Banana Snack Cake

This Banana Snack Cake is the ultimate no-fuss dessert moist, tender, and bursting with natural banana sweetness and a hint of warm cinnamon. It’s baked in a simple 8×8-inch pan, making it easy to slice and serve for any occasion, from an after-school treat to a casual brunch.

The rich, comforting banana base is perfectly complemented by the creamy, slightly sweet, and salty Peanut Butter Honey Frosting, creating a wholesome, irresistible pairing that everyone will love.

Recipe Details

• Flavor Profile: Sweet, earthy, and warm. The cake offers deep banana flavor enhanced by brown sugar and cinnamon, beautifully contrasted by the salty, nutty finish of the peanut butter frosting.
• Textures: Exceptionally moist and tender, thanks to the mashed bananas and sour cream. The frosting is smooth and creamy, providing a melt-in-your-mouth experience.
• Total Active Time: About 15 minutes of prep time, plus 22–28 minutes for baking, and necessary time for the cake to cool completely before frosting.
• Difficulty Level: Easy. This is a simple, one-bowl mixing method for the cake and a quick, straightforward frosting process, making it ideal for beginners.

What You’ll Need

This recipe is comprised of two simple but essential parts: the incredibly moist and flavorful Banana Cake, and the luxurious, easy-to-make Peanut Butter Honey Frosting. Most ingredients, like flour, sugar, butter, and bananas, are likely already in your pantry!

Ingredient Notes

• Mashed Brown Bananas – Use very ripe, brown-spotted bananas. The riper they are, the sweeter and more flavorful your cake will be. The mashed banana provides most of the cake’s moisture.
• All-Purpose Flour – For the most consistent results, weigh your flour in grams, or use the “spoon and level” method to avoid packing the flour, which can result in a dense cake.
• Sour Cream – Using room temperature sour cream adds a slight tang and contributes significantly to the cake’s tender, moist crumb.
• Unsalted Butter (Cake) – Ensure your butter is at room temperature for the creaming step. This process incorporates air and is crucial for achieving a light and fluffy cake texture.
• Peanut Butter – Use creamy peanut butter (not natural or oily varieties) for the frosting to guarantee a smooth, stable, and easily spreadable consistency.

Add-ins and Substitutions

You can easily adapt this snack cake to suit your preferences without changing the core baking method:

• Add Nuts or Chocolate: Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips into the cake batter before baking for extra crunch and richness.
• Lighter Topping: If you prefer a lighter cake, you can skip the frosting and dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon.
• For a Different Flavor Twist: You can substitute the sour cream with plain full-fat yogurt, ensuring both are at room temperature when added to the batter.

How to Make Banana Snack Cake

This recipe is divided into making the cake and preparing the frosting. The key is to avoid over-mixing the cake batter and ensuring the cake is completely cool before adding the frosting.

Banana Cake

1. Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8×8-inch pan by spraying it lightly with oil. Line the pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to extend up the sides to create handles for easy removal.
2. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl, thoroughly mash the bananas with a fork, then measure out 1 cup.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
4. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the room-temperature butter and brown sugar until the mixture is visibly light and fluffy.
5. Mix in Remaining Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and sour cream, adding them one at a time and ensuring each ingredient is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the mashed bananas.
6. Add Dry Mix: Finally, mix in the dry ingredients just until all traces of flour streaks disappear. Remember to stop mixing as soon as the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is evenly combined.
7. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared, parchment-lined pan. Bake for 22–28 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before moving on to the frosting.

Pro Tip: The Gentle Mix

To guarantee a tender, moist crumb, take care not to over-mix the batter after the dry ingredients have been added. Mixing too long develops the gluten, resulting in a tough, dense cake. Stop mixing the second the flour streaks are gone!

Peanut Butter Honey Frosting

1. Prepare Frosting: In a medium bowl, mix together the softened butter, creamy peanut butter, honey, and powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth.
2. Adjust Consistency: If the frosting appears too thick or dry, gradually add the heavy whipping cream (starting with 1/2 tablespoon) or milk until you achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency.
3. Frost and Serve: Spread the finished frosting evenly over the completely cooled cake. Slice the cake into 9 or 16 equal squares and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Room Temperature is Essential: Ensure the butter, egg, and sour cream are at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify and mix properly, leading to a smoother batter and a finer-textured cake.
• Test for Doneness: Use a thin wooden toothpick or skewer to test the center of the cake. It should come out with only a few moist crumbs attached, not wet batter.
• Cool Completely: Do not attempt to frost the cake until it is fully cooled. If the cake is even slightly warm, the butter-based frosting will melt and slide off.
• Use Parchment: The parchment paper “sling” is a great trick it makes lifting the fully cooled and frosted cake out of the pan simple for cleaner slicing and serving.

FAQs

Q: Can I use oil instead of butter in the cake? A: While oil provides moisture, the recipe relies on creaming room-temperature butter and brown sugar to build structure and texture. It is best to stick with unsalted butter for the specified results.

Q: What is the best way to ripen bananas quickly? A: If your bananas aren’t brown enough, you can place them in a brown paper bag with an apple or tomato for 1-2 days. If you need them immediately, you can bake them in the peel at 300°F for about 15-20 minutes until the skin is black (let them cool before using).

Q: Can I freeze the leftovers? A: Yes, this snack cake freezes well! Slice the cake into squares, then freeze them individually on a tray before transferring them to an airtight freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Serving Suggestions

This simple snack cake is perfect for any time of day, but it pairs beautifully with these additions:

• For Breakfast/Brunch: Serve alongside a fresh fruit salad or a small bowl of plain Greek yogurt.
• For Dessert: A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a drizzle of melted chocolate adds a luxurious touch.
• Beverage Pairings: Enjoy with a cold glass of milk, a mug of hot cocoa, or a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

Make This Recipe in Advance

You can easily prep components for this recipe ahead of time:

• Cake: The baked and cooled cake (unfrosted) can be tightly wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
• Frosting: The Peanut Butter Honey Frosting can be prepared a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before re-mixing quickly to achieve the proper spreading consistency.

Banana Snack Cake with Peanut Butter Honey Frosting

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• Author: Samantha Brooks
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield: 9 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This Banana Snack Cake is a simple, no-fuss dessert that’s incredibly moist, tender, and bursting with natural banana sweetness and warm cinnamon. Paired with a creamy, slightly salty Peanut Butter Honey Frosting, this easy 8×8-inch cake is the perfect wholesome treat for an after-school snack, casual brunch, or anytime dessert.

See also  Apple Cider Donuts

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Banana Cake

• 1 cup (230g) mashed brown bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon (3g) baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.5g) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (1g) ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons (36g) sour cream, room temperature

Peanut Butter Honey Frosting

• 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons (48g) creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon (21g) honey
• 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
• 1/2–1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream or milk, for consistency (if needed)

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Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Oven and Pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8×8-inch pan with oil, then line it with parchment paper, allowing the paper to extend up the sides to create handles.

Step 2: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
In a small bowl, thoroughly mash the bananas. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.

Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugar
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the room-temperature butter and brown sugar until the mixture is visibly light and fluffy.

Step 4: Mix in Remaining Wet Ingredients
Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and sour cream, adding them one at a time and ensuring each ingredient is incorporated before adding the next. Then, stir in the mashed bananas.

Step 5: Add Dry Mix and Bake
Finally, mix in the dry ingredients just until all traces of flour streaks disappear. Do not over-mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 22–28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Step 6: Prepare Peanut Butter Honey Frosting
In a medium bowl, mix together the softened butter, creamy peanut butter, honey, and powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth.

Step 7: Adjust and Frost
If the frosting is too thick, gradually add the heavy whipping cream or milk (starting with 1/2 tablespoon) until you achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency. Spread the finished frosting evenly over the completely cooled cake. Slice into squares and serve.

Notes

Storage: Store leftover frosted cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Customize Flavor: For extra crunch and richness, stir in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips into the cake batter just before baking.

Quick Ripening Tip: If your bananas are not ripe enough, you can bake them in their peel at 300°F for about 15–20 minutes until the skin is black. Let them cool completely before mashing and using in the recipe.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Dessert, Snack
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/9 of recipe
• Calories: 365
• Sugar: 38g
• Sodium: 147mg
• Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 47g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 5g
• Cholesterol: 54mg

Keywords: banana snack cake, peanut butter frosting, easy cake recipe, 8x8 cake, moist banana bread, brown sugar cake, no fuss dessert