BANANA BUNDT CAKE

Banana Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

The only thing that might be better than old-fashioned Banana Bread is homemade Banana Bundt Cake!   Moist and tender banana cake with a buttery brown-sugar and vanilla bean flavor and a perfect crumb.  I top with Vanilla Bean Buttercream for special occasions, or drizzle with a simple Brown Sugar Glaze. SO GOOD for a lazy breakfast or a simple dessert for a family dinner, or topped with sprinkles for a baby shower or springtime party!

This recipe produces a perfect Banana Bundt Cake.  After trying lots of recipes, I've discovered the best ratio of ingredients to bake a moist, dense and flavorful banana cake.  With simple and wholesome ingredients, this recipe will be your new favorite too!  To prevent a ruined bundt cake, follow the baking time and temperature closely!

Banana Bundt Cake

SIMPLE & FRESH INGREDIENTS:

• Butter
  
• Granulated Sugar
  
• Brown Sugar
  
• Fresh Eggs
  
• Pure Vanilla Bean Extract
  
• Mashed Ripe Bananas
  
• Dairy Fresh Sour Cream
  
• All-Purpose Flour
  
• Baking Soda
  
• Baking Powder
  
• Salt
  

Banana Bundt Cake

BUNDT CAKE SECRETS:

• Follow the recipe and use the ingredients and measurements listed.
• Bring all ingredients to room temperature before beginning.  Room temperature ingredients promise a uniformly textured cake.  Cold ingredients do not emulsify together and the cake won't bake properly.
• Bundt cakes and pound cakes can easily turn out dry, rock solid and lacking flavor.  But adding sour cream and whipped egg whites to the cake batter and using sweet ripened bananas combine to create a moist and flavorful cake that is loaded with flavor and a soft & smooth crumb.  
• I've also found that using non-stick BAKING spray works better than trying to grease and flour all the nooks and crannies of a bundt pan.  Spray your pan right before you are ready to pour the batter - this timing will prevent the spray from sliding to the bottom of the pan.  
• Another mistake is baking a bundt or pound cake in an oven that is too hot.  With butter, eggs and sour cream, you want the cake to bake evenly - with a golden exterior and perfectly baked center.  We're going to bake this low and slow at 325 degrees.  45 minutes thru baking, loosely tent the cake with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.  Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  You don't want to overbake this!
• After you remove from the oven, cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate and cool completely before icing and serving.
• Finally, bundt cakes truly get moister and more flavorful each day that they sit.  Which means that you really want to make this the day BEFORE you plan on serving it.  
• This Banana Bundt Cake is so perfect that it is wonderful all by itself, plain and simple.  To jazz it up, I've also glazed with Brown Sugar Icing, which is simple and perfect.  Vanilla Bean Buttercream and holiday sprinkles are perfect for springtime celebrations!​

Banana Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

BANANA BUNDT CAKE

​The only thing that might be better than old-fashioned Banana Bread is homemade Banana Bundt Cake!   Moist and tender banana cake with a buttery brown-sugar and vanilla bean flavor and a perfect crumb.  I top with Vanilla Bean Buttercream for special occasions, or drizzle with a simple Brown Sugar Glaze. SO GOOD for a lazy breakfast or a simple dessert for a family dinner, or topped with sprinkles for a baby shower or springtime party!

Banana Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

INGREDIENTS:
Banana Bundt Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla bean paste
2 large eggs (separated and at room temperature)
1 3/4 cups mashed very ripe bananas (4-5 bananas)
1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
 
Vanilla Bean Buttercream:
¾ cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
3 cups (310g) powdered sugar
¼ cup heaving whipping cream or half & half
½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1/8 teaspoon salt
 
Brown Sugar Icing:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
 
HOW I MAKE THIS:

1.  Remove butter, eggs and sour cream from refrigerator and soften to room temperature.

2.  PREPARE BANANA BUNDT CAKE:  Preheat oven to 325°F. 

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

4.  With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add sugar, brown sugar and vanilla, beat until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add egg yolks and mix just until combined. Blend in mashed bananas and sour cream – the mixture may curdle, but that’s okay!

5.  In a small mixing bowl with a hand mixer, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form; set aside.

6.  Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing on lowest speed just until blended; add remaining flour mixture and mix just until blended.  Using a spatula, gently fold in the whipped egg whites to the batter.

7.  Now is the time to thoroughly spray a 10-inch (12-cup) bundt pan with non-stick BAKING spray (I find that this works better than greasing and flouring all the crevices in a bundt pan and makes the cake easier to remove without leaving parts of it stuck in the pan; if you spray the pan too early, the oil will slide down the sides to the bottom of the pan – you want the bottom and sides evenly coated before you pour the batter in the pan.)  Pour the cake batter evenly into the pan, smooth the top.

8.   Bake for 45 minutes, then loosely cover the pan with foil and continue baking for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  

9.   Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert cake and allow to cool to room temperature before frosting or glazing.

10.  PREPARE TOPPING:

• FOR BROWN SUGAR 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 extract, whisking to combine. Add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time, whisking vigorously, until you reach your desired consistency. The icing will start to firm up quickly as soon as you drizzle it over the cooled cake.  Drizzle the icing over the cake and immediately sprinkle with chopped pecans (optional).  The icing will set in a matter of minutes.
• FOR VANILLA BEAN BUTTERCREAM:  In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.  Add the powdered sugar, whipping cream (or half & half), vanilla and salt.  Increase speed to high and beat for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary.  Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin, more cream if frosting is too thick, or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.  Pipe frosting onto cooled cake and add sprinkles (optional).

11.  Cover cake in airtight container and store a cool location for up to 5 days. Like most bundt cakes, this is better the day AFTER you bake it!  

YIELD:  14 servings​

Originally posted February 2010; revised & reposted March 2019.
 
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