Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting

Banana Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze – Thick and soft banana cake with a tender buttery crumb, topped with a decadent Brown Sugar Glaze. The BEST Banana Cake EVER! 

Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting

This here is the only banana cake recipe you will need from now until the end of time. This is the BEST banana cake I have ever (I mean, ever!) sunk my teeth into.

Note: I now buy bananas, ban my family from consuming them, then wait for them to ripen so I can immediately bake this cake.

Also to be noted, I might need to move up one pants size if this banana cake habit doesn’t quit. Wah.

Prefer a sheet cake? Try this Banana Cake topped with vanilla frosting.

Prefer a different flavor? Try this Pumpkin Bundt Cake.

Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting

I have been on a search for the perfect banana cake for months. I went back and forth about whether it should be a sheet cake or a bundt cake. What should I top it with? Cream cheese frosting? Brown sugar glaze? Chocolate? Decisions, decisions.

All my testing landed me on this recipe, which comes from the brilliant Dorie Greenspan.

Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting
Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting

Banana Bundt Cake

I made very few changes to the cake recipe itself, and I would call it perfect. Nearly two cups of mashed bananas add the banana flavor, sour cream adds moisture and balances out the sweetness, vanilla extract compliments the bananas, and the right amount of butter creates a tender crumb. See what I said about perfect?

I resisted the urge to add cinnamon or chocolate chips in order to really allow the bananas to shine. I am so, so, happy with how this cake turned out. Its flavor and consistency are spot on.

This cake can absolutely hold its own as-is, without the brown sugar glaze. You can serve it plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or with a smear of salted butter. But, because I am a “more is more” type of girl, I went ahead and whipped up a brown sugar glaze to pour over this beautiful Banana Bundt Cake.

Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting
Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting

Brown Sugar Glaze

This quick and easy glaze is made with butter, brown sugar and vanilla. It tastes like carmel-praline-brown sugar heaven. It slowly drips down the sides of the cake, coating each bite with sweet and buttery deliciousness. The glaze firms up quickly, which means you don’t have to wait too long before diving in.

Bonus: the glaze also acts like glue if you choose to garnish your cake with chopped walnuts or pecans.

Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting
Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting

Now, what are you waiting for? You know you want a slice of this cake. Bake, eat, share and enjoy.

P.S. There’s bananas in it, so it can totally be eaten for breakfast, right? Morning, noon, or night – I will never, ever turn down a slice of this beauty.

Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting
Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting

MORE BANANA RECIPES: BEST EVER BANANA BREAD – BANANA BROWN SUGAR FRENCH TOAST – BANANA BAKED OATMEAL

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Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting
Old fashioned banana cake with brown sugar frosting

Banana Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

The absolute BEST Banana Bundt Cake-  Thick and soft banana cake with a tender buttery crumb, topped with a decadent Brown Sugar Glaze.

4.96 from 175 votes

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Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings: 14

Calories: 463kcal

Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ¾ cups mashed very ripe bananas, approx 4 bananas
  • 1 cup sour cream, I used light

Brown Sugar Icing:

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

Instructions

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

  • With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and beat for another minute, at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla, then beat in 1 egg at a time. Mix in bananas (the mixture might curdle, that’s ok).

  • Add half of the dry ingredients, sour cream, and then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing between each addition.

  • Thoroughly grease a 12-cup bundt pan and add the batter to the pan. Rap the pan on the counter a couple times (to remove air bubbles), then smooth out the top. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Loosely cover the cake with foil if it starts to get dark (this was around 30 minutes for me). Place the pan on a wire rack until it is cool enough to handle, then carefully unmold the cake and place it back on the rack to cool completely. 

Icing:

  • In a small saucepan combine butter, brown sugar and milk. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently and cook until the sugar is dissolved, a minute or two. Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.

  • Add vanilla, whisking to combine. Add powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time, whisking vigorously, until you reach your desired consistency. The icing will start to firm up quickly so have the cake cooled and ready. Drizzle the icing over the cake and immediately sprinkle with nuts. The icing will set in a matter of minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 685IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

How do you make Nigella banana cake?

Preheat oven to 180ºC/360ºF and grease and line a large cake or loaf tin. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla essence. Add the eggs, milk, bananas, walnuts and then self-rising flour, stirring after each ingredient. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for about 45 minutes.

How do you make banana cake Jamie Oliver?

Peel and mash the bananas in a separate bowl with the back of a fork, then whisk in the melted butter, sugar, eggs, yoghurt and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and whisk until just combined. Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Why do you put baking soda in banana cake?

Baking powder and baking soda both produce carbon dioxide, which helps raise or "leaven" baked products. Baking soda works best in conjunction with an acidic ingredient. In the case of banana bread, this may be buttermilk, brown sugar, molasses or the bananas themselves.

How does Paula Deen make banana bread?

directions.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees..
Mix dry ingredients..
Mix butter, bananas & eggs..
Mix dry ingredients into banana mix and stir in nuts..
Bake 40-45 minutes..