Moist Banana Cake (Printable)
A moist, tender cake bursting with ripe banana flavor and a gentle sweetness everyone loves.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/4 cup milk
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Optional Add-ins
11 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the mashed bananas with granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the banana mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the crumb tender.
05 - If desired, gently fold chopped nuts or chocolate chips into the batter until evenly dispersed.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula for an even surface.
07 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
09 - Slice and serve plain or topped with your favorite frosting.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The banana flavor is intense and real, nothing like artificial banana extracts, because the secret is using bananas that look absolutely terrible.
- It uses oil instead of butter, which sounds wrong until you taste how incredibly tender and moist the crumb stays for days.
- You probably have every single ingredient sitting in your kitchen right now, no specialty shopping required.
02 -
- Underbaking by even a few minutes leaves the center gummy and sunken, so always check with a toothpick before pulling it out.
- Swapping oil for melted butter changes the texture noticeably and makes it denser, which some people actually prefer, so experiment freely.
03 -
- Bananas that are completely black on the outside produce the sweetest and most intensely flavored cake, never throw them away.
- Let the cake cool completely before adding any frosting, even slightly warm cake will melt it into a messy puddle.