Moist and flavorful banana cake using sour cream! This recipe produces so much wonderful, banana flavor and the texture is absolutely superb. Easy and quick to make, this cake is perfect for serving any time of year.
If you want a homemade banana cake and it must have a great texture and flavor, then this is the recipe you’re looking for.
I’ve been making this recipe for more years than I can remember, it was one of my mother’s favorite desserts, and it is always a huge crowd pleaser.
All you need is two ripe bananas and a handful of common baking ingredients!
Make sure to bookmark or pin this recipe so you can find it the next time you need a delicious banana cake.
Have you ever baked a cake that was too dry? The most common cause for a cake lacking in moisture is too much flour or leavening agent was used. Another common cause for a dry cake is too little fat was used. By using sour cream, we are ensuring our cake has a tasty, moist texture.
Cake Tip
Save this recipe for later: Banana pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting
How to Make a Homemade Banana Cake using Sour Cream from Scratch

This recipe takes just minutes to prepare and bake time is right around a half an hour. That’s great for the busy baker, because you don’t have to spend a ton of time in the kitchen to get a great tasting cake.
For equipment, you will need two 8″ cake pans, two mixing bowls, and a hand or stand mixer.
If you like tasty yet simple recipe as much as I do, then you’re in for a treat!
Pin this recipe: Classic banana cake with cream cheese frosting
Banana Cake Ingredients

Since this recipe calls for common ingredients, there’s a good chance you already have everything you need to make it.
And even if you don’t, there aren’t any complicated ingredients to buy. In fact, this is a very affordable recipe to make.
Ingredients List
- Very Ripe Bananas
- Sour Cream
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla Extract
Bananas: This recipe only needs two bananas to get a great flavor! But the key to any tasty banana cake, is using extra ripe bananas. They are much more flavorful than less ripe bananas so make sure your bananas have a good amount of brown on the skin.
Sour Cream: Sour cream provides fat and also helps bind our other ingredients. The fat content of whole fat sour cream is best, but you can use low fat sour cream in a pinch.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These are included because they give our cake height and structure. For the best results, make sure your ingredients aren’t out of date.
Vanilla Extract: This is included as a flavor enhances. Vanilla extract is my preferred option but you can use an alternative such as almond extract if that’s all you have on hand.
Make sure when you cream your butter that you beat it until it’s smooth and creamy. Under creamed butter will lead to a coarse and unappetizing texture.
Cake Tip
Another great recipe: Banana cream pie using pudding mix
Frosting Options

This banana cake tastes great with all different types of frosting. I often use chocolate or vanilla, but butterscotch and even a creamy banana frosting works great!
While you can use a premade frosting for your banana cake, homemade tastes so much better and doesn’t take long to make at all.
I like to prepare my frosting while my cake is cooling. This will allow you to frost your cake as soon as it has finished cooling so you can enjoy your cake without delay!
Here are some of my favorite frosting for banana cake, but you can go to the top of the page and search for more. I have a lot of great frosting recipes on Treat Dreams.
- Cream cheese frosting from Cool Whip
- Chocolate frosting using chocolate chips
- Chocolate marshmallow frosting
- Chocolate buttercream
- Vanilla pudding frosting
- Martha Stewart’s vanilla frosting
- Homemade butterscotch frosting
Easy to Follow Instructions

If you’re one of those bakers who thinks “from scratch” means a recipe must be difficult, have no fear! This banana cake is super easy to prepare and it has a quick bake time.
In just a few easy steps, you will have your cake in the oven. A couple important reminders though, make sure you use extra ripe bananas and cream your butter until it is smooth and creamy.
Want to cool your cake like a pro? Once out of the oven, place cake (in pan) on a wire rack for five minutes. Then gently loosen the sides with a rubber spatula and turn your pan upside down and gently rest cake on cooling rack. Finish cooling and then frost!
Cake Tip
Step 1: Preheat your oven and mash your bananas.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugar.
Step 3: Beat in one egg at a time.
Step 4: Combine all your dry ingredients and add them, and your sour cream, to your butter mixture.
Step 5: Mix in your vanilla extract then fold in your mashed bananas.
Step 6: Pour cake batter into your greased cake pans.
Step 7: Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Step 8: Cool cake completely then frost.
Ever had a homemade cake fall and lose it’s height? There are a few common causes for this. You either used too much leavening agent, too much sugar or liquid was used, or you didn’t bake it long enough. Make sure you follow your recipe and you’re cake should have plenty of height.
Cake Tip
Great recipe: Banana cinnamon Bundt cake

Frosted Banana Cake (With Sour Cream)
Equipment
- 2 8" Cake Pans
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 2 Extra Ripe Bananas mashed
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Stick Butter softened
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease cake pans.
- In mixing bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in one egg at a time. Be sure to beat each egg well.
- In second mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients.
- Gradually mix in dry ingredients and sour cream. Alternate between each until all is well incorporated.
- Add vanilla to batter and fold in your mashed bananas.
- Pour evenly into your greased cake pans.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Your cake is done when inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Remove cake and cool on wire rack.
- Prepare frosting.
- When cake is completely cool, frost and serve.