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.
Prefer a different flavor? Try this Pumpkin Bundt Cake.
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
Recipe
Banana Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¾ cups mashed very ripe bananas, approx 4 bananas
- 1 cup sour cream, I used light
Brown Sugar Icing:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ 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 out 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 ¼ 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.
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Gillian says
Hi! Looking forward to making this cake. Do you think I could use vegetable oil in place of butter for the batter? Also thinking of mini Bundt cakes, would I lower the temperature or just check them earlier?
Celebrating Sweets says
Hi, Gillian. I have only made this recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure. I would guess that using oil would work, but I think that the flavor of butter is far superior.
You can use a mini bundt pan, just reduce the bake time. Maybe start checking them around 20 minutes?
Enjoy!
Erin says
I ran out of butter and sour cream AND had to ration my all purpose flour (pandemic supply problems!)! So I used canola oil, plain yogurt (NOT fat free) and used 2 cups of AP flour with one cup of whole wheat flour. It still turned out amazing! I didn’t have all the ingredients to make the glaze so I just threw some chocolate chips in the batter. I actually prefer using oil in bundt cakes, I find they stay moister for longer and let the banana flavour come through more.
Bonnie says
Hi Erin
Did you use 1 cup of the oil? Thinking of avocado oil
Thank you!
Mel C says
Is theres any substitute for sour cream?
Celebrating Sweets says
You can try plain yogurt, buttermilk, or plain kefir.
Nell says
I used 1/2 sour cream and 1/2 French Vanilla yogurt (only because I didn’t have enough sour cream on hand) and it turned out moist and delicious!
Loveday says
I used heavy whipping cream and it turned out amazing.
Joy McCain says
You can also use applesauce in place of the sour cream.
Jen Roberts says
I made this for my brother in law’s bday and everybody loved it. I did not have nuts to sprinkle and used choco chips instead. It was perfect! So moist and super banana flavor.
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Tina says
Could I use a 6 cup Bundt pan and just half the recipe?
Celebrating Sweets says
That should work. Enjoy!
Laura says
Hai im laura from indonesia.. i made this cakeee.. oohhh im so in lovee… thank u
Celebrating Sweets says
Hi, Laura! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Amber says
This was a big hit for my family, and it displays so nicely to boot! The glaze really gives it that special oomph. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Jensen says
Another incredible banana recipe!!! I subbed the butter for 1 cup of Olive Oil and all the white sugar for 1/3 white sugar and 2/3 coconut sugar in the cake. I made the icing using just over 1/4 cup of icing sugar and it already was so sweet. It really balances out in the cake as it isn’t as sweet. Soo sooo good!!
Loveday says
I have made this 3 times now. It is the perfect recipe only thing I changed was sour cream to heavy cream because I never have sour cream on hand. QUESTION: could you use this recipe for other types of bundt cakes like instead of bananas could you fold in blueberries as a last step???
Gina Orlando says
Yup, I’m making this AGAIN. I don’t remember if I commented before but it really is one of my favorite cakes (and my husband and neighbors agree). Sometimes I make a single cake and frost it, other times use a mini bundt pan and make singles. They freeze beautifully unfrosted and we enjoy them for a bit longer. My kitchen is about to smell magical!
Celebrating Sweets says
Thanks for the kind review, Gina. Enjoy!
Holly says
Fantastic recipe!! The Bundt turned out perfect. This is the best banana bread/Bundt I have made. I’m keeping this in favorites. Thank you!!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂