Got some overripe bananas? I got you! Try making this banana layer cake–it’s like a leveled-up version of the traditional banana bread. Paired with light and airy brown sugar whipped cream frosting, this cake is the perfect balance between comfort and indulgence.
I’ve been meaning to recipe test a banana cake for a while. I tend to go for the typical banana bread or banana muffins (like this one) when I have overripe bananas. This time, I wanted to do something a little more creative. I was looking for a slightly lighter and more tender texture, so I thought a cake would be the perfect vehicle for what I had in mind. As for the frosting, I’ve been really into making my whipped cream frosting for a lot of things because it’s so light and airy. I ended up using it for the banana cake as well, because why not? I did mix it up a bit by using brown sugar instead of powdered sugar. It adds different type of oomph to the frosting for sure, and it paired really well with the bananas.
Please note that this recipe is for a 6-inch two-tier cake. I think a 6-inch cake is the perfect size for a cake for our household. Alternatively, you don’t have to stack them and you can just separate it into two single-tier banana cakes.
Tools you’ll need
Ingredients
Cake batter
- 173 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g cornstarch
- 112 g butter, softened
- 130 g sugar
- 2 bananas, mashed + 1 banana, sliced thin
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 80 g sour cream
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
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Whipped cream frosting
- 218 g heavy cream, cold
- 65 g brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin (dissolved in 1 tbsp water)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
- Add the eggs and mix them in one at a time, until each egg is fully incorporated. Then, add the mashed bananas.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Then add half of it into the stand mixer bowl and mix on low. Mix in the sour cream. Then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix. Be careful not to over mix your batter!
- Divide the batter in half and pour into two greased 6-inch cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- While your cake bakes, you can work on your whipped cream frosting. It would be easier for you to use the stand mixer, but a hand mixer will work just fine; it just may take longer. In a mixing bowl, mix your cold heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Once you have some soft peaks, you can slowly pour your liquid gelatin* while mixing. If your gelatin is no longer liquidy, just pop it in the microwave for 3 seconds and stir. Don't add your gelatin if it's not liquidy! It won't properly incorporate with your whipped cream. Keep whisking until you get stiff peaks. Set aside in the fridge.
- Once your cakes are done cooking, let it cool in their pans on the counter for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack to cool for 20 more minutes. Level your cakes! You can just slice the "domed" part of the cake to make sure you have flat tops. But definitely keep these scraps! You can eat them already, OR you can kinda crumble them a bit and use them to top off your cake, if you'd like.
- Assemble your cake! I'm not worried about my cake being ugly, as long as it's delicious. I basically just put half of the frosting on top of each cake, add the sliced bananas, and then stack one cake on top of the other. If you have more sliced bananas, you can add them as topping for the cake too. Enjoy!
Notes
*The gelatin is used to stabilize your whipped cream frosting. Otherwise, you may end up with liquidy goop and it'll just leak off your cake.
// ON THE SCENE
- Back backdrop: Replica Surfaces — Toasted Marble
- Bottom backdrop: Replica Surfaces — Biscotti Linen
- Props: ceramic plate