Moist Banana Cake (Printable)

A moist, tender cake bursting with sweet banana flavor, perfect for dessert or afternoon tea.

# What You Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
02 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

06 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

→ Optional Add-ins

11 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round or square cake pan.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the mashed bananas, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon if using.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
05 - Gently stir in the chopped nuts or chocolate chips if desired.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface evenly with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The batter comes together in one bowl with zero fancy equipment, which means you can practically make it in your sleep.
  • It stays genuinely moist for days, if it lasts that long, because the banana does all the heavy lifting for texture.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter once the flour goes in develops gluten and turns your cake dense and chewy instead of soft and tender.
  • Using bananas that are not fully ripe means less natural sweetness and a drier crumb, so wait until those peels are heavily spotted.
03 -
  • Mash your bananas with a fork in a wide bowl rather than a blender, because a few small chunks create the best pockets of concentrated banana flavor.
  • Let the baked cake cool completely before adding any frosting or the heat will melt it right off into a messy puddle.

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