This banana pound cake recipe makes a delicious banana cake that combines the richness of a traditional pound cake with the delicate sweetness of bananas, resulting in a treat that is absolutely satisfying. It's wonderfully soft and fluffy and super packed with delicious banana flavor in every single bite!
Making this banana pound cake is easy too. The ingredients that go into this cake are exactly the same as that of a pound cake, except that this one has bananas in it and I replaced the white sugar with brown sugar.
The cake is made using the creaming method, in exactly the same way a pound cake is made. Mashed bananas are added into the cake batter right before the cake batter is poured into prepared pan and baked. To further add to the banana flavor in the cake, I choose to add banana slices on the cake, but this is optional.
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❤️Why you will love this recipe
- This is a great recipe for an easy banana cake.
- It makes a moist cake, and stays moist for days.
- It is a great way to use up a bunch of bananas that are over ripe.
- It is an easy recipe, and requires only basic ingredients.
- A great variation of the classic pound cake.
- Makes a sweet pound cake with natural and delicious banana flavor.
- A slice of this cake with a cup of tea completes your tea time treat.
📋Ingredients
- Self raising flour + baking powder + salt - mix these together and sift into the cake batter.
- Butter - I use salted butter. If you use unsalted butter, you will need to add an extra pinch of salt in the recipe.
- Brown sugar - gives the cake a lovely depth in flavor. Both dark and light brown sugar will work, but choose fine sugar instead of coarse sugar.
- Eggs - Use large eggs (large sized)
- Bananas - star ingredient of this recipe. Make sure to use well ripened fruits for best flavor.
- Vanilla extract - adds aroma and flavor to the cake.
*Refer to the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and exact quantities. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale where applicable*
🧾Substitution and Variations
- Self raising flour can be replaced with all purpose flour and baking powder. For every 225g of all purpose flour, add one and a half teaspoons of baking powder. Mix well and sift at least three times before using. To make 180g of self raising flour, mix 180g of all purpose flour with one teaspoon plus another one fifth teaspoon of baking powder.
- Brown sugar can be replaced with white granulated sugar. Use the same amount in your cake if you like your cake really sweet, but if you prefer it to be less sweet, reduce the quantity to 150g.
- Instead of a loaf cake, you can also bake this cake in a bundt tin or tube pan. To make a banana bundt cake or tube cake, bake the cake in a 6 cups capacity bundt pan or tube pan. Adjust the baking temperature to 160 degrees Celsius. Baking time to remain at 40 to 45 minutes. Also make sure to use a well greased bundt pan especially in the nooks the corners for easy release of the cake.
- You can also bake this cake in a round cake tin. In fact, you can bake 2 layers of this cake (double the recipe below and bake in two 7-inches round cake tins) and frost it with delicious cream cheese frosting for a truly awesome banana birthday cake!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you do try, please let me know in the comments section below!
👩🍳How to Make
Mixing the cake batter
- Start by measuring the sugar into a large bowl.
- Add butter and beat for a good 2 minutes (on medium speed on an electric mixer) with a paddle attachment until the mixture turns light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl at 1-minute interval.
- Next, add the eggs into the creamed mixture , one at a time. And each time, beat until all the traces of the egg is no longer visible.
- The vanilla extract should go in next. Beat for a few seconds until it is well combined.
Baking the cake
- Next, combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Sift and fold these dry ingredients into the batter with a spatula. If you wish to mix with an electric mixer or hand mixer, be sure to maintain it at a low speed and only mix until the flour mixture is incorporated. Do not overmix the batter.
- Finally, mash the bananas in a separate bowl (save a few individual slices for the cake top) and fold the mashed banana into the cake batter.
- Pour the batter into a greased and floured loaf tin. Level the top and arrange the banana slices on.
- Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes in an oven preheated to 170 degrees Celsius. Test the cake for doneness at least 5 to 10 minutes before the baking time is up by inserting a skewer or cake tester in the center of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is done and can be removed from the oven.
- Let the cake rest in the tin for a few minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool.
- If not serving immediately, wrap the cake with cling wrap while it is still warm and refrigerate. This helps the cake stay soft and moist. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
🍽️Serving & storage
- The cake can be served while it is still warm as well as when it is completely cooled down.
- The cake can last at room temperature for a good 2 days. Keep leftovers refrigerated (in an airtight container) and bring to room temperature before consuming.
💡Expert Tips
- It is best to use overripe bananas (with brown flecks) to make this banana cake. They are a lot more flavorful compared to the not-so-ripe ones.
- I used bananas in both the batter as well as the cake top. For the bananas in the batter, you would need to mash them up. To do this, you peel the bananas into a medium bowl or plate and use a fork to press and mash them up. The bananas need not be perfectly mashed. It is ok to have a few chunks here and there.
- As for the banana slices on the cake top, these are really optional. You can omit them if you want.
- The trick for a lovely moist banana pound cake lies in how you cool the cake down after baking and how you store it afterward. When cooling the cake on a wire rack, keep it covered with a kitchen towel on it. That way, the cake does not dry up. This is particularly so in dry environments.
- Also, if you do not intend to serve the cake on the same day it is baked, wrap it in cling wrap (plastic wrap) while it is still warm and refrigerate it. This way, the moisture in the banana cake remains in the cake. Simply bring it to room temperature before serving.
💭FAQs
Measuring bananas by quantity can be a little tricky especially when adding them to baked goods. This is because bananas often vary in size, depending on the variant of the banana. In some places, the variance in size can be double or even triple.
For consistent results, it is best that the bananas are measured in grams to avoid confusion and ambiguity as to the correct size of the bananas to use.
The first step in making this banana pound cake batter is to cream butter and sugar. Well creamed butter and sugar will make soft and fluffy pound cakes.
For this banana cake recipe, it is best that both the ingredients are beaten for at least 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl at the one-minute interval. This will ensure the butter and sugar are thoroughly mixed.
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📖Recipe
Banana Pound Cake
For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.
Ingredients
Cake
- 180 g self-raising flour
- 180 g brown sugar
- 180 g butter at room temperature
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180 g mashed banana (2 medium-sized)
- 1 banana (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 °Celsius.
- Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy for about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Next, add in vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in the sifted ingredients into the creamed mixture.
- Finally, fold in the mashed bananas.
- Pour the cake batter into a well-greased and floured loaf cake tin measuring 8 inches by 4½ inches. Top with sliced bananas.
- Bake the banana pound cake for 40 to 45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out without any wet batter.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the tin for about 2 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool further.
Notes
- Self raising flour can be replaced with all purpose flour and baking powder. To make 180g of self raising flour, mix 180g of all purpose flour with one teaspoon plus another one fifth teaspoon of baking powder. Mix well and sift 3 times before using.
- Brown sugar can be replaced with white granulated sugar. Use the same amount in your cake if you like your cake really sweet, but if you prefer it to be less sweet, reduce the quantity to 150g.
- Instead of a loaf cake, you can also bake this cake in a bundt tin or tube pan. To make a banana bundt cake or tube cake, bake the cake in a 6 cups capacity bundt pan or tube pan. Adjust the baking temperature to 160 degrees Celsius. Baking time to remain at 40 to 45 minutes. Also make sure to use a well greased bundt pan especially in the nooks the corners for easy release of the cake.
- To make a round layer cake, double the recipe and bake the cake in two 7-inches round cake tins. Frost the cake with delicious cream cheese frosting for a truly awesome banana birthday cake!
- For best flavor, use overripe bananas (with brown flecks) to make this banana cake.
- When cooling the cake on a wire rack, keep it covered with a kitchen towel on it to prevent it from becoming dry. That way, the cake does not dry up. This is
- If you do not intend to serve the cake on the same day it is baked, wrap it in cling wrap (plastic wrap) while it is still warm and refrigerate it. This way, the moisture in the banana cake remains in the cake. Simply bring it to room temperature before serving.
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