Simple Banana Cake Recipe - Sweet and Sour
Banana cake is a simple treat that can brighten your day. Quick and easy, it's accessible to everyone.
- 3 Banana Mature
- 200 g flour
- 150 g sugar
- 100 g Butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 sachet instant baking powder
- Cannella q.b.
- Prepare the moist base. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a loaf pan or round baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth and creamy: very ripe bananas mash easily and leave no lumps. Add the sugar, melted and cooled butter, eggs, and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Mix well with a whisk or wooden spoon until smooth.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients. Sift the flour and baking powder directly into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Gently fold together with a spatula, using bottom-up movements, without overworking the dough: a few residual lumps are normal and will dissolve during baking. The batter should be dense but fluid, similar to that of a muffin.
- Bake and check for doneness. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil for the last few minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
- For an even more indulgent version with a bolder personality, perfect as a dessert or a hearty snack, try this banana cake with walnuts, dark chocolate, and peanut butter. Add 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter to the banana puree—along with the other wet ingredients—and it will melt into the puree as you mix, adding a toasted, savory, and slightly salty note that pairs so classic and wonderfully with banana. When you're ready to incorporate the flour, stir in 60g of dark chocolate chips and 50g of shelled and roughly chopped walnuts. The chocolate will partially melt during baking, creating melting strands, while the walnuts will add a rustic crunch and toasted flavor that contrasts with the softness of the banana. For a more dramatic visual effect, cut a banana in half lengthwise and arrange it on top of the batter before baking. It will caramelize and become glossy as it bakes, transforming the cake into something much more inviting to serve. A sprinkling of flaked sea salt on the surface before baking enhances the sweet-savory contrast that makes this version so irresistible. Baking temperature and time remain the same: 180°C for 35-40 minutes, checking with a toothpick before removing from the oven.
Banana cake is one of those desserts born out of necessity—those overripe bananas at the bottom of the basket—and transformed into something extraordinarily delicious. Soft, moist, scented with cinnamon, and naturally sweet thanks to the fruit, it's homemade banana bread at its simplest and most accessible: a few pantry ingredients, a bowl, a fork, and the oven, and in less than an hour you have a dessert everyone loves, from children to adults, from breakfast to snack to dessert.
The secret to this cake lies in the ripeness of the bananas: the riper they are—with black-flecked skin and almost mushy flesh—the sweeter, softer, and richer in natural sugars they are, and the better they mash into a smooth purée that hydrates and softens the batter without the need for milk. This is what makes the banana cake so moist and melting to the bite, with a texture that lasts for several days without drying out. Cinnamon, added generously, enhances the banana flavor with a warm, spicy note that transforms a simple dessert into something more complex and enveloping.
Extremely versatile, this cake lends itself to endless customizations: chopped walnuts or hazelnuts added to the batter add crunch; dark chocolate chips add sweetness and contrast; a spoonful of peanut butter or hazelnut spread makes it even richer. It pairs perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of liquid caramel for a dessert after a meal, or simply with a cup of coffee for a wholesome and satisfying breakfast.
Simple Banana Cake Variation
For an even more indulgent version with a bolder personality, perfect as a dessert or a hearty snack, try this banana cake with walnuts, dark chocolate, and peanut butter. Add 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter to the banana puree—along with the other wet ingredients—and it will melt into the puree as you mix, adding a toasted, savory, and slightly salty flavor that pairs so classic and wonderfully with banana. When you're ready to incorporate the flour, add 60g of dark chocolate chips and 50g of shelled and roughly chopped walnuts to the batter. The chocolate will partially melt during baking, creating melting strands, while the walnuts will add a rustic crunch and toasted flavor that contrasts with the softness of the banana.
For a more dramatic visual effect, cut a banana in half lengthwise and arrange it on the surface of the batter before baking. As it bakes, it will caramelize and become glossy, transforming the cake into something much more inviting to serve. A sprinkling of flaked sea salt on the surface before baking enhances the sweet-savory contrast that makes this version so irresistible. Baking temperature and time remain the same: 180°C for 35-40 minutes, checking with a toothpick before removing from the oven.
