Banana Bread Cake (Printable Version)

Tender banana bread cake with mashed bananas, cinnamon and optional nuts or chocolate chips—great for breakfast.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Optional Add-ins

12 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
13 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to ensure a tender crumb.
05 - Gently fold in chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips if desired.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface evenly.
07 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
08 - Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It is the cheat code for using up every last spotty banana, and no one will ever guess just how little effort it took.
  • The tender cake texture and well-balanced sweetness make it feel special, yet unfussy enough for any time of day.
02 -
  • Once I rushed and overmixed the batter and ended up with a dense cake—go gently, and less mixing really is more.
  • Checking the cake at the 35-minute mark has saved me from a dry edge more than once; ovens have minds of their own.
03 -
  • Lining the pan with parchment makes removing the cake a dream and protects against sticking.
  • For an even richer crumb, replace half the oil with melted butter—that secret made my last batch irresistible.

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