Moist Banana Cake (Printable Version)

A moist, tender cake bursting with sweet banana flavor, perfect for dessert or afternoon tea.

# What You'll Need:

01 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed

02 - ½ cup vegetable oil or melted butter

03 - ½ cup granulated sugar

04 - 2 large eggs

05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

06 - 1½ cups all-purpose flour

07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda

08 - ½ teaspoon baking powder

09 - ¼ teaspoon salt

10 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

11 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

12 - ½ cup chocolate chips

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round or square cake pan.

02 - In a large bowl, beat the mashed bananas, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.

03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon if using.

04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.

05 - Stir in nuts or chocolate chips if desired.

06 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.

07 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

08 - Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

01 -

The batter comes together in one bowl with nothing fancy, which means you can have it in the oven before the oven even finishes preheating.
That tender crumb tastes like something from a bakery but requires zero skill beyond stirring and waiting.

02 -

Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to end up with a dense rubbery cake instead of the tender crumb you want.
Opening the oven door before the 30 minute mark can cause the center to collapse and there is no fixing that once it happens.

03 -

Freeze your overripe bananas whole and unpeeled so you always have cake ready bananas on hand whenever the mood strikes.
Rotate your pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots and you will get an even rise every single time.