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Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing is a super moist banana cake filled with pecans and then drizzled with a creamy cinnamon cream cheese icing.
It’s delicious, easy, and beautiful to look at to boot!
Banana Bundt Cake
Sturdy enough to slice thick or thin, this banana bundt cake is perfect with a morning cup of coffee, as an afternoon snack, or for a late-night dessert.
I was first introduced to this cake when we visited my sister Jenny for Christmas. She whipped this up one day during our stay and everyone absolutely loved it.
This recipe has been adapted from and with thanks to Taste Of Home via Cooking Classy and my sister’s kitchen.
I’ve made my fair share of banana bread and banana cakes over the years but the bundt form of this cake makes this one really something special!
When people talk about banana bread and banana cake recipes as a way to use up overripe bananas, I have trouble relating. My kids adore bananas and consume countless pounds of them each week. We rarely have any last long enough to overripen!
Typically, when I want to bake something with bananas, I have to plan ahead and hide some bananas so that they’ll have a chance to get a little brown and extra sweet.
In fact, I’ve bought pounds and pounds of bananas this month in attempts to bake and photograph this cake for you but my kids keep finding them and eating them.
I finally lucked out last week when I found several bunches of dark brown bananas at the grocery store. I wasted no time at all in playing with this recipe and baking a few different versions of this cake before my kids could gobble up my materials.
So, I’m excited to finally be able to share traditional and gluten-free versions of this Banana Bundt Cake.
If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you might have noticed that we LOVE banana bread in this house. I’ve made so many different variations on banana bread from Blueberry Coconut Banana Bread to Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Bread to Sour Cream Banana Bread and as much as we enjoy it in all its forms, sometimes you want something a little different.
Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Enter this incredible Banana Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
This banana cake is super easy to make and yet the end result is impressive enough to serve guests.
It’s beautifully shaped, moist, sweet and rich. And the cream cheese icing drizzled over top takes the whole cake to the next level.
I added a little cinnamon to the frosting because, honestly, that cinnamon and banana flavor combination is just too good to pass up. It adds the tiniest hint of sugar and spice to the already delicious cream cheese icing.
Instead of fussing with spatulas or pastry bags to decorate this cake, you get to simply spoon the fluffy, creamy frosting over the top. A sprinkling of pecans adds a pretty touch to the finished cake and a nice crunch to each bite.
If you’re not a fan of nuts, you can also leave the pecans off. The cake is delicious with or without!
The secret to the rich flavor of this cake is all in the sour cream. Using sour cream in the batter helps the cake stay tender and moist without becoming greasy or heavy.
If you’ve never baked with sour cream, this is a great time to try. I guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how well it works in breads, muffins, and cakes.
This recipe is also easily made gluten free. I have made this cake with both all-purpose flour and the gluten-free alternative flours and starches listed below and my family enjoyed it both ways.
Banana Bundt Cake Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan with butter and then dust with flour. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and the sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Stir in the banana, and then add half of the dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Add the sour cream, stir, and add the remaining dry ingredients. Stir until combined and then stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
- Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake about 40-45 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean or with crumbs. Cool 5 minutes in pan and then invert on wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy, adding a tablespoon of milk and then an additional teaspoon at a time to reach the desired consistency.
- Spoon the icing over the completely cooled cake and sprinkle with remaining pecans. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Storing Banana Bundt Cake
Keep in mind that because of the cream cheese frosting, this banana cake does need to be stored in the refrigerator. Put it in an ample-sized airtight container or your favorite cake storage container and it’ll keep nicely in the fridge for 3 -4 days.
It tastes excellent cold but you can also let it come back to room temperature before serving leftovers if you prefer.
Banana Recipes
If you’re like my family and can’t get enough banana goodness, this site is full of recipes you’ll love.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins bring together three of life’s best things (bananas, chocolate, AND peanut butter) in delicious, convenient muffin form.
For a breakfast, brunch (or even Breakfast-for-Dinner!) check out my Banana Waffles recipe. Peanut Butter Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal is another breakfast dish that both kids and adults love.
What’s your favorite way to cook or bake with bananas?Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website! Kitchen Tip: I use this mixer, this spatula, and this pan to make this recipe.
Banana Bundt Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 1¼ cups light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 medium overripe bananas (mashed, about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup chopped pecans, plus 1/4 cup for topping
*Gluten-Free Alternative
- 1½ cups brown rice flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- ¼ cup potato starch
- 1½ teaspoons xanthan gum
Icing Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- about 2 tablespoons milk adjust as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan with butter and then dust with flour. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and the sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Stir in the banana, and then add half of the dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Add the sour cream, stir, and add the remaining dry ingredients. Stir until combined and then stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
- Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake about 40-45 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean or with crumbs. Cool 5 minutes in pan and then invert on wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy, adding a tablespoon of milk and then an additional teaspoon at a time to reach the desired consistency.
- Spoon the icing over the completely cooled cake and sprinkle with remaining pecans. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 2/10/16 – recipe notes updated 5/13/22}
I'm in need of a new bundt pan, and this is just the kick in the pants I need to go out and finally get a new one 🙂
Cake is beautiful. So majastic on the cake plate. I believe if a ever marry again this is the cake. Going to make today. Enjoy your site very much. Keep up the good work.
Your little helper is getting so big! Love your photos and the cake 🙂 Have a great week!
Made this cake today and it was delish. We loved it!
Made this cake today just like the recipe posted. YUMMY and I do not think I will ever make banana bread in a loaf again. It would be just as good without frosting. However, frosting was very good and loved the cinnamon added to it. A keeper
I made this and it's amazing!!
I wanted to love this so much. I used your gluten free instructions exactly, but it came out so dense with not a bit of cakeness. I actually have to throw it out. That’s how bad it is. Perhaps the sour cream and banana mush, along with the 2 eggs were just too much fluid for the gluten free mixture. I could cry. Oh well. There’s always another recipe.
This was a big hit at the luncheon today. I had to increase the butter to a whole stick to get it to cream with the “dark” brown sugar I used. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake, Kobey!
Needed to bake 65 min but came out delicious.
I’m glad you like the cake, Sharon!
Do you think I could substitute the sour cream for natural Greek yogurt? Many thanks!
I’m guessing that will work, Anna. However, I haven’t tried it myself. If you do try that, please let us know how it turns out!
Made this today using my mini bundt cake pans. Absolutely delicious! The cinnamon in the glaze is the perfect compliment to this cake! It made 12 beautiful cakes that I can freeze and thaw as the craving hits me.
I am so happy that you love the cakes, Cathy!
Extremely easy, measure everything out first so that once you start it goes smoothly. Has an excellent texture and the taste is delicious. Needed to bake 49 minutes.
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the cake, Sharon!
Would like to make this recipe but without nuts. Would adding mini chocolate chips to the batter and icing work out as well?
That sounds delicious, Theresa! It should work great.
Made this today and I couldn’t have been happier with the way it turned out! I used walnuts instead of pecans, but that was the only variation to the recipe. Mine was in the oven for 40 minutes and had a beautiful browned color to it on the outside, and was deliciously moist and fluffy on the inside. I took it to a little gathering and everyone loved it! Will definitely be making again!!
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the cake, Lauren!
I made this recipe exactly as written and it was fabulous!!! I decided to use a 9×13 inch pan instead. The cake was light, fluffy and moist, just had to watch the cooking time. This will definitely be my go to banana cake going forward!!!!
I’m so very happy that you love the cake, Nancy!
Can you use regular salt instead of kosher salt?
And can you substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream?
Yes, you can use table salt instead of kosher, but reduce the amount by half. Table salt is much finer and you’ll wind up with too much salt in a 1:1 substitution. I haven’t tried substituting yogurt for sour cream, but I’m guessing it might work, Becky.
you can use Buttermilk because buttermilk in just the unfurmented version of sour cream.
Would this work in an 8×8 or 9×9 square tin? If so, what is the baking Time?
This will be too much batter for an 8 or 9-inch pan, Grace-Mary. It should work nicely in a 9×13 though. I can’t speak to the baking time, as I haven’t baked it that way myself. I’d recommend just watching closely the first time you bake it that way.
This is my second time making this wonderful cake. It is perfect plus I love making bundt cakes, so that makes it even better. I love the icing with the cinnamon added…makes a great tasting difference to the already delicious icing. Have my cake baking right now. A great thing to do during this coronavirus pandemic. Thanks again…:)
I’m so glad that you are enjoying this recipe, Waynette. I’ve been doing more baking than usual as well.
I’m so happy I found a banana bundt cake recipe. I have all the ingredients but sour cream. Can I leave it out?
You could try it with greek yogurt in place of the sour cream, Jeanne. Buttermilk (or 1 cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar to sour it) can likely be substituted as well. You can also blend 1 cup of cottage cheese with 4 tablespoons of milk and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to replace sour cream in any recipe.
All of that said, you definitely need to have some liquid in the cake to replace the sour cream.