Banana bundt cake is a soft, moist and tender banana cake made with lots of sweet, ripe bananas. It’s topped with a rich and decadent cream cheese glaze and crunchy chopped walnuts. This banana bread bundt is simple to make and is the perfect cozy cake for any occasion.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I absolutely adore an easy and cozy cakey banana recipe. I have a few delicious banana cake recipes on the blog. My Banana Coffee Cake, Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting, Brown Butter Banana Bread, Chocolate Chip Banana Bars, Roasted Banana Cake and Banana Buttermilk Muffins are just a few of my favorite banana recipes. I know you’ll love this banana bundt cake recipe too because:
- Simple pantry ingredients. You only need a handful of basic ingredients to make a simple and simply decadent banana cake bundt cake.
- You love easy desserts that feed a crowd. If being super quick and easy to make wasn’t reason enough, this banana cake makes the perfect dessert to feed many people.
- Layers of flavors and textures. From the sweet and warmly spiced, banana filled cake, to the rich, creamy and tangy cream cheese glaze with crunchy toasted walnuts, there’s incredible and delectable flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
Before I show you how to make this banana bread bundt cake, make sure you have these simple ingredients ready to go.
Banana Bundt Cake
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda and salt.
- Wet ingredients: Gather bananas, butter, sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla and sour cream.
Cream Cheese Glaze
Gather cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt.
Substitutions
Making this moist bundt cake banana cake is super simple and you probably already have everything you need. If not, here are my recommended substitutions if you need them.
- All purpose flour: To make this banana and chocolate cake gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. Replace the amount of flour based on weight rather than cups.
- Baking Soda: This provides rise and leavening for the cake. Make sure the baking soda is fresh and in date.
- Mashed Banana: Make sure the bananas are fully ripened with some brown spots.
- Unsalted Butter: Feel free to use an equal amount of salted butter in place of the unsalted butter. Just make sure to omit the added salt.
- Granulated and Light Brown Sugars: Maple sugar would also work well to make this banana cake refined sugar free.
- Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
- Sour Cream: Feel free to use a full fat greek yogurt in place of the sour cream.
- Cream Cheese: The tangy flavor of cream cheese is hard to match. If you don’t have cream cheese, use an equal amount of mascarpone cheese.
- Powdered Sugar: I like using Wholesome Organic powdered sugar. If you need a lower sugar powdered sugar alternative, I recommend Swerve or Lakanto.
- Vanilla Extract: This provides a wonderful background flavor that pairs perfectly with the cream cheese. I highly recommend you keep the vanilla extract.
Variations
- Mini Bundt Cake Banana Cakes: Make the banana cake batter as written in the recipe. Grease two 6 count mini bundt pan or a 12 count mini bundt pan. Transfer the moist banana cake batter into each cavity of the mini bundt pan. Make sure to fill each cavity abut ½ - ? full. Do not overfill. Bake the mini banana bundt cakes for 15 - 25 minutes, depending on the type of pan. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, invert onto a cooling rack and cool to room temperature before topping with the glaze.
- Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze: Add 1 - 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon to the cream cheese glaze recipe at the same time as the powdered sugar.
- Brown Sugar Icing: Add ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk to a saucepan. Melt the sugar, butter and milk together over medium heat. Once melted, bring the mixture to a simmer then remove from heat. Stir in ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar until smooth and well combined. Pour on top of the cooled banana bundt.
How To Make
Learn how to make banana bundt cake in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Grease a 10-inch (12 cup capacity bundt pan). Whisk the all purpose flour, baking soda and salt until well combined. In another bowl mash the bananas until smooth with just a few lumps.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment cream the butter, sugar and light brown sugar together on medium speed for about 2 - 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, mix in the eggs, vanilla extract and mashed bananas one at a time, waiting until the each one is mixed in before adding the next. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet alternating with the sour cream in this order: dry, sour cream, dry, sour cream, dry.
- Evenly pour the banana cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake the banana bundt cake for 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the edges of the cake pull slightly away from the edges of the pan. The center of the cake should bounce back quickly when lightly pressed. Cool the bundt cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a cooling rack or serving plate to cool to room temperature.
- While the bundt banana cake cools, make the cream cheese glaze. Cream the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla extract, milk or heavy cream and powdered sugar and salt until smooth and well combined. Top the cooled banana bundt cake with the creamy cheese glaze and chopped walnuts if you like. Place the cake in the fridge to set for about 30 - 45 minutes if the frosting is too soft for your liking.
How To Serve, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Serve: The cream cheese frosted bundt cake banana cake can be served straight from the fridge or at room temperature. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 15 - 30 minutes, slice and then enjoy.
- Store: This banana bundt cake is super moist and will do just fine when stored in the fridge. Once frosted with the cream cheese glaze, keep the cake in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4 - 5 days. Unfrosted cake can be kept at room temperature for 1 day before transferring to the fridge for up to 4 more days.
- Freeze: Make sure the cake is fully cooled. If the cake has the cream cheese glaze already applied, flash freeze the cake slices on a small pan or large plate for about 20 - 30 minutes. Wrap the slices of leftover cake in plastic wrap and store in an airtight, freezer safe container for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: Thaw frozen slices of bundt cake banana cake in the fridge overnight. Enjoy from the fridge or at room temperature.
M’s Expert Tips
- Use a non-stick spray: Prevent the cake from sticking to the bundt pan by generously greasing the pan. If needed, take a pastry brush or even a clean paper towel and work the spray into all the grooves of the pan.
- Use ripe bananas. Just like making banana bread, use ripe bananas with lots of brown spots for the best banana bundt cake.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in deliciously moist and tender cake.
- Cool the cake in the pan for no longer than 10 -15 minutes. If you try to remove the cake before 10 minutes, the cake may still be too hot to remove without falling apart. Removing the cake after 15 minutes may cause the cake to stick to the pan more easily.
- Fully cool the cake before applying the glaze. This usually takes about 30 - 45 minutes after the cake has been removed from the pan or about an hour after the cake has been removed from the oven.
- Look for the signs the banana cake is done. Use the baking time as a guide rather than a strict rule. Signs a bundt cake is finished baking is a toothpick coming with with a few moist crumbs when inserted into the center and baked edges that have slightly pulled away from the edge of the bundt pan.
- For perfectly sliced cake, chill it in the fridge for about 15 - 20 minutes before cutting. Use a sharp knife to cut the cake and always clean the knife between cuts.
FAQs
Does banana bundt cake need to be refrigerated?
Banana cake is very moist and can spoil if kept at room temperature for more than 3 - 4 days. Unfrosted banana bread bundt cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container just like banana bread. Once the banana cake has cream cheese frosting, its needs to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Can bananas be too old for banana cake?
Up until the banana has mold or other signs of rotting, the ripe banana can be safely baked into anything from banana cake to banana bread or banana muffins.
Why is my banana bundt cake too wet or too dry?
The answer is the same for both. A cake that is too moist or too dry is most likely due to too much or too little dry to wet ingredients ratio. I recommend using a food scale when measuring all ingredients, but especially dry ingredients like flour.
Can you bake a bundt cake in a 9 x 13 pan?
A standard bundt pan holds between 10 - 12 cups of cake batter. This is close to what a standard 9 x 13 pan holds, but isn’t exact. Make sure to fill the 9 x 13 or (2) 9 inch pans no more than ¾ full.
Other Bundt Cake Recipes to Try
If you try this Banana Bundt Cake recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Banana Bundt Cake Recipe
Banana bundt cake is a soft, moist and tender banana cake made with lots of sweet, ripe bananas. It’s topped with a rich and decadent cream cheese glaze and crunchy chopped walnuts. This banana bread bundt is simple to make and is the perfect cozy cake for any occasion.
Equipment
- 1 10 inch (12 cup) capacity bundt pan
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
Ingredients
Banana Bundt Cake
- 3 cups (360 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups mashed bananas about 4 medium-large bananas
- 1 cup (240 g) sour cream, room temperature
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 - 3 tablespoons (30 - 45 ml) milk or heavy cream, room temperature
- ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Grease a 10-inch (12 cup capacity bundt pan).
- Whisk the all purpose flour, baking soda and salt until well combined. In another bowl mash the bananas until smooth with just a few lumps. Meausre the mashed bananas in a measuring cup to ensure the correct amount (1 ¾ cups) of mashed bananas.3 cups (360 g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment cream the butter, sugar and light brown sugar together on medium speed for about 2 - 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, mix in the eggs, vanilla extract and mashed bananas one at a time, waiting until the each one is mixed in before adding the next. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet alternating with the sour cream in this order: dry, sour cream, dry, sour cream, dry.1¾ cups mashed bananas , 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract, 1 cup (240 g) sour cream, room temperature
- Evenly pour the banana cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake the banana bundt cake for 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the edges of the cake pull slightly away from the edges of the pan. The center of the cake should bounce back quickly when lightly pressed. Cool the bundt cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a cooling rack or serving plate to cool to room temperature. The cake takes about 1 hour to cool to room temperature after removing the cake from the bundt pan.
- While the bundt banana cake cools, make the cream cheese glaze. Cream the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla extract, milk or heavy cream and powdered sugar and salt until smooth and well combined.4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature, 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 - 3 tablespoons (30 - 45 ml) milk or heavy cream, room temperature
- Top the cooled banana bundt cake with the creamy cheese glaze and chopped walnuts if you like. Place the cake in the fridge to set for about 30 - 45 minutes if the frosting is too soft for your liking.½ cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
Notes
Store: This banana bundt cake is super moist and will do just fine when stored in the fridge. Once frosted with the cream cheese glaze, keep the cake in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4 - 5 days. Unfrosted cake can be kept at room temperature for 1 day before transferring to the fridge for up to 4 more days.
See the Variations section of the blog post to make this banana bundt cake as mini banana bundt cakes or top the bundt cake with cinnamon cream cheese glaze or a brown sugar icing.
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Diana Vansant says
Best Banana cake I’ve ever made!!! Thank you for finally having a recipe for a very moist perfect cake!!!
Megan says
Hi Diana, thank you so much for the kind review! I so happy you love the cake!