Moist Banana Cake (Printable version)
A moist, tender banana cake with sweet banana flavor, perfect for dessert or afternoon tea. Serves 8.
# What you need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)
02 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
06 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
→ Optional Add-ins
11 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips
# How To:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round or square cake pan, tapping out any excess flour.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat together the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon if using, until evenly distributed.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients using a spatula, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
05 - Gently stir in chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips if desired, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and use a spatula to smooth the surface evenly.
07 - Bake on the center rack for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
08 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The batter comes together in one bowl with no fancy equipment, which means you can have it in the oven in under fifteen minutes.
- It stays incredibly moist for days, so you can bake it ahead and it tastes even better the next morning with your coffee.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to end up with a rubbery cake, so once the flour goes in, treat the batter gently and stop folding sooner than you think you should.
- Opening the oven door before the 30 minute mark can cause the center to sink, so resist the urge to peek and trust the timer.
03 -
- If your bananas are not quite ripe enough, put them on a baking sheet and roast them at 150 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes until the skins blacken, which concentrates their natural sugars and deepens the flavor dramatically.
- Always crack your eggs into a separate small bowl first, because fishing shell fragments out of banana batter is a frustrating and messy task nobody deserves.