The delicious combination of bananas and blueberries gets paired with a tangy cream cheese frosting in this Blueberry Banana Cake recipe.
Generally I consider myself to be a pretty thrifty shopper when it comes to anything for the home or photo/cake props. I think I’ve only paid full price ONCE for a cake stand, and it’s one that I’ve used a whole two times. Not worth it, right? So, I tend do do most of my shopping at thrift shops or discount stores like Homesense. Every once in a while I get suckered in at an antique shop and that’s exactly what happened with this cake stand.
While I was in Sydney, my sister took me to this massive (and amazing) antique store called Mitchell Road Antiques. I think we probably spent like 3 hours in there and still didn’t see everything. They have some killer mid-century modern furniture that I wish I could have fit into my suitcase. But alas, I stuck to smaller bits and pieces.
My sister and I both had our eyes on this pretty cake plate, but she graciously said that I should buy it because I bake more cakes than she does (lol). I loved the vintage vibe of it and had to have it. Totally worth the $25 price tag, or so I thought. It actually might be the only thing I bought from there now that I think of it… Anyhow.
The very next day, and I’m not even kidding you, we saw the exact same cake plate at the Paddington Markets for $2. $2!! Except that it was actually less, because the guy let us take 4 different items, whatever we wanted, for a total of $5. Seriously. Wtf Mitchell Road Antiques?! Not cool.
Did I feel ripped off?? Hellllll yes. But ultimately I was glad that my sister was able to get one as well and really, it was worth the $25 to me, so whatever. We literally saw the exact same cake plate a third time at a thrift store a couple days later for $2 again. Whatever! Mental note to stay away from “antique” shops in the future.
Anyhow, enough of my rambling, onto this pretty Blueberry Banana Cake!
Evidently I have a theme when it comes to making desserts for my mom’s birthday. I hadn’t realized it until this year, but three years in a row now I’ve made a blueberry something or other. I know that my mom prefers berry flavored desserts over chocolate, and I know she doesn’t like the seeds most berries have, so it’s a natural choice. Not that anyone is complaining, mind you. I actually think blueberries are now overtaking raspberries as my favorite berry.
The most common companion to blueberry seems to be lemon, but I wanted to try something a little different. Seeing as how blueberry banana happens to be one of my favorite smoothie combos, I figured I’d give it a shot in cake form to see if it works. Spoiler: It works! Ridiculously well actually.
How to make this Blueberry Banana Cake recipe
It’s very important to use overripe bananas for this banana cake recipe. If they’re not overripe, the flavor own’t be as strong. It really makes a huge difference! Banana’s have a very short shelf life for me, as soon as there are brown spots I consider them inedible, but you really want to wait until they are super soft and have a lot of brown on them.
You can also use frozen and thawed bananas instead if you stash them in your freezer like I do. Be sure to bring them to room temperature first though and do not drain the liquid.
I use cake flour in this recipe instead of all-purpose flour which is what I typically use. Bananas can have a tendency to make the cake more dense so the cake flour helps to counteract that a bit. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t have any though. All-purpose should work fine too.
I used fresh blueberries in this cake but you can use frozen (not thawed) as well. Either way, be sure to coat them in flour to help prevent sinking. This will sometimes happen regardless of your berry coating efforts, but thankfully the layers aren’t super tall so if there is any sinking it shouldn’t be too bad.
The banana flavor in this cake is delicious and it goes amazingly well with the blueberries!! I love this combo. The tangy cream cheese frosting was a must for this Blueberry Banana Cake recipe. It complements the cake layers perfectly well.
If you’re looking for a delicious and easy banana cake recipe, this one is for you!
Looking for more Banana Desserts?
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Nutella Banana Cake with Hazelnut Meringue
- Banana Split Cake
Notes & tips for this easy Banana Cake recipe:
- Apr 14, 2022 – Cream Cheese Frosting recipe revised to make a more stable frosting.
- Be sure to use very overripe bananas for best flavor. You can also use frozen and thawed bananas instead if you stash them in your freezer like I do. Be sure to bring them to room temperature first though and do not drain the liquid.
- Be sure to coat your blueberries in flour before folding them into the batter so that they don’t sink!
- You can use frozen blueberries instead of fresh ones, but do not thaw them first.
- You can substitute any other berry if you prefer, or leave the berries out altogether for a simple and easy banana cake.
- Alternatively, you can use chopped nuts if you prefer. Chopped walnuts would be perfect!
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.
Blueberry Banana Cake
Ingredients
Blueberry Banana Cake:
- 2 cups cake flour sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup overripe bananas mashed, approx. 2 medium
- 1/2 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen, tossed in 2 tsp cake flour
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup cream cheese 8oz, full fat, chilled, cubed
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- cornstarch or meringue powder optional
Instructions
Blueberry Banana Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds, line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside .
- Beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3mins).
- Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and mashed bananas and mix until well combined.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in blueberries, being careful not to break them.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 30mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer beat butter until pale and creamy.
- Reduce speed to low. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix on low until well blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and continue to beat on medium for 1 minute.
- Slowly add chilled cream cheese one cube at a time (about 1 tablespoon at a time). Beat well until blended and ensure no lumps of cream cheese remain.
- If needed, add cornstarch or meringue powder 1 tablespoon at a time to stiffen the frosting (I didn't but this is an option).
- Run mixer on low for a couple of minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with 2/3 cup of frosting. Repeat with remaining layers and apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake. Chill for 20mins.
- Use the remaining frosting to frost the cake, and do a rustic swirl on the sides and top with an offset spatula if desired.
- Top with fresh blueberries and thyme sprigs if desired.
Emma says
This cake was delicious! I made it for my daughters 2nd birthday and it went down extremely well with everyone there. I had made 1.5x recipe for 2×9″rounds, but they didn’t rise very high, (don’t think I added enough baking power) so I repeated. I ended up using 3 layers and an extra stand alone layer to “check it was nice” haha. Next time I think I would double the mix for 2x 9″rounds. Delish! I’ll certainly be making again! Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Emma! So happy you loved it. Thanks for your tips!
Emily says
Can I do this recipe with a different icing?? If so any recommendations??
Olivia says
Hi Emily! For sure, any vanilla based frosting would be delicious. I have a few options here, depending on how simple/complex you’d like: https://livforcake.com/category/frostings-fillings/ In order of complexity I’d recommend American, Ermine, German, Swiss meringue.
Missy says
Can you use freeze-dried blueberries in this recipe?
Olivia says
Hi Missy! For best results use fresh or frozen whole blueberries. I’m not sure how well freeze dried ones would work here.
Christy says
I made this for my niece’s wedding and it was absolutely delicious. Making it again now into cupcakes!
Olivia says
Hi Christy! I’m so happy you loved it 🙂
Lori says
Such an amazing recipe! Absolutely delicious and beautiful.
Olivia says
Hi Lori! Thank you. I’m so happy you loved it 🙂
Chloe says
This is more of a question. A friend of mine told me about this recipe. I want to make it but cupcakes! If I want to make 48 cupcakes should I change the servings to 48?!
Olivia says
Hi Chloe! The recipe as is will make 18-24 cupcakes depending on size, so I would double the recipe or change the Servings to 24 🙂
Elizabeth says
Hello Olivia, thank you for sharing your recipes! I already made this recipe twice and people loved it!
I was wondering, do you know for how long can I keep this cake in the fridge? cut and uncut?
I have read a lot of different information about cakes with cream cheese frosting and now i’m confused.
Olivia says
Hi Elizabeth! I usually recommend no longer than 2-3 days in the fridge, cut or uncut, but only because it will start to dry out if longer than that. If storing for longer I recommend freezing instead.
Sarah says
I made this cake for Easter sunday. The family that came over said it was the best banana cake they’d ever eaten and the cream cheese frosting was lovely and my family also agreed the cake was wonderful. I already want to make the cake again.
Sarah says
I made this cake for Easter. The family that came over said it was the best banana cake they ever had and my family agrees. I am making this cake again. It was wonderful.
Olivia says
Hi Sarah! So happy everyone loved it. Thanks for the feedback!
Pam says
I made this exactly as written and it was DELICIOUS! I baked the (3) 6″ rounds the day before my dinner party, and then frosted the day of. Other comments have asked whether a buttercream frosting would be better, and my advice is to make the recommended cream cheese frosting — it is phenomenal and works so well with the blueberry and banana flavors of the cake. I did find I had to bake the rounds a little longer because I used the baking strips. Just make sure to test cakes before removing from oven. I styled it as shown in the photo and got many compliments. This is a cake I will absolutely make again and will not make any modifications. Thank you for an amazing recipe for a perfect little cake!
Olivia says
Hi Pam! I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for all your tips 🙂
K says
Hi, I am planning to make this for my toddler’s birthday. I wanted to make thin white and red stripes using a cake comb to decorate the cake and add a fondant Elmo on the top. Can I do the stripes with the frosting in the recipe, or do I have to use a buttercream?
Olivia says
Hi K! You should be able to do the stripes with this frosting, but it is softer than a typical buttercream. If you like, you can use this one as a filling and then make an American buttercream for the outside.
Rene says
I made the cake using two 8″ round pans and it is AMAZING! My new favorite banana based cake (although there is only the slightest hint of banana flavor). Next time I think I’d like to try three 6″ pans instead, as mine was slightly less attractive than yours!!
One question- the banana cake I typically make, which I frost with chocolate icing and is delicious- is much more tan in color, not white like this one- and the only variation aside from a few measurements is baking soda vs baking powder. Since I prefer the white cake, would swapping baking powder for the baking soda in that recipe yield a white cake?
Thanks and again, this is definitely a new go-to recipe in our house!! YUM!!!
Olivia says
Hi Rene! Thanks for the amazing feedback! I am so happy you loved it. Baking soda and powder are not interchangeable. You need to use a lot less baking soda vs powder to get the same result.
Kylie Vo says
Hi! I want to make this for a party! Do I bake, assemble, and frost the night before and refrigerate overnight before serving? Or would I make the cake and frost the day of?
Olivia says
Hi Kylie! Either would work totally fine. If you refrigerate overnight, be sure to take it out 2-3 hours before serving so it can come to room temperature. The cake can be a bit dense when it’s cold.
Olivia says
Here are my “Bake in Advance” tips for cakes in general:
If it’s just a day in advance you can leave both the buttercream and cakes at room temp (wrapped/covered in plastic wrap). The buttercream will need to be rewhipped before use to fluff it up again. Otherwise, if making further in advance:
For the Cake: Cool the layers, double wrap in plastic wrap, freeze for up to 3 mos. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
For the Buttercream: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 week for freeze for 3 mos. Bring to room temp and rewhip before using.
Anima says
Hi dear
I tried your Mocha cake on my anniversary and everyone loved it … People asked me about the recipe and I shared your link..
Will try this one too
Thank you for the amazing and easy recipes ..
God bless you always
Olivia says
Thank you Amina! I hope you love this one as well 🙂
Joanne Minuete says
I found your recipe looking for what to do with extra bananas (Kroger subbed 3lb or an order of 3 bananas. Loved the story of the cake stand. I used to volunteer for a thrift store (their boutique area) and found that I will probably never buy at an antique store again. The antique dealers were buying from us. We had silver, whole sets of china and fine glassware and everything you could imagine at bargain prices and much more. I am waiting for my bananas to ripen and then will make the cake. Am going to use two 8″ pans and hope the cake rises well. And also will use your offset spatula technique. I have been using Wilton cake strips for a long time but they never worked well for me. But now will try soaking them longer and see if that makes a difference. Thank you for your information and read all the comments.
Olivia says
Hi Joanne! That’s exactly how it is here too — people frequent thrift stores to find things at a steal and mark them up ridiculously. Though it seems to thrift stores are catching on and significantly increasing their prices for more “valuable” items. It’s disappointing, really. My sister and I love to hunt for treasures at thrift stores (not so much antique ones 🙂 ). I hope you love this cake! It should work just fine in two 8″ rounds. It doesn’t rise a ton, but each layer should be about 1.5″ tall or so. Let me know how it turns out!
Harmony M says
Hello! I only have 1 6″ cake pan.. could I mix the batter and cook each layer individually at a time? Would the batter be able to sit for that long? Or should I aim to split into thirds? I’m trying a test run now regardless but I thought I’d ask just in case!
Olivia says
Hi Harmony! It’s best to not let the batter sit out as the chemical reaction takes place as soon as the ingredients are combined. I would recommend doing it in thirds, but that’s a bit of a pain. Let me know if you try letting the batter sit out and how it works!
Tamara says
Just a warning, I used frozen blueberries and let the batter sit while I greased pans. By the time I went to put the batter in the pans the blueberries had started freezing the batter lol
Olivia says
What?! That is crazy, lol. Good to know.
Schella says
I wanted to make this cake for my husband, but I wanted a small cake. I cut the recipe exactly in half except I added an extra 1/4 t of baking powder. It was wonderful. The banana flavor supersedes the blueberry, but the blueberries complimented the flavor. Awesome recipe.
Olivia says
Hi Schella! I’m so happy you loved it. Thank you for your feedback!
Wendy says
Hi, may I know you still use 3 of 6 inch pans?
Jamie says
Have not tasted the cake yet, but my 3 cakes are only 1” tall each. I used the 6” diameter pans and cake flour – what did I do wrong? Help.
Olivia says
Hi Jamie! Is it possible the batter was overmixed? The cakes should be closer to 2″ tall. Also, make sure your baking powder isn’t expired!
Jamie says
Thank you for your reply!!! My baking power is newer and I was so careful about not over mixing, but perhaps I did. I am thinking maybe I messed up from the beginning with the butter?…contemplating trying again.
stacey says
hi olivia,
made your champagne cake last week and loved it! would like to try this one BUT do you think it would it work with a plain vanilla buttercream as opposed to the more tart cream cheese icing?
love your photography too! talented woman!
Olivia says
Hi Stacey! Thank you so much! So happy you liked the champagne cake 🙂 I think this one would work perfectly fine with a plain vanilla buttercream. Vanilla goes with almost everything! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Stacey says
thanks for such a quick reply olivia! will do. 🙂 eyeing your carrot cake too. so hard to decide! 😉
Olivia says
Ohhh tough choice! I would go with this one though — more unique 🙂
Bolo says
Amazing and healthy recipe, everyone here liked
Olivia says
Hi Bolo! So glad everyone liked it 🙂
Carole says
Hi..I have tremors in my hands…layer cakes are tricky for me..could I bake this in a 9 by 13 pan?
Olivia says
Hi Carole! You can but I would 1.5x the recipe to make sure you have enough batter.