Banana Bundt Cake {Cream Cheese Icing}

Quick Summary

This simple Banana Bundt Cake is moist, buttery, full of banana flavor, and SO easy to make! And to top it all off, the cake is drizzled with cream cheese icing. This classic cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion.

banana bundt cake with cream cheese icing being poured over the top

What do you do when you have a bunch of brown bananas? I usually make banana bread or my breakfast cookies, but I also love making this simple Banana Bundt Cake.

Bundt cakes are my favorite kind of cakes to make because they are easy to make, you don’t need any decorating skills, and they are easy to share.

This Banana Bundt Cake will remind you of banana bread, but because it is baked in a beautiful bundt pan and finished with cream cheese icing it is extra special. Trust me, you are going to LOVE it!

The cake is full of banana flavor, super moist, and has a tender buttery crumb. To top it all off, the cake is drizzled with a thick cream cheese icing that is absolute perfection.

I really hope you have brown bananas sitting on your counter right now because you NEED this cake. It is a classic dessert that everyone loves!

banana bundt cake with cream cheese frosting

Cake Ingredients

The ingredients are basic, so you can make this cake anytime and all of the time. Just make sure you load up on bananas at the store, even if you don’t think you need them, get a bunch:)

Flour– use regular all-purpose flour. If you need the cake to be gluten-free, you can use your favorite gluten-free flour. I like Cup4Cup.
Baking soda– to help the cake rise.
Cinnamon– banana and cinnamon go so well together.
Salt– a little salt enhances all of the flavors in the cake.
Butter– use unsalted butter that is at room temperature.
Sugar– you need granulated sugar AND brown sugar.
Eggs– make sure your eggs are at room temperature.
Vanilla extract– I use a whole tablespoon!
Bananas– you will need 1 ¾ cups mashed bananas, which is about 4 bananas, depending on the size. For the best flavor, make sure the bananas are completely brown, almost black.
Sour cream– to keep the cake super moist. You can also use plain Greek yogurt.

Cream Cheese Icing

You can serve the cake plain with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, BUT I highly recommend the cream cheese icing. It really is the icing on the cake, ha! It makes the cake even better!

To make the icing, you will need:

Cream cheese– go for full fat cream cheese and make sure it is softened.
Butter– to make the icing extra rich and creamy!
Confectioners’ sugar– I sift to get all of the lumps out.
Vanilla extract– just a splash!
Heavy cream or milk– start with 1 tablespoon. If the icing is too thick, you can add another tablespoon and whisk again.
Pinch of salt– I always add a touch of salt to balance out the sweetness.

How to Make Banana Bundt Cake

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars and beat on medium until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
Reduce the mixer to low speed, add the mashed bananas, and mix again.
With the mixer still on low, mix in half of the dry ingredients, the sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and then the rest of the dry ingredients. Don’t over mix, mix until just combined.
Generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan. Make sure you grease the pan really well so the cake comes out easily. Scrape the batter evenly into the greased bundt pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake for 55 to 70 minutes, or until a long wooden skewer or thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too quickly on top, you can loosely tent it with foil. Check around 30 minutes to be safe, every oven is different.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Use a butter knife to loosen up the cake around the edges of the pan. Carefully invert the cake onto cake platter or cake stand.
While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese icing.
Use a spoon to generously drizzle the icing over the cooled cake.
Cut into slices and enjoy every single bite!

Variations

The basic recipe is absolutely perfect, but if you want to play around, here are some ideas.

Stir in up to 2 cups of chopped pecans or walnuts.
Add in up to 2 cups chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
If you want nuts and chocolate, use 1 cup of each!
Feeling fruity? Gently fold in 2 cups of blueberries that have been coated in a little flour.
Instead of using a cream cheese icing, drizzle the cake with chocolate ganache!
You don’t have to frost the cake, you can leave it plain. Dust the top with confectioner’s sugar to make the cake extra pretty.

How to Store the Cake

First of all, I honestly think this cake tastes best on the second day. So you can make it in advance if you need to. Here are my tips for storing the cake!

If you don’t eat the frosted cake in one day, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese icing. The cake is very moist so it won’t dry out in the fridge.

Make sure it is well covered with plastic wrap or you can put it into an airtight container. It will keep for up to 5 days.

The cake can be removed from the fridge an hour before serving to let it come back to room temperature. Although, I like the cake chilled, right from the fridge too.

If you aren’t going to frost the cake or if you want to wait and frost it, you can store the bundt cake on the counter under a glass dome (or use a large bowl and turn it over) for up to 3 days. You can also wrap it in plastic wrap. The cake will get more moist the longer it sits.

You can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months. I like to freeze individual slices. Wrap cooled cake pieces in plastic wrap and place flat in a freezer bag. Lay flat in the freezer. Thaw before eating!

piece of banana bundt cake with cream cheese frosting on a plate with a fork

More Bundt Cake Recipes

Cake

Banana Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

For the banana cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (4 bananas)
1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

For the cream cheese icing:

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, depending on how thick you want it
Pinch of salt

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat on medium until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, if necessary.
Reduce the mixer to low and add the mashed bananas. Mix until combined.
With the mixer still on low, mix in half of the dry ingredients, the sour cream or Greek yogurt, and then the rest of the dry ingredients. Don’t over mix, mix until just combined.
Generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. Make sure every part of the pan is greased really well. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake for 55 to 70 minutes, or until a long wooden skewer or thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. It’s ok if there are a few crumbs, but you don’t want the skewer to be wet. If the cake starts to brown too quickly on top, you can loosely tent it with foil. Check around 30 minutes to be safe, every oven is different.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto cake platter or cake stand.
While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, cream or milk, and pinch of salt. Beat at medium speed until creamy and smooth.
Use a spoon to generously drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Cut into slices and serve.

Calories: 532kcal, Carbohydrates: 78g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 95mg, Sodium: 408mg, Potassium: 229mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 857IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 60mg, Iron: 2mg