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
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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!
Laura says
This cake was so good and moist. Everyone loved it! So glad I came across this recipe!
Allison says
Thanks for the kind review. Enjoy!
Sabrina says
Hi Allison
Tried this recipe. It was awesome, moist and delicious. Was loved by all and polished off. Thanks for sharing.
Allison says
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Jamie says
I’ve actually been using this recipe for several years. After the first time, I stopped looking for a good recipe because this one is the very best. Everyone always loves it! Thank you!
Allison says
Yay! I love that. 🙂 You’re welcome.
Lisa Olsen says
This cake is so delicious! It doesn’t need any other spices. I would rate it an A+!
Allison says
Thanks for the kind review, Lisa!
Ivan says
This turned out very good. Thank you. Will be making again.
Allison says
I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Jean says
This is so delicious! A five star recipe for sure! I used leftover sour cream from Thanksgiving, not quite a full cup so I added so half and half also leftover and it is moist and wonderful. My husband gave it two thumbs up, love the frosting for it. Awesome recipe!
Allison says
Thanks for the kind review, Jean. 🙂
Krista Granados says
This is a great recipe. Family just loved this cake!!!! Would love to share my picture!!! 🩷
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Feel free to tag me on Instagram (@celebratingsweets) with a photo. 🙂
Renee says
This is the most amazing banana cake. My family LOVES it. Probably one of the best banana cakes I have ever made. Thank you so much for the recipe. I am thinking of making it for a brunch, have you ever made it in smaller pans?
Allison Mattina says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I have not made it in smaller pans but I assume you can. Just reduce the bake time accordingly.
Deepthisri Talluri says
Would love to try this recipe this week for a potluck. Do you have the ingredients in metric measurements?
Allison Mattina says
Hi! I don’t. I am in the process of adding weight measurements to my recipes but I don’t have conversions for this one yet.
Elizabeth says
This was perfect. Do I store leftovers in the fridge ? How long can it stay out?
Allison Mattina says
You can store at room temp for two days or the fridge for four days. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Rusty says
This cake came out perfect and was a big hit with everyone. I thought I had nuts in the pantry but didn’t. Next time will definitely add the nuts. Great Cake!!
Allison Mattina says
Thanks for the kind review. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Emily K says
I’ve made this in the past and it was a HIT! I have a ton of RIPE bananas but I don’t have an event right now but thought about *freezing the bananas until I make the cake NEXT weekend? Would I just thaw them before mashing, etc? Or how would you advise? Thank you!
Allison Mattina says
Hi, Emily. I have never baked with frozen bananas before but this tutorial looks helpful. I think the important thing is that you remove the excess liquid after thawing so it doesn’t affect the texture of the cake.