Banana Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze – Thick and soft banana cake with a tender buttery crumb, topped with a decadent Brown Sugar Glaze. The BEST Banana Cake EVER!
This here is the only banana cake recipe you will need from now until the end of time. This is the BEST banana cake I have ever (I mean, ever!) sunk my teeth into.
Note: I now buy bananas, ban my family from consuming them, then wait for them to ripen so I can immediately bake this cake.
Also to be noted, I might need to move up one pants size if this banana cake habit doesn’t quit. Wah.
Prefer a sheet cake? Try this Banana Cake topped with vanilla frosting.
I have been on a search for the perfect banana cake for months. I went back and forth about whether it should be a sheet cake or a bundt cake. What should I top it with? Cream cheese frosting? Brown sugar glaze? Chocolate? Decisions, decisions.
All my testing landed me on this recipe, which comes from the brilliant Dorie Greenspan.
Banana Bundt Cake
I made very few changes to the cake recipe itself, and I would call it perfect. Nearly two cups of mashed bananas add the banana flavor, sour cream adds moisture and balances out the sweetness, vanilla extract compliments the bananas, and the right amount of butter creates a tender crumb. See what I said about perfect?
I resisted the urge to add cinnamon or chocolate chips in order to really allow the bananas to shine. I am so, so, happy with how this cake turned out. Its flavor and consistency are spot on.
This cake can absolutely hold its own as-is, without the brown sugar glaze. You can serve it plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or with a smear of salted butter. But, because I am a “more is more” type of girl, I went ahead and whipped up a brown sugar glaze to pour over this beautiful Banana Bundt Cake.
Brown Sugar Glaze
This quick and easy glaze is made with butter, brown sugar and vanilla. It tastes like carmel-praline-brown sugar heaven. It slowly drips down the sides of the cake, coating each bite with sweet and buttery deliciousness. The glaze firms up quickly, which means you don’t have to wait too long before diving in.
Bonus: the glaze also acts like glue if you choose to garnish your cake with chopped walnuts or pecans.
Now, what are you waiting for? You know you want a slice of this cake. Bake, eat, share and enjoy.
P.S. There’s bananas in it, so it can totally be eaten for breakfast, right? Morning, noon, or night – I will never, ever turn down a slice of this beauty.
MORE BANANA RECIPES: BEST EVER BANANA BREAD – BANANA BROWN SUGAR FRENCH TOAST – BANANA BAKED OATMEAL
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Banana Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups mashed very ripe bananas approx 4 bananas
- 1 cup sour cream I used light
Brown Sugar Icing:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and beat for another minute, at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla, then beat in 1 egg at a time. Mix in bananas (the mixture might curdle, that's ok).
- Add half of the dry ingredients, sour cream, and then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing between each addition.
- Thoroughly grease a 12-cup bundt pan and add the batter to the pan. Rap the pan on the counter a couple times (to remove air bubbles), then smooth if the top. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Loosely cover the cake with foil if it starts to get dark (this was around 30 minutes for me). Place the pan on a wire rack until it is cool enough to handle, then carefully unmold the cake and place it back on the rack to cool completely.
Icing:
- In a small saucepan combine butter, brown sugar and milk. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently and cook until the sugar is dissolved, a minute or two. Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
- Add vanilla, whisking to combine. Add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time, whisking vigorously, until you reach your desired consistency. The icing will start to firm up quickly so have the cake cooled and ready. Drizzle the icing over the cake and immediately sprinkle with nuts. The icing will set in a matter of minutes.
Julianne Johnson says
Wonderful recipe! Very moist and flavorful. Thank you!!
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂 -Allison
Adrianne says
The BEST banana bundt cake ever. It was so light, yet rich. I was amazing! Will be keeping this recipe!
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by.
Sharon says
Can I use coconut Flour?
Celebrating Sweets says
I have only ever made this recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure. Coconut flour is completely different than all purpose flour, so you will definitely need to make some changes. This guide might be helpful: https://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/how-to-cook-with-organic-coconut-flour-substitutions-tips-strategies/ Best of luck!
Stacy D says
Delicious. I used Greek yogurt in place of sour cream and added some cinnamon and nutmeg.
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Eric L. says
The base cake itself is very delicious, and if you want to strictly adhere to the banana flavor, go for it. For those looking for a sweeter option, I added 1/2 C of Crunchy Peanut Butter and 1 C dark chocolate chips and it is amazing!
Celebrating Sweets says
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Saffy says
This cake is AMAZING!!!! Whole family loved it. The icing is seriously good. Will be going in “mum’s recipe book” 😋
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Myki says
I couldn’t resist the urge to spice it up so I did
a mix of sugar, pumpkin pie spice, sweet ginger, and cinnamon . I put a layer of batter in the pan, sprinklied the mix ion too and used a knife to swirl it. – repeated with two more layers.
I toasted my walnuts using the same mix to put on top.
The glaze is delicious but next time I’ll sift my powdered sugar before adding because I whisked so long it was already starting to set as I poured.
Since this was my first time making this recipe, I saved a bit of batter for my donut pan for tasting!
Love this recipe and will be doing it again for sure.
Would be delicious with a chocolate ganache or vanilla glaze and strawberries.
Celebrating Sweets says
Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy!
Judith Wahlgren says
ooooo creative idea, I like this.
Joe says
Worked beautifully! Such a great recipe and so easy
Celebrating Sweets says
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Shadel says
Can I bake this recipe in mini Bundt pans?
Celebrating Sweets says
Sure, I’m just not sure how many it will make. You’ll need to reduce the bake time as well. Enjoy!
Kellie Hamilton says
I don’t like to bake, but ripe bananas and the holidays call for a cake. This was the BEST thing I’ve ever made in my oven. The family was super impressed and I was so proud of the flavor and outcome.
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Val says
Great recipe made it last week everyone loved it and the glaze
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂