Moist Banana Cake (Printable)

A moist, tender banana cake bursting with ripe banana flavor and gentle sweetness for any occasion.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed
06 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
07 - ½ cup vegetable oil
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - ¼ cup milk
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Optional Add-ins

11 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
12 - ½ cup chocolate chips

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the mashed bananas with sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
05 - If desired, gently fold in chopped nuts or chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula for an even surface.
07 - Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The crumb stays impossibly moist for days, almost like it improves with a little patience.
  • It comes together in one bowl with zero fancy equipment, making it the most forgiving cake you will ever meet.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to turn a tender cake into something dense and rubbery, so stop folding early.
  • If you swap oil for melted butter, the flavor deepens beautifully but the texture firms up faster by the next day.
03 -
  • Let the cake cool completely before adding any frosting, because warmth will melt it into a sad puddle every time.
  • The batter can be made the night before and stored covered in the fridge, then baked fresh the next morning with no loss in quality.

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