The easiest (and BEST) Banana Cake with Whipped Maple Chocolate Ricotta Frosting. Fuss free, easy-to-make, infused with sweet banana and ridiculously moist and tender, this insanely delicious cake will have everyone begging for a slice.
Like most of the world, life here in Australia is very restricted. Working from home, home schooling and no unnecessary outings are today our new normal. It’s different. It feels very strange. And a little scary. But the silver lining to this very dark universal cloud is the chance to spend more time with our families, appreciate (and support) wholeheartedly the amazing people on the front line of this crisis and of course the opportunity to cook a little more for those we love and for those in our community who are most in need.
In times of distress, retreating to the kitchen, turning on the oven and stirring together a simple cake is usually just the therapy I need. And baking this banana cake provided the exact kind of comfort I desperately craved. I’m hoping it does the same for you. This banana cake is easy to make, very delicious and your house will smell all kinds of wonderful with this darling nestled in the oven. There is something so cosy and reassuring about the fragrance of cinnamon and banana baking, don’t you think?
This banana cake is the moistest I ever baked or eaten. It’s stick-to-the-back-of-your-fork kind of moist and truly yummy. It’s dense but not heavy, with soft yet tight crumbs. Its humble yet rich and heavy on banana flavour. The cake is just sweet enough and truly something special.
This banana cake is also infinitely adaptable, I’ve broken down the ingredient substitutions in the recipe so you can make this recipe work for you and what you have in the pantry. I’ve also listed an alternative frosting idea in case you don’t have ricotta. And as always, if you have further questions/ideas – please let me know in the comments section.
How to make banana cake
This banana cake is so simple to make. You’ll need just one bowl and 15 minutes to get this gorgeous cake into the oven. Here’s what to do…
- Begin by mashing the bananas. TIP: Brown, spotty, overripe bananas work best here. The spottier/more brown the bananas are, the sweeter and better banana flavour your cake will have.
- Add the eggs, oil, yoghurt, brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, spices and salt to the bowl and stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into a lined tin.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes.
- If patience prevails, allow the cake to cool.
- Frost with the lovely whipped maple chocolate ricotta frosting, if you wish.
- Slice. Eat!
Whipped Maple Chocolate Ricotta Frosting (optional)
This beautiful banana cake is absolutely delicious as is. However, when topped with a thick layer of creamy whipped maple and chocolate ricotta frosting, this cake is all kinds of amazing. Seriously this fudgy chocolate frosting is totally scrumptious. It’s smooth, luscious, with the perfect amount of chocolate flavour whilst not tasting overly sweet. And is it just me or are banana and chocolate best friends? Seriously delish.
The whipped maple chocolate ricotta frosting is also super easy to make. Simply pop the ricotta, maple syrup, cacao and vanilla bean into a processor and blitz until lusciously smooth and creamy. Slather the frosting over the cooled cake creating pretty swirls as you go. Did I mention how beautiful this cake is?
Don’t have ricotta? A simple Chocolate Buttercream Frosting will work too. Here’s how to make it…
- Place 6 tablespoons of butter into a stand mixer and beat until smooth.
- Add 2 1/3 cups of icing sugar and 3/4 cup cocoa powder and beat again until combined.
- With the stand mixer on low speed, drizzle in 1/3 cup milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla and a pinch of salt.
- Beat until well combined, approximately 2 minutes (scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary).
In the moments you crave comfort and reassurance, this banana cake is just what you need. With or without the frosting, this cake is absolutely delicious. It’s humble, cosy, perfectly spiced, heavy on bananas, moist and the perfect kind of cake to snack on. During these tough times I hope you’re still able to find moments of comfort my sweet friend. Please take care, sending you all my love. Kayla xo
MORE BANANA RECIPES
Banana blackberry poppy seed loaf
Blueberry banana and chia loaf
Banana peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
Banana blueberry and coconut loaf
One bowl banana and carrot mini loaves (or muffins)
Raspberry and banana breakfast muffins
Banana peanut butter and choc oat cookies
Strawberry banana and cacao nib muffins
I know you’re going to love this Banana Cake, please let me know if you make them by leaving a comment and rating the recipe. I’d love to hear from you and it helps encourage others to make the recipe too! Kayla xo
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
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Banana Cake
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
Ingredients
Banana Cake:
- 3 overripe bananas, mashed
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 cup (250 grams) greek or natural yoghurt (or sour cream or buttermilk)
- 1/2 cup (90 grams) brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) pure maple syrup (or brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 1 cup (140 grams) buckwheat flour (or plain flour)
- 1 cup (150 grams) plain flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
- pinch of salt
Whipped Ricotta Maple & Chocolate Frosting (see notes for alternative chocolate buttercream frosting):
- 2 cups (480 grams) fresh ricotta (deli-style) cheese
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) cocoa powder
Instructions
To make the banana cake:
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a 20 cm x 20 cm brownie pan with baking paper. Set aside.
- Place the mashed bananas, eggs, olive oil, yoghurt, sugar, syrup and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Sift the buckwheat flour, plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt into the bowl and stir using a wooden spoon until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted removes cleanly.
- Allow the cake to cool completely. To speed up the cooling process, feel free to pop the cake into the freezer.
To make the whipped ricotta maple and chocolate frosting:
- Place the ricotta into the bowl of a food processor and blitz for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.
- Add the maple syrup, vanilla and cocoa powder and blitz for 2-3 minutes (scraping down the sides of the bowl) or until the frosting is smooth and luscious.
- Smother the cooled cake with a thick layer of frosting.
- Cut into 9 or 16 squares. Enjoy x
Notes
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: Place 6 tablespoons of butter into a stand mixer and beat until smooth. Add 2 1/3 cups of icing sugar and 3/4 cup cocoa powder and beat again until combined. With the stand mixer on low speed, drizzle in 1/3 cup milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat until well combined, approximately 2 minutes (scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary).
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Could buckwheat flour be replaced with spelt? If so, same quantity and cooking temp/length?
Yummy! I made this with the kids today. So simple and delicious. They don’t like icing so we skipped that step but it’s still delicious without. Given the number of brown bananas we end up with I can see this being a regular bake!
Can this one be frozen at all?