve been lusting after lately:

Tools You’ll Need:

banana walnut cake on a cake stand with two slices on plates
banana walnut cake on a cake stand with two slices on plates
banana walnut cake on a cake stand with two slices on plates

Any Day is A Special Day When There’s Layer Cake Involved!

You know how just making it to dinnertime sometimes feels like something to celebrate! We’re 10000% in favor of making this banana layer cake recipe anytime you feel like it. When you make it—whatever you’re celebrating—let us know how it goes OK? Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

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Banana Walnut Cake Recipe

  • Serves:  10
  • Prep Time:  20 min
  • Cook Time:  45 min
  • Calories:  950

Ingredients

Banana Walnut Cake

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing
  • 2 tablespoon plus ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 5 cups sliced ripe bananas, (from about 8-10 bananas)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring the pan
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
  • 4 ounces white chocolate, shaved

Whipped Cream Frosting

  • 1 quart heavy whipping cream, chilled
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.

  2. Make the cake. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup of the butter, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, and 2 cups of the bananas and cook until the bananas are caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bananas to a medium bowl and mash with a fork. 

  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

  4. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the remaining ¾ cup of butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and the remaining ½ cup of brown sugar and beat on high for about 2 minutes, or until creamed together. Add the eggs and the vanilla and beat until combined. Add the mashed caramelized bananas and beat until combined.

  5. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding ⅓ of the flour mixture and ⅓ of the buttermilk, being careful not to over mix. Stir in ¾ cup of the walnuts, if using.

  6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, dividing evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.

  7. Make the whipped cream. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form (see Note).

  8. Using a large serrated knife, slice off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Carefully slice each cake in half (horizontally), creating 4 separate (equally thick) layers. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, or serving plate.

  9. Add about ⅕ of the whipped cream to the top of the cake and spread into an even layer. Top with an even layer of the remaining banana slices. Top with the second cake layer, cut side down. Repeat with remaining whipped cream, banana slices and cake layers. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake in an even layer. Decorate with remaining walnuts (if using) and white chocolate.

Notes

You want the frosting to be spreadable. Thicker than the whipped cream you would put on pie, but not as thick as if you were making homemade butter.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 950
  • Protein 9 g
  • Carbohydrates 92 g
  • Total Fat 60 g
  • Dietary Fiber 3 g
  • Cholesterol 234 mg
  • Sodium 476 mg
  • Total Sugars 43 g

Banana Walnut Cake

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Alana

    Is there any reason I shouldn't do this as cupcakes? I wouldn't try to layer it. Thanks!

    Should be ok! Hope you enjoy Alana!

  • Liz

    How ripe should bananas be for caramelizing? You usually want overripe for banana breads and cakes, but I'm imagining those would just fall apart in the pan.

    They're smashed after they are caramelized, so it's OK if they're a bit overripe!

  • rebecca

    What does it mean that the sugar should be divided?

    It just means (you will see in the recipe steps) that some of the brown sugar goes into the caramelized bananas and some of it goes in the cake batter. Enjoy.

  • Violet

    Beautiful photos! This sounds so yummy, especially with those caramelized bananas!

    Yes! Banana cake is our fave!

  • Shelley

    Delicious! Made it for my husband's bday and he loved it. I was a little worried I over-baked the cake (I'm a baking noob) but with the layers of banana slices and whipped cream icing it gave it a good consistency. One of those "sweet, but not too sweet" desserts. Thanks for the recipe!

    Thanks Shelley, we are so happy you loved it!

  • Jenn

    This was absolutely fabulous, it might have to become my go-to cake for my birthday!

    Thanks Jenn! That's so great to hear!