Easy-to-make, moist banana pound cake is delicately sweet and full of banana flavor. This simple pound cake loaf has a tender, buttery crumb with a texture that melts in your mouth.
There is nothing like a slice of freshly baked pound cake. It is rich and delicious. This banana pound cake recipe could not be easier to make. My favorite way to use overripe bananas outside banana bread is in cake recipes. Ripe bananas add moisture, sweetness, and an undeniable banana taste.
A classic pound cake recipe with a banana spin - the basic recipe uses flour, eggs, sugar (two types), and butter. The cake batter comes together quickly before it is transferred to a prepared loaf pan and baked. The moist cake results from a carefully crafted recipe, perfectly ripe bananas, and classic ingredients like milk and butter.
If you have extra bananas, try my coconut banana bread with chocolate chips - it is the best banana bread!
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What is Pound Cake?
A pound cake is made with flour, eggs, sugar, and butter. It is typically made in a loaf or bundt pan. Why do they call it a pound cake? Traditionally, this cake was made with a pound of each of the above ingredients. Due to its high egg, sugar, and fat content, this cake is dense. The extra fat and sugar make this cake melt in your mouth.
Banana Pound Cake Loaf
This easy banana cake is made like the classic recipe but with the addition of mashed bananas and brown sugar. The result is a tender-crumbed banana cake with caramelized edges. Here is why you will love this banana cake recipe:
- Simple Ingredients - This simple recipe will not find any unfamiliar ingredients in its list.
- Great Way to Use Up Bananas - Most of us have a couple of ripe bananas that go unaccounted for. Use them up and quickly whip up a batch of this cake.
- Delicious Banana Flavor - With a full cup of ripe, mashed bananas in its batter, this cake is infused with banana flavor.
- Easy Recipe - This cake is small-batch and comes together quickly.
- Versatile - The classically made banana cake is a blank canvas to toppings.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour - This classic recipe uses a flour staple, all-purpose, as its base.
- Baking Powder - Alongside the eggs, the baking powder gives this dense cake the perfect rise.
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter (softened) - Butter provides this recipe with needed fat and additional moisture.
- Granulated Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar (packed)
- Large Eggs (room temperature) - Pound cake is known for a high quantity of eggs. Eggs provide flavor, richness, and texture.
- Ripe Bananas (mashed)
- Milk
- Pure Vanilla Extract
See the recipe card for ingredient quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease {with non-stick spray} and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- Mix the dry ingredient in a medium bowl and set it aside.
- Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- On medium speed, add the vanilla and eggs one at a time. Add the mashed bananas and milk, and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and mix just until incorporated.
- Transfer the banana cake batter to the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.
Remove the cake from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool.
Substitutions
- Milk - Buttermilk, Sour cream, Heavy Cream
- Light Brown Sugar - Dark Brown Sugar
Variations
- Cream Cheese Frosting - Finish the banana loaf with cream cheese frosting. Make one batch of frosting from this recipe.
- Brown Sugar Glaze - Top the cooled cake with my brown sugar glaze (from my brown sugar pecan scone recipe).
- Cinnamon - Add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the flour mixture.
- Chocolate Chip - Stir in ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks.
- Double the Recipe - Need more slices? Easily double this recipe to fill two loaf pans.
Try my classic vanilla buttermilk variation of this recipe.
Suggested Equipment
- KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer
- OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
- Nonstick Baking Bread Loaf Pan, 9.5 x 5 Inch
Storage
Transfer cooled cake slices to an airtight container or wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil to retain freshness—store pound cake at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Can you freeze pound cake? Pound cake freezes well. Transfer cooled cake slices to an airtight container or freezer bag, and separate layers with wax paper. Or freeze the whole cake loaf - wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Freeze banana pound cake for up to 3 months - thaw entirely before eating.
What to Serve with Pound Cake
Pound cake is a blank canvas to delicious toppings. I love serving banana cake with caramel sauce and a dollop of homemade chantilly cream. For a fruity variation, top slices of banana cake with mixed berry or blackberry compote and fresh fruit slices. Slather a slice in peanut butter too.
Enjoy a slice of pound cake in the morning with a cup of coffee or tea. Or enjoy a cake slice for dessert with any of the above topping suggestions.
Other Delicious Banana Recipes
- Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Protein Banana Bread
- Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
- Individual Banana Pudding Cups
- Banana Bread with Self-Rising Flour
Expert Tips
- Check the expiration of the baking powder. The entire can of baking powder is often not used before expiration. Expired baking powder will not give your baked goods a good rise.
- Use ripe bananas. Ripe bananas are softer and sweeter.
- Grease and flour your loaf pan, or line it with parchment to prevent sticking.
- Cool the cake completely before slicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may have over-mixed the cake batter or used expired baking powder. After the eggs have been incorporated, the cake batter does not require much further mixing. Mix in dry ingredients just until combined.
Yes, bananas must be ripened when added to the cake batter. Ripe bananas incorporate better thanks to their softened texture and provide more flavor. As bananas ripen, the starch turns into sugar. They become sweeter with age.
If you make the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe, and let me know what you think in the comments below! Take pictures, tag #sugarylogic, and share them with me on Instagram or Facebook.
📖 Recipe
Banana Pound Cake Loaf
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup ripe bananas mashed
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set it aside.
- With a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Turn the speed to medium, and add the vanilla and eggs one at a time. Add the mashed bananas and milk, and mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 5-10 minutes before carefully removing it and transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Nutrition
Did you make this? Leave a review below and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
MomInMO
This does not have the same texture as a really good pound cake. Flavor is nice though.
Rosie Ledezma
Looks delicious but ut does not give exact amounts ...
Katelyn Theofanis
Hi Rosie, I can help you if you explain what you mean.