Moist Banana Pound Cake is a delicious spin on a classic, combining Pound Cake and Banana Cake all in one amazingly comforting cake recipe. AND it’s all topped with a sweet brown sugar glaze!
Make sure to check out my unbelievably delicious Banana Cake Recipe, or my Classic Pound Cake!
My Favorite Banana Bundt Cake!
The best way to eat a banana? That would be with sugar. And butter. And walnuts. I’m talking, of course, about the ingredients that make up Banana Pound Cake, or Banana Bundt Cake – whichever you prefer.
In all seriousness, homemade banana pound cake is one of my favorite ways to use up those ripe bananas that have been sitting on the counter for ages. And as much as I adore banana bread, sometimes I’ve gotta switch it up, you know?
Not that it’s a hardship to do so, because moist banana pound cake is SUCH a treat. It’s dense and moist, like a pound cake should be, and it’s filled with crunchy, chopped walnuts. If that wasn’t delicious enough, it’s also topped with a sugary vanilla glaze. Now you know why I’m always tempted to let the bananas become overripe on purpose…
Love Pound Cake? Here Are a few Other Recipes To Try:
What You’ll Need
Alright, so what goes into making this delicious banana pound cake? Predictably, most of this recipe is made up of pretty standard cake-making ingredients. Here’s what we’re working with:
For the Banana Pound Cake
- Butter: Let this come to room temperature before you begin.
- Brown Sugar: I like to use light brown sugar in this recipe.
- Eggs: Eggs are the binding agents for your pound cake batter.
- Vanilla Extract: For a touch of extra sweetness in your cake.
- Bananas: Mash these before you begin. Also, the riper they are the better!
- Salt: I like to use kosher salt, but use whatever kind of salt that you usually bake with.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These will work as leavening agents in your batter.
- Flour: I generally just use all-purpose flour.
- Chopped Walnuts: These are optional, but I love how they pair with the bananas.
For the Brown Sugar Glaze
- Butter: Salted or unsalted, it doesn’t really matter. If you use salted, you may want to leave out the kosher salt.
- Brown Sugar: Again, I like to use light brown sugar here because of its caramel notes.
- Kosher Salt: To enhance the sweetness in the glaze.
- Vanilla Extract: To offer sweet vanilla flavor.
- Heavy Cream: You could try substituting this with whole milk, but personally I love the richness that cream brings to the glaze.
How to Make Banana Pound Cake
Mixing this banana pound cake together is pretty simple. It only needs about 20 minutes of prep time, and then the cake pan is ready for the oven. In fact, most of the time that this recipe requires is cooking time, which is code for staring at the oven door while the cake bakes. Patiently, of course.
Here’s the step-by-step guide to an excellent banana cake:
Preheat Oven to 325°F: Then, in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and brown sugar together for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add in the eggs, one at a time, vanilla, bananas, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing until combined, scraping the sides of the bow as necessary.
Combine with Flour: Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour until just incorporated. Stir in the walnuts until evenly combined.
Grease the Pan: Coat a 10- cup bundt pan liberally with baking spray and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the Cake: Bake for 70 – 80 minutes until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let Cool: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cake with a butter knife, and then invert the cake pan onto a platter or wire rack to cool.
Make the Glaze: In a small saucepan melt the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and heavy cream over medium heat. Stirring constantly bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Cool the glaze for 5 minutes before pouring over the cake. PRO TIP: You can also glaze the cake right in the bundt pan, like I do in my Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe. This way you don’t lose any glaze as it drips off! Check out my notes in the recipe for this method!
Tips for Success
Before you get started on your delicious banana bundt cake, I’ve got a couple of tips to share with you to make sure you get fantastic results:
- Don’t Over-Mix the Batter: This will make the pound cake turn out tough, and denser than expected. To avoid that, just mix until everything is incorporated.
- Grease the Bundt Pan: Even if you have a non-stick bundt pan, I would still recommend greasing it with cooking spray or butter. It can be tricky to remove this cake, so don’t be afraid to really get into every nook and cranny of the pan.
- How to Mash Bananas: I find the easiest thing to do is just to put them in a large bowl and mash them with a fork. It’s alright if you don’t get every chunk of banana.
- If the Cake Begins to Brown Too Early: If you notice the cake browning too much before it’s done, tent it loosely with foil.
- Icing Tips: As the icing drips down the sides of the cake, I like to spoon the excess back on top to completely coat the cake. Alternately, you can pour the glaze over the cake while still in the pan, and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before inverting the cake onto a cake platter.
How to Store Homemade Pound Cake
The best way to store your banana pound cake is to refrigerate it in an airtight container – or tight layers of plastic wrap – for 2 or 3 days. Hypothetically, that is. It’s never lasted long enough for me to find out. ?
Can I Freeze This?
Sure! You can freeze your iced pound cake in an airtight container for up to a month. Make sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight before eating again.
Enjoy!
Description:
Banana Pound Cake is one of my very favorite banana dessert recipes. Beware though, because once you top this sweet pound cake with homemade brown sugar glaze, it becomes irresistible!
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups butter room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
For the Glaze:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Pre-heat oven to 325°F.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter and brown sugar together for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add in the eggs, one at a time, vanilla, bananas, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing until combined, scraping the sides of the bow as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour until just incorporated. Stir in the walnuts until evenly combined.
- Coat a 10- cup bundt pan liberally with baking spray and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 70 – 80 minutes until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you notice the cake browning too much before it is done, tent it loosely with foil.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cake with a butter knife, and then invert the cake pan onto a platter or wire rack to cool.
For the Glaze:
- In a small saucepan melt the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and heavy cream over medium heat. Stirring constantly bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Cool the glaze for 5 minutes before pouring over the cake.
- As the icing drips down the sides of the cake, I like to spoon the excess back on top to completely coat the cake. Alternately, you can pour the glaze over the cake while still in the pan. See notes for the method.
Notes:
Store airtight for up to 3 days at room temperature.
TIP: You can glaze the cake right in the bundt pan before turning it out if you prefer. This way you don’t lose any icing as it drips off. All you do is pour the warm icing onto the cake while it is still in the pan. Allow the cake and glaze to cool for at least an hour in the pan and then loosen the sides of the cake with a dull knife and turn it out onto a cake plate.
Keywords:: banana pound cake, banana bundt cake
