Last updated on January 13th, 2025
Old-Fashioned Banana Cake is a simple, tender cake with a depth of flavor from bananas, warm spices and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. My vintage recipe inspiration came from my very tattered 1965 Fannie Farmer cookbook. It’s an easy way to use up brown bananas sitting on the counter!
How to bake it modern:
- recipe called for butter, I used a combination of butter and oil
- used regular bananas, I roasted the bananas for more flavor
- called for milk, I used homemade buttermilk
- used baking soda as leavener, I used a combination of baking soda and baking powder for extra lift
- Added a touch of cinnamon to complement the roasted bananas
How to make Old-Fashioned Banana Cake
INGREDIENTS
bananas:
Only use brown-speckled bananas which lend natural extra sweetness, and keep your baked goods moist. Never use green, unripe bananas for baked goods as they make them bitter. If bananas are ripe, but not brown-speckled, you can roast the whole bananas on a parchment line baking sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
fat:
Combine butter to provide flavor, along with oil to yield a tender, moist baked good. If your recipe calls for only butter or only oil, you can combine them together using equal portions of each to make up the full amount of fat originally called for in the recipe. Choose an oil with a neutral, light flavor, like extra light virgin olive oil or canola oil.
buttermilk:
Adding buttermilk provides a tangy flavor and yields a tender baked good. If purchasing buttermilk, look for simple, natural ingredients like “cultured milk” on the label. Some brands are loaded with stabilizers, gums and starches. You can keep dry buttermilk powder in your pantry to mix up anytime it is needed. If you don’t have buttermilk on-hand make your own by placing 1 T. vinegar into a liquid measuring cup and add cream or whole milk until it reaches the 1 c. measure line and let it sit for a few minutes before using.
BAKER’S TIPS
baking pans:
Always use light-colored aluminum baking pans since they conduct heat evenly. I collect and use vintage cake pans, however if you are purchasing new go with or Fat Daddio’s or Nordicware. Dark cake pans may darken or burn the edges before the inside batter is fully baked. Choose a cake pan depending on the style your trying to achieve. Using an 8″ x 2″ round pan is a classic, but requires a bit more time to stack, frost and decorate. Some easier pan options are a traditional 9×13 pan, or a half-sheet pan which will yield a thin, bar-like style typically seen at picnics. Be sure to always prep baking pans first with cooking spray and a light dusting of flour; or line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Fill your cake pans with batter 2/3 full.
How to make Cream Cheese Frosting:
cream cheese:
For the best all natural taste and texture, only use full fat, brick cream cheese. Variations like those labeled as “whipped” or “light” are spreads and may contain liquid, food starch and other additives.
If your are going to pipe the cream cheese frosting, you can stabilize it by adding 1-2 T. of cornstarch or unflavored gelatin.
How to decorate retro cakes:
Place 3 cut rectangular strips of wax paper along the edges of your cake. This will help keep your cake plate clean for final presentation. Frost the top and the sides with a light crumb coat. Put cake in the fridge to chill for about 10-15 minutes before adding the top coat of frosting.
To frost top coat, start by scooping dollops of frosting onto the top of the cake and push down the excess top frosting down onto the sides. Use a back-and-forth motion with an off-set spatula to create large swirls. Another option is to add a pretty classic spiral pattern. To do this, for the top start on the outside edge and spin your cake plate around until you get to the center and for the sides, start at the bottom and spin the cake plate around to the top.
To keep the look classic, top with a simple garnish of whole or crushed nuts, sugared fruit, or a mini bouquet of fresh flowers.
Banana Cake
Ingredients
- DRY INGREDIENTS
- 3 c. flour OR our Gluten-Free Flour
- Add To Cart
- 1 ½ c. sugar
- 1 T. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- BATTER
- ¾ c. butter room temp
- ⅓ c. oil
- 2 c. bananas mashed
- 4 eggs
- 1 c. buttermilk or sour cream
- 1 T. vanilla or rum or combination
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temp room temp
- 1/2 c. butter room temp
- 3 c. confectioners sugar
- 1 egg white
- 1 T. vanilla
Instructions
- PREP
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9” x 13” pan by spraying with cooking oil spray and flour lightly. Whisk together dry ingredients in bowl and set aside.
- CAKE BATTER
- In mixer bowl with whisk attachment, cream together butter and sugar.
- Add half the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon) and then half the remaining wet ingredients (buttermilk mixture and roasted bananas) and mix until just combined.
- Add the remainder of wet and dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into greased cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. Place toothpick in center comes out clean. Allow to cool before icing.
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In a mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add confectioners sugar, egg white, vanilla and pinch of salt. Beat together about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Slide knife around the perimeter of pan. Turn cake out onto a piece of parchment paper and slice in half. Place one half on cake plate and frost.
- Place second half on top of the frosting and frost top layer and sides. Finish the cake by placing chopped pecans around the bottom third of the cake around all 4 sides. Place a couple whole pecans on the top center of the cake.
Notes
– If time allows, be sure to let the batter rest as hydrating the gluten-free flour is an important step to help eliminate grittiness. **TO MAKE IT VEGAN:** – In place of the buttermilk, use unsweetened oat, coconut or almond milk.
– Swap out butter with vegan butter sticks. My favorite is [Country Crock Olive Oil Sticks](https://www.countrycrock.com/en-us/our-products/plant-butter-cream/olive-sticks)
– To replace the egg, add 1 tsp. soda to the batter with 1 T. vinegar poured on top of the soda.
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Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @vintagebakedmodern on Instagram
