Use up those old bananas in a fancy, new way! This ultra moist banana cake with light and airy whipped cinnamon brown sugar buttercream is going to make everyone swoon. Banana Cake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

Dish Count :: 2 8″ cake pans, 1 Mixer, 2 Mixing Bowls

There comes a time in every bakers life where her husband doesn’t eat all of the bananas she buys him every week and they end up looking like sad little slugs on the counter top. That combined with the overwhelming banana bread burn out just means that she must find another use for those bananas that is equally delicious and a procrastination tactic for her upcoming move to her first home.

This is how we ended up where we are today. Procrastination can pay off!Banana Cake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

We are closing on our first house in a touch over a week, and now the urgency of packing has hit us. It’s a complete “Oh Shit!” moment, thinking that somewhere between offset schedules, work, baby appointments, dog walks, blogging, and sleeping somewhere in there, we might actually be able to get this all done by Memorial Weekend… We are delusional.

I have also accepted the reality that we are hiring movers.

Me, nearing 20 weeks pregnant (this week! How did it go so fast?!) has an aching back after packing and baking all weekend that well, it just isn’t going to hold up and I’m finally learning when to say enough is enough. It’s taken 31 years to accept that I can’t do it all, and Tiny Tot has made his feelings about my overactivity known with a few not so gentle kicks to the kidneys and one right out front of my stomach.

It could have also had something to do with the slice of pie I ate, and I’m hoping it was just pie-joy that made him do that.
Banana Cake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

So, here we are, spending our Friday nights buying moving boxes, tape, packing material, and finally going through the last three years of apartment living crap we have somehow managed to tuck away. I’m simultaneously impressed and horrified with how much we have amassed in this amount of time? I thought we would definitely move to this new house with all its extra room and have LOADS of space to take up. But now, I’m going – we might actually fill up a new house with the sheer contents of our apartment. There is some physics law breaking happening here me thinks…

As much as I want to purge the contents of our apartment now, I don’t think we have the space available to purge into many separate piles – so boxing it up and taking it to the new place to purge as we unpack may be the only solution. It’s time to get unsentimental about things, so wish me luck.

But, now onto more important things – CAKE. Banana cake with cinnamon brown sugar buttercream to be specific. Please just make this. If for no other reason than this frosting alone. It’s whipped to high heaven, ultra light and decadent with just a hint of cinnamon to compliment the brown sugar. I have used it previously on my pear cake that I made for Mother’s Day a few years ago, and with a few light tweaks, its even better now!

I hope mothers of all forms and fashions had a lovely day yesterday. You are all incredible humans.
Banana Cake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

Ingredients for Banana Cake Recipe

  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup Cake Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 3/4 cup Butter, softened
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 3 Over Ripe Bananas, mashed
  • 1 1/2 cups Milk or Buttermilk
  • 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice* omit if using Buttermilk

What is a good substitute for buttermilk?

If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can do two things. One is to keep a carton of powdered buttermilk handy. (affiliate link.)  It is available in the baking aisle. Follow the instructions for how to add the powder to a recipe. Or you can use lemon juice. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup, then fill to one cup marker with milk. This will change the pH of the milk to give it the flavor, and texture of buttermilk. It may curdle a bit, but that is okay! It’s perfect for this banana cake recipe with brown sugar buttercream! 

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Banana Cake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

Banana Cake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

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  • Author: Megan
  • Prep Time: 50 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 Minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2 Layer Cake 1x
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Use up those old bananas in a fancy, new way! This ultra moist cake with light and airy whipped cinnamon brown sugar buttercream is going to make everyone swoon.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Banana Cake ::

  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup Cake Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 3/4 cup Butter, softened
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 3 Over Ripe Bananas, mashed
  • 1 1/2 cups Milk or Buttermilk
  • 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice* omit if using Buttermilk

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting :: (makes a lot, you will probably have extra…darn.)

  • 1 1/2 cup butter (softened)
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Banana Cake ::

*Note* If using buttermilk, do not use additional lemon. If using milk and lemon, whisk the milk and lemon together and set aside until needed in recipe*

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients up to salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light, and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and mix again until it is completely incorporated.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds in between each egg. Add in vanilla extract and combine. Add in mashed bananas.

With the mixer on low, add in 1/3 of the flour mixture, and alternate with 1/3 of the milk/lemon or buttermilk mixture. Repeat until all of the flour and liquid is combined.

Distribute between three greased and parchment lined 8-inch cake pans. Bake individually for approximately 30-35 minutes each, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool on a baking rack for 10-15 minutes between removing from the pan. Wait to decorate until the cakes have cooled completely.

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream::

In stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment or with hand mixer, whisk softened butter auntil fluffy. Add brown sugar, salt, vanilla and cinnamon and beat until smooth. Scrape down sides of mixer to make sure that it is incorporated evenly.

Add in one cup of powdered sugar at a time, beating well after each addition.

With mixer on medium high speed, steadily pour in the heavy whipping cream pouring nice and slow until desired consistency. When incorporated and very light, and fluffy stop mixing – about 5 minutes. Be patient – beat it entirely for 5 minutes.

Spread onto layered cake.

Keywords: Cake, Banana, Banana Cake, Buttercream, Frosting, Brown Sugar Buttercream, Dessert