Put those ripe bananas to good use with this easy Cinnamon Banana Cake that’s topped with a Honey Cream Cheese Frosting!
It’s that weird time of year again in Minnesota. One day it can be sunny and in the upper 70’s, and the next day it’ll be in the low 30’s and snowing. So, while I’m basically wanting to eat all fresh fruits and vegetables right now, there’s still a part of me that wants to turn the oven on and get baking!
That happened this week when it was gray, rainy, and cold. I had some bananas left over from another recipe, thought they should be put to good use. It’s been awhile since I’ve made banana cake, so it wasn’t long before I was whipping up this easy cinnamon banana cake.
Just mix together the dry ingredients. Mix together the wet ingredients, and combine. It’s that simple. I couldn’t decide what to top this cake with at first. I was originally thinking a chocolate or peanut butter frosting to make it more like comfort food with the traditional flavors, but in the end went with this honey cream cheese frosting.
Cream cheese frosting is one of my favorites. It goes well with so many flavors. I’d already paired it with our carrot cake banana bread and our banana bread cinnamon rolls, so why not put it on the banana cake, as well! To change up the flavor a bit, I went with honey as part of the sweetener.
It adds a light, almost delicate flavor to the cake and is perfect for the hope of spring and the warm, sunny weather that’s coming!
- For the Cake
- 1 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 C mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
- 1/2 C plain yogurt
- 1/4 C milk
- 1/4 C sugar
- 1/4 C honey
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 C butter, room temperature
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 C confectioner’s sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp sugar, optional
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional
- Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, yogurt, milk, sugar, honey, egg, and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- With an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy. Beat in honey until combined. Slowly beat in confectioner’s sugar and salt until smooth. Spread frosting over cake. Sprinkle with optional sugar and cinnamon. Allow frosting to sit for about 10 minutes before cutting cake into pieces and serving.
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel
Monday 1st of May 2017
That frosting sounds amazing!!
Lindsay @ The Live-In Kitchen
Monday 1st of May 2017
What a dreamy cake! Bananas and cream cheese frosting are the best!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats
Monday 1st of May 2017
I love the flavor honey gives baked goods. I'll bet it brings out the flavor of the bananas really nicely!
2pots2cook
Sunday 30th of April 2017
Oh dear ! You make great things ! It is so cold out here again and this is going to be perfect comfort food ! Thank you so much !
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Friday 28th of April 2017
Jessica, this cake looks FAB! I've only started making banana cakes in the last year or so and I'm actually depressed that I went my whole life without eating them up to that point. They're SO freaking good! And that frosting sounds like the perfect complement. I sincerely hope you're not having to deal with snow today :). Have a wonderful weekend!