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Banana Cake is the easiest way to turn those spotty bananas on your counter into a moist, tender, lightly sweet treat, and this one bowl snack cake is the version my girls beg for on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It bakes up soft thanks to a secret scoop of vanilla yogurt and comes together in one bowl with no mixer. If you love a cozy from scratch bake, our lemon blueberry coffee cake is another easy favorite.
No frosting, no fuss, just a quick dusting of powdered sugar and a slice that tastes like banana bread in cake form.
Banana Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 233kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Moist, tender, and lightly sweet with cozy ripe banana and warm vanilla
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, even simpler than our baked cake donuts
Quick Answer
Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together vanilla yogurt, mashed banana, oil, vanilla, and egg. Stir the wet into the dry just until combined, then pour into a greased 9 inch round pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, cool, and dust with powdered sugar.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- One bowl, no mixer. Everything comes together with a whisk and a spatula, so this banana cake is genuinely beginner friendly and the cleanup is minimal.
- Vanilla yogurt keeps it moist. A full cup of vanilla yogurt adds tang and moisture, giving the cake a soft, tender crumb without any butter to cream.
- Ripe bananas do the sweetening. Mashed ripe banana brings natural sweetness and that classic banana flavor, so you need only a third cup of sugar.
- Ready in 30 minutes. With just 10 minutes of prep and about 20 in the oven, this is a from scratch cake you can pull off on a busy weeknight.
- No frosting required. A simple dusting of powdered sugar finishes it beautifully, so it feels special without the extra step of making frosting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It turns overripe bananas into a moist, cozy cake the whole family loves.
- It is a true one bowl recipe with no mixer and almost no cleanup.
- It is just as easy as our layered lemon blueberry trifle but warm from the oven.
Key Ingredients
Just a handful of pantry staples and a couple of ripe bananas come together for this easy banana cake.
- Mashed banana: The star of the cake, ripe spotty bananas bring natural sweetness, moisture, and that classic banana flavor.
- Vanilla yogurt: Adds tang and keeps the crumb soft and moist without any butter to cream.
- All purpose flour: The structure of the cake, measured and whisked with the leaveners for an even rise.
- Canola oil: A neutral oil that makes the cake tender and keeps it moist for days.
- Baking powder and baking soda: The duo that gives this snack cake its gentle, even lift.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This banana cake is a great base, so make it your own.
- Fold in a half cup of chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or pecans for extra texture.
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg for a warm, spiced banana cake.
- Swap the powdered sugar topping for a swirl of cream cheese frosting to dress it up.
- Use Greek yogurt or plain yogurt in place of vanilla, and add an extra splash of vanilla extract.
How to Make Banana Cake
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9 inch round cake pan with baking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla yogurt, mashed banana, oil, vanilla, and lightly beaten egg until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the center of the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. There should be no dry patches, but do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, slice, and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots, since they are sweeter and mash more easily for the best banana flavor.
- Do not overmix the batter once the wet and dry ingredients meet, or the cake can turn dense and tough.
- Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling off, so you do not pack in too much and dry out the cake.
- Check early at the 20 minute mark, since ovens vary and an overbaked snack cake loses its moist crumb.
- Cool before dusting with powdered sugar, otherwise it melts into the warm cake instead of staying pretty on top.
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze slices for a quick treat later.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This banana cake is wonderful all on its own, still slightly warm with a simple dusting of powdered sugar and a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. It is the kind of easy snack cake that disappears off the counter by the afternoon.
For dessert, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, or serve it alongside our homemade pistachio pudding for a fun spread.
It also makes a lovely addition to a brunch or potluck table next to a creamy tiramisu pie and a pot of coffee.
Banana Cake FAQs
Very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots are best for banana cake. They are sweeter, softer, and mash easily, giving the cake more natural banana flavor and moisture.
Yes. You can swap the vanilla yogurt for plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, or sour cream. If you use plain yogurt, add an extra half teaspoon of vanilla extract to keep that cozy flavor.
Store banana cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also wrap individual slices and freeze them for up to 2 months.
Yes. Divide the batter into a lined muffin tin filling each cup about two thirds full and bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
A dense banana cake usually means the batter was overmixed or too much flour was packed into the measuring cup. Stir just until combined and spoon and level your flour for a lighter crumb.
Absolutely. While this is meant to be a simple snack cake with powdered sugar, it is delicious topped with cream cheese frosting, a brown butter glaze, or a drizzle of caramel.
Tried this easy banana cake? I would love to hear how it turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below and let me know what you topped your slice with!
Easy Banana Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup Vanilla yogurt
- 3/4 cup mashed banana
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- powdered sugar for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with baking spray, set aside.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- In a large bowl, add in the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, whisk to combine.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mashed banana, oil, vanilla, and egg.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Add the wet ingredients to the center of the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. There should be no dry patches but do not overmix.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 20 – 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, a few crumbs is okay.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the pan and place the cake on a wire rack and let cool completely.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Garnish with powdered sugar if desired, serve and enjoy!1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Notes
- Make sure that you do not over-mix this cake so it doesn’t become chewy.
- You can use a 9″ springform pan or a high sided 9″ round baking pan for this recipe.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above on how to do that.
- Dress this up how you’d like. Add frosting, powdered sugar, whatever you like!
- The vanilla yogurt can be substituted, see my suggestions above.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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My kids would go crazy for this! Incredibly delicious dinner idea! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Looks delicious! Especially with the drizzle over the top. Pinned and following!
Gorgeous photos of this lovely snacking cake! I love yogurt and looking for ways to incorporate in it foods is high on my list. And, if it’s replacing a less healthy ingredient, all the better! Pinning…
We make banana bread all the time, but I love the idea of substituting the yogurt for the sour cream that we normally use. Hoping I have bananas in the kitchen so we can make this tonight. #client