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Recipes

Buttermilk Banana Cake

By Kendra Vaculin

4.6

(8)

A banana cake being sliced into pieces on a blue plate
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food styling by Jesse Szewczyk, prop styling by Dayna Seman

Ripe bananas can become more than just banana bread, as this simple but striking cake proves. With its plush, cardamom-scented crumb and creamy, salt-sprinkled glaze, it’s an elevated spin that’s equally at home for breakfast or dessert. The cake’s instant popularity among BA staff is enough to tell me it will be a winner wherever this recipe finds you.

For thorough mashing (particularly if your bananas aren’t entirely ripe yet), place the fruit in a zip-top bag and mash with your hands to create a pulpy, baby-food-like consistency. Some small lumps are okay, but a smoother mash begets a fluffier cake. Don’t forget: It’s important to add the dry ingredients in stages to ensure even distribution and prevent overmixing, which would result in a tough outcome.

Read more: How to Ripen Bananas in Mere Minutes

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 hour 10 minutes (plus cooling)

  • Yield

    8–10 servings

Ingredients

½

cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

2

cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

½

tsp. baking powder

½

tsp. baking soda

½

tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more

½

tsp. ground cardamom, plus more for sprinkling

¾

cup (150 g) granulated sugar

¾

cup (packed; 150 g) light brown sugar

2

large eggs, room temperature

1½

tsp. vanilla extract, divided

2

ripe bananas, peeled, flesh finely mashed

1¼

cups buttermilk, room temperature, divided

1½

cups (165 g) powdered sugar

Flaky sea salt

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9"-diameter cake pan; line the bottom with a parchment paper round. Butter parchment. Whisk 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, ½ tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp. ground cardamom in a medium bowl.

    Step 2

    Beat ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, and ¾ cup (packed; 150 g) light brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed until combined and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and mix in 2 large eggs, room temperature and 1 tsp. vanilla extract, then 2 ripe bananas, peeled, flesh finely mashed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

    Step 3

    Reduce speed to medium-low and mix in half of dry ingredients, then beat in 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature. Using a rubber spatula, mix in remaining dry ingredients, making sure to scrape bottom of bowl so everything gets incorporated.

    Step 4

    Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake cake until golden brown, slightly puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50–55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

    Step 5

    Meanwhile, whisk 1½ cups (165 g) powdered sugar, a pinch of kosher salt, remaining ¼ cup buttermilk, room temperature, and remaining ½ tsp. vanilla extract in a small bowl to combine.

    Step 6

    Turn out cooled cake onto rack or a plate and turn right side up. Pour glaze over top of cake, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt and a pinch of cardamom.

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