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Home » Cake & Cupcakes » Light Banana Snack Cake

Light Banana Snack Cake

Published: Dec 4, 2013 · Modified: Mar 10, 2018 by Allison · 23 Comments

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Slices of cake on a wooden board and a white plate.
This cake doesn’t need much of an introduction – it’s  just a tasty and simple banana snack cake. It can be served for breakfast or dessert and a slice makes the perfect afternoon pick-me-up along with a cup of tea. Although this recipe is “light” it still tastes indulgent and it’s packed full of banana flavor.

 

This cake comes together quickly and  it bakes up faster than a loaf of banana bread. I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light and, although they did not suggest frosting, I just couldn’t resist. The cream cheese frosting recipe will make a small batch that perfectly covers the top of the cake with a thin, not too indulgent layer of  sweet and creamy frosting. Feel free to double the frosting recipe if you want more or leave it off completely. I made this in an 8×8 pan, but you could also make it in an 8.5×11. The cake will just be a little thinner than mine is. 

Square slice of cake with white frosting on a white plate.

Light Banana Snack Cake

A lightened-up moist banana cake with cream cheese frosting
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 9 -12
Calories: 282kcal
Author: Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup plain non-fat yogurt
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas, ripe bananas
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:

  • 3 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 375. Butter or spray an 8x8 or 8.5x11 baking pan and set it aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk yogurt, mashed banana, milk, oil, egg and vanilla until combined.
  • Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you're using an 8x8 pan the baking time will be closer to 25 minutes. An 8.5x11 pan should be done closer to 20 minutes. Cool the cake completely before topping with frosting.

For the frosting:

  • Beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Using a butter knife or an offset spatula, spread the frosting all over the top of the cooled cake.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 292mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1mg

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!

 

« 3 Ingredient Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (Homemade Thin Mints)
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Comments

  1. Shirlee

    July 05, 2017 at 9:38 am

    5 stars
    Yummy! I usually make banana bread from past their prime bananas, but this cake was a nice change.

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      July 09, 2017 at 8:17 pm

      Glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  2. Nina

    July 27, 2017 at 2:10 am

    5 stars
    Any ideas for a topping that does not use butter that I could use, looks delicious – thanks

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      July 27, 2017 at 10:23 am

      Hi, Nina. You can use all cream cheese, or try a butter substitute/margarine.

      Reply
  3. lmd

    April 30, 2020 at 8:26 am

    Today is my birthday, I have lots of “past their prime ” bananas, I have all the other ingredients, I am home due to COVID-19, I need to keep my sweets intake in check due to being home-so, this will be my birthday cake for my hubby & myself. Exactly what I was looking for!

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      April 30, 2020 at 10:16 am

      Happy birthday! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Melissa

    May 22, 2020 at 7:08 pm

    Hi! Can I use sour cream instead of yogurt?

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      May 26, 2020 at 3:04 pm

      Yes, that should be fine. Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. caroline

    June 08, 2020 at 5:40 pm

    5 stars
    Made this today and it came together SO quickly! In about 40 minutes, I had delicious banana snack cake! I successfully swapped half the flour with almond flour and subbed sour cream + milk for yogurt. Tastes great with just powdered sugar on top. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      June 12, 2020 at 10:20 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂

      Reply
    • Erin

      March 18, 2021 at 11:22 am

      Can you sub vanilla yogurt for plain?

      Reply
      • Allison

        March 19, 2021 at 2:10 pm

        Sure.

  6. Susan

    June 28, 2020 at 10:43 pm

    I followed the recipe exactly, I baked in a 9” square pan. It tested done, raised nicely but as soon as I took it out of the oven it fell and was wet and gummy, very compacted, reminded me of bread pudding. What did I do wrong?

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      July 02, 2020 at 11:46 am

      Sorry to hear that. Here is a resource with some tips: https://delishably.com/desserts/Baking-Tips-Why-a-Cake-Sinks-in-the-Middle-and-How-to-Stop-It

      Reply
  7. Edna Hakenson

    July 25, 2020 at 9:30 am

    5 stars
    I have made this cake before and it is awesome. Easy to make, less work than banana bread. You don’t need any frosting at all. Highly recommend.

    Reply
    • Allison

      July 27, 2020 at 1:27 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Tali

    October 13, 2020 at 9:11 am

    5 stars
    Fabulous fluffy light banana cake…the best. Thanks for this recipe

    Reply
    • Allison

      October 13, 2020 at 1:31 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂

      Reply
      • Sherry k

        April 22, 2021 at 4:16 am

        Is it 289 calories for 9 servings or 12?

      • Allison

        April 24, 2021 at 3:09 pm

        Hi, Sherry. It’s 9 servings. Enjoy!

  9. Victoris

    October 23, 2020 at 10:33 pm

    5 stars
    This is the best… easy…. super moist and soooo delicious!!
    I don’t normally complete it with the icing but this time I did and I’m loving it!

    Reply
    • Allison

      October 26, 2020 at 2:12 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. ?

      Reply
  10. Cher

    August 20, 2022 at 4:53 am

    Made this today – it was delicious! Didn’t have quite enough banana, so finely chopped up a small ripe peach; and it made a lovely addition.
    Nice and light, I’m sure I’ll make this often.

    Reply

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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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