This is a plain cake batter with bananas and cinnamon through it, and more banana sliced over the top before it goes in the oven. Everything gets mixed in one bowl, so there’s no creaming butter and sugar and no waiting for anything to soften.
Two bananas go into the batter in chunky pieces rather than mashed, which means you get proper pieces of banana through the cake instead of an even brown crumb. The third one goes on top and caramelises a bit while it bakes.
An hour in the oven and it comes out smelling like a bakery. Walnuts on top are optional and they’re the difference between soft all the way through and a bit of crunch on the surface.
Why You’ll Love It
One bowl, and the only equipment you need is something to stir with. It uses oil rather than butter, so there’s nothing to soften and nothing to wait for, and it’s a good way to use up bananas that have gone too far to eat. It makes eight generous slices, it keeps well for a few days, and it’s as good with a cuppa in the afternoon as it is warm for dessert.
Handy Tips
Bananas that are properly speckled and soft are the ones you want, since they’re sweeter and they mash into the batter more easily. Don’t beat the batter once the flour is in, just mix until it comes together, or the cake goes tough. Chunky banana pieces are the point, so resist cutting them small. If the top is browning faster than the middle is cooking, lay a piece of foil loosely over it for the last 15 minutes. Check it with a skewer at the hour mark rather than trusting the clock, because loaf tins and cake tins bake at different speeds.
Make It Your Way
This works as a loaf or as a round cake, and the recipe suits either. A loaf tin gives you a taller, denser slice and usually needs a bit longer; a round tin bakes faster and comes out lighter. You can also turn it into more of a dessert by warming a slice and serving it with cream or ice cream, which is where the caramelised banana on top really earns its place.
How to Store It
Let it cool all the way in the tin before you move it, because banana cake is fragile while it’s warm. Once it’s cool, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Fresh banana on top means it doesn’t like being left out uncovered, so get it into a container the same day. If you’ve cut into it, laying the cut face down on the container base keeps it from drying out.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
Banana Cake
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time
1 hour 
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes 
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F).
- In a large bowl, mix all the basic cake batter ingredients until smooth.
- Slice up the bananas into chunky pieces. Add 2 of them into the batter along with the cinnamon.
- Pour the batter into your 19cm cake or a loaf tin if you prefer.
- Decorate the top with the remaining banana slices. If you love a bit of crunch, sprinkle some walnuts on top!
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Let it cool, then slice and enjoy your tasty creation!
Nutrition
Video
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FAQs
Can I use butter instead of oil?
You can, melted and cooled first so it doesn’t cook the eggs. Oil gives a softer cake that stays moist longer, which is why the recipe uses it.
Can I mash the bananas instead of chopping them?
Yes, and you’ll get a more even banana flavour right through the cake rather than pieces of it. Keep the third banana sliced for the top either way.
Can I make it without the walnuts?
Of course, they’re marked optional for a reason. Leave them out entirely, or swap them for pecans if that’s what’s in the cupboard.
So easy to make and I had all the ingredients for a change. What a delight to make this!
This cake was so easy to make. I substituted the sugar with coconut sugar and it still turned out perfect. Lovely and moist and very tasty.
Hi, is the flour plain or self raising? Thanks
Hi Anne, it’s plain flour. You add the baking powder separately as the raising agent. Let me know how your banana cake turns out 🙂
Too many calories, though it was easy to make
What sort of oil do I use? I have all the ingredients but only have olive oil
A neutral oil SJ, vegetable or canola. Olive oil will change the flavour, so use a light olive oil if that’s what you’ve got.
Can I use self raising flour
If you go self raising, leave the baking powder out. I haven’t tried it that way myself.
It’s one of the best and definitely the easiest banana cake I’ve made. Taste is great and it looks divine because it’s not a loaf but an actual cake.
What size cake tin?
19cm cake tin. I’ve added it to the recipe.
LOVE the video woman! Interesting recipe and fun to chunk the bananas instead of mashing them, but something is seriously missing….. and I made it exactly as described. Salt needed, maybe? I used brown sugar like shown the video, which I know made it tastier, but still, something was missing. (Yes, I used VERY ripe bananas.) I tried it with ice cream and then just threw more than half into the compost bin.
Thanks for the feedback. There’s no salt in this one at all, so a pinch is worth a go if you make it again. It’s a well loved recipe here, so it might just come down to taste. Cheers Steph