This delicious banana spice cake is bursting with ripe banana and warm spice flavors, finished with a tangy chocolate sour cream frosting. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing recipe that works for holidays or any day of the week.
Soft and moist, this banana spice cake combines overripe bananas, oil and sour cream for great texture. A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves gives it cozy, comforting flavor, while the chocolate sour cream frosting adds rich, slightly tangy finishing notes.
This spiced banana cake is simple enough for weeknights yet special enough for gatherings and holiday tables.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to prepare. No specialty equipment required.
- Stays moist for days. Bananas, oil and sour cream keep the cake tender.
- Great for sharing. It travels well and serves a crowd.
- Cozy, warming flavors. The spice blend complements the banana perfectly.
- Chocolate sour cream frosting. Smooth, luscious and fresh-tasting thanks to sour cream.
Ingredient Notes
Some tips on key ingredients:
- Bananas — Use 3 large overripe bananas (soft with brown spots) for the best banana flavor.
- Brown sugar — Dark brown sugar adds depth, but light brown works too.
- Oil — Vegetable or canola oil keeps the crumb moist.
- Butter — Use unsalted, room-temperature butter in the cake and frosting.
- Ground spices — Fresh ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves create warm flavor. Adjust to taste.
- Sour cream — Use full-fat, room-temperature sour cream for the cake and frosting.
- Eggs — Use three large eggs at room temperature for best structure.
See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap vegetable or canola oil for melted coconut oil if you prefer.
- Add chopped nuts to the batter or sprinkle on top for texture.
- Replace sour cream with room-temperature buttermilk or plain whole Greek yogurt in the batter.
- If you’re missing a spice, omit or adjust the blend — the cake will still be delicious.
Instructions
Overview: prepare the batter, bake the cake, then finish with the chocolate sour cream frosting.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork, masher or mixer.
Step 2: In a large bowl, beat room-temperature butter for 1 minute. Add brown and granulated sugars and beat 2 minutes more. Add eggs one at a time, then beat in oil, vanilla and mashed bananas.
Step 3: Alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream/milk mixture in three additions, beating on low until just combined. Do not overmix.
Step 4: Pour batter into a prepared 9×13-inch pan lined with parchment (leave an overhang for easy removal). Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Step 5: For the frosting, add sifted powdered sugar and cocoa, room-temperature butter, sour cream, vanilla and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Start on low and increase to medium-high, beating 1–2 minutes until smooth and glossy.
Step 6: Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, slice and serve.
Expert Tips
Use a fork, potato masher, or handheld mixer to mash the bananas evenly.
Leave a parchment overhang in the pan so you can lift the cake out easily after baking.
Chill the cake briefly in the fridge to speed cooling if you need to frost it sooner.
Sift powdered sugar and cocoa before making the frosting to avoid lumps and ensure a silky texture.
Recipe FAQs
Banana bread is typically baked in a loaf pan and has a denser texture. Banana cake is baked in a cake or sheet pan and is lighter and fluffier.
Yes. Thaw frozen bananas and bring them to room temperature before using for best results.
Store the frosted cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 30 days and thaw before frosting.
More Banana Recipes You’ll Love
-
Moist and Delicious Banana Bread Recipe
-
Banana Nutella Cookies
-
Pumpkin Banana Muffins
-
Banana Blondies
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below — I’d love to hear how it turned out.
Banana Spice Cake
Natalie
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- 9×13-inch rectangular pan
- Oven mitts
Ingredients
Banana Spice Cake
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 large overripe bananas)
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Banana Spice Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan and line with parchment, leaving an overhang.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside.
- Whisk sour cream and milk together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Mash the bananas and set aside.
- Beat butter on medium-high for 1 minute. Add sugars and beat 2 minutes more. Scrape the bowl.
- On medium speed, add eggs one at a time. Beat in oil, vanilla and mashed bananas.
- With the mixer on low, add dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream/milk mixture in three additions until just combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting
- Combine sifted powdered sugar and cocoa, butter, sour cream, vanilla and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Beat starting on low and increasing to medium-high for 1–2 minutes until smooth. Frost the cooled cake and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are estimates generated by a calculator and should be used as a guideline only.