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Made with fresh blueberries and ripe bananas this blueberry banana cake is irresistible. It’s topped with lemon cream cheese frosting.
What do you usually do when you have ripe bananas on the counter? Make banana bread? That is what I usually do. Well, that is what I used to do before i was introduced to this delicious cake recipe.
Why You’ll Love this Cake!
Flavor Combo: I loved the combination of bananas, blueberries and just a touch of lemon!
Texture: This cake is fairly dense but very moist thanks to those ripe bananas.It was a big hit with the family and friends we shared it with.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter, I use unsalted butter but if using salted butter, use 1/2 tsp of salt.
- Sugar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar.
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Bananas, you want ripe bananas, mash before adding into cake batter.
- All Purpose Flour, unbleached is my preference
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Lemon Juice and Zest, use fresh lemon juice for best flavor.
- Milk, I typically have 2 percent on hand but you can use what you have.
- Blueberries, fresh or frozen will work.
- Almonds, sliced or slivered for garnish.
- Cream Cheese, you can use light or regular.
How to Make Blueberry Banana Cake
- Prepare Pan. Use a 9 x 13 pan and line it with parchment paper and then spraying the paper lightly with baking spray. If you are going to serve the cake straight from the pan you don’t need to line it with parchment paper, just spray well.
- Mix Batter. Mix together sugar and butter until fluffy. Add in egg whites one at a time and beat until creamy.
- Pour in vanilla and mashed bananas.
- Add in dry ingredients. Just stir until almost incorporated. Don’t over mix.
- Mix together lemon juice and milk. Pour into cake batter with the mixer running as you add it in. Mix until smooth.
- Dust blueberries with flour (I forgot to do this in the picture) and gently fold into the cake batter.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 60-70 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Start checking at 60 minutes.
- Cool in pan for about 15 minutes and then remove cake from pan by lifting up on parchment paper and allow to cool on baking rack.
- Allow butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature.
- Beat together until smooth.
- Add in vanilla, lemon zest, salt and powdered sugar.
- Frost cooled blueberry banana cake and garnish with fresh blueberries and sliced almonds.
Tips from leigh Anne
- Use very ripe bananas, they are sweeter and have better flavor.
- You can use frozen and thawed bananas if you have them in your freezer. Just bring to room temperature.
- To prevent your blueberries from sinking, coat them in flour.
- Use room temperature butter, eggs and milk. Ingredients combine easier when room temperature.
- Lining the 9 x 13 with parchment paper makes the cake easier to remove from the pan if you want to serve it on a plate.
- Don’t over mix. Mix just until ingredients are incorporated.
- This cake is delicious without the berries also. You can also substitute blueberries for raspberries or blackberries if you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to refrigerate cream cheese frosting?
It is best practice to always refrigerate cream cheese frosting. The cake does not need to be refrigerated if serving right away but any leftovers should be refrigerated. You can remove the cake from the refrigerator several hours before serving.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
I prefer to use fresh blueberries but frozen berries can be used. Dust your blueberries with flour before adding them to the batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Can I make this blueberry banana cake in round cake pans?
You will need two 9 inch cake rounds if using round cake pans.
Best way to mash bananas?
You can do it in a food processor or a blender or you can just place the bananas in a bowl and use the back of the fork to smash them to desired consistency. In this cake I prefer the bananas well blended rather than chunky.
If you love blueberries like I do, here are some yummy to try:
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Blueberry Banana Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas from about 3 bananas
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon juiced and zested (the zest is for the frosting)
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 cups blueberries washed and picked over
- extra blueberries and sliced almonds for garnish
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1 8 ounce package light cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- Pinch salt
- zest of lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, with enough paper that paper hangs over the two long sides
- Grease lightly with baking spray or butter
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer) cream the butter with the sugars
- Blend in the eggs one at a time, and whip until creamy
- Add the vanilla as well as the bananas. Mix until creamy
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt
- Stir the mixture roughly, but do not combine completely
- In a large measuring cup, mix the lemon juice with the milk. (Reserve the lemon zest for the frosting.)
- With the mixer running, slowly pour the milk into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mix until smooth.
- Dust blueberries with flour and fold into cake batter.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan
- Bake the cake for 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
- When the cake is firm and a tester comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes
- Run a knife between the cake and the short edges of the pan to help release the cake or lift out by parchment paper. Allow to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whip the butter and cream cheese together until very smooth, with no lumps remaining
- Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Add the confectioners sugar, reserved lemon zest, and salt and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth
- Spread on cooled cake
- Garnish with blueberries and sliced almonds if desired
Tips & Notes:
- Use very ripe bananas, they are sweeter and have better flavor.
- You can use frozen and thawed bananas if you have them in your freezer. Just bring to room temperature.
- To prevent your blueberries from sinking, coat them in flour.
- Lining the 9 x 13 with parchment paper makes the cake easier to remove from the pan if you want to serve it on a plate.
- Don’t overmix. Mix just until ingredients are incorporated.
- This cake is delicious without the berries also. You can also substitute blueberries for raspberries or blackberries if you prefer.
Nutrition Facts:
Kerry Chapman says
This was a great and delicious recipe
EarlyBird says
Moist and decadently delicious
Gilly says
Can you freeze it?
Leigh Anne says
I have never frozen it but I think it should freeze fine.