Best Banana Pecan Cake
This is simply the best banana pecan cake! Freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest lend a fruity flavor, while pecans add crunch to this moist and delicious cake. The cream cheese frosting brings this over the top! It’s great as a breakfast or snack cake!
I love baking with Bananas. The fact that I have many recipes here that use bananas proves how much I love this amazing fruit. It just adds so much flavor and moisture to any baked good.
I love seeing the brown speckles in banana bread. I often buy bananas so that I can make banana bread! Yes, I am truly bananas over bananas!
I already have a delicious, tried-and-tested recipe for Banana Bread on this blog, which has received many excellent reviews from our readers.
I thought of adapting that same recipe to make a Banana Cake. It would have the same citrus flavor as freshly squeezed orange juice, with grated zest added for that extra tang and yummy taste.
As expected, the cake was moist and delightful. Since it is a cake, I also decided to add some delicious frosting. This truly enhances the already delectable cake.
I also like adding toasted pecans on top of the cake – either whole ones just added on each slice or when I’m feeling indulgent – I sprinkle a lot more!
So, you can imagine how your taste buds will sing joyfully when they savor each delicious mouthful. Hope you try this truly tasty cake soon!
INGREDIENTS for BEST BANANA PECAN CAKE
- all-purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Bananas (use super-ripe Bananas with dark spots on its skin)
- Lemon Juice and zest (fresh Orange juice plus zest may be used instead)
- Butter
- Brown sugar (can use white, too, and cake will be paler in color)
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Buttermilk
- Pecans, chopped
*You can use a food processor to mash the bananas.
*You can also use regular white sugar (cake is slightly darker if brown sugar is used).
For the frosting (The best and yummiest frosting!)
- Butter (softened)
- Cream cheese (softened and get a good quality one)
- Confectioners or Icing Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
How to Make the BEST BANANA PECAN CAKE
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Mix the mashed bananas with the orange juice and zest in a separate bowl. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Stir in the banana-orange mixture. On low speed, alternately add the flour and the buttermilk to the mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
Gently fold in the nuts. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat the softened butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. On low speed, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and continue until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in the Vanilla extract. Spread evenly on top of the cooled cake. Place 1 or 2 whole pecans on each slice. Enjoy!
It’s great with or without frosting! Enjoy!
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Best Banana Pecan Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose Flour
- 1½ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 4 large very ripe Bananas, mashed*
- 3 tbsp Lemon Juice and zest of 1 Lemon, or 4 Tablespoons fresh Orange juice plus zest of 1 Orange
- 3/4 cup unsalted Butter, softened
- 1½ cups brown Sugar, can use white, too but the cake will be paler in color
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 tsps Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1 cup Pecans, chopped
For the frosting
- ½ cup unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 3½ cups Confectioners or Icing Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the orange juice and zest. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs one at a time then add the vanilla extract.
- Stir in the banana-orange mixture.
- On low speed, alternately add the flour and the buttermilk to the mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Gently fold in the nuts.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the frosting
- Using an electric mixer, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. On low speed, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and continue until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in the Vanilla extract. Spread evenly on top of the cooled cake. Place 1 or 2 whole pecans on each slice. Enjoy!
Notes
You can also use regular white sugar (cake is slightly darker if brown sugar is used).
Nutrition
Last updated on July 17th, 2024 at 09:53 pm
I think I just messed up my cake. It’s in the oven now I just realized I put baking powder instead of baking soda is this going to ruin it. I’m so upset at myself!
No, I don’t think it should. Sorry for late response, just seeing this. We’ve been having a busy summer with guests coming in and out. Hope it turned out well.
This cake is scrumptious, it is delicious I could eat the whole cake.
I am so happy to know this! My daughter loves this cake so I am glad you enjoyed this, too. Thank you for letting us know.
J’ai essayé deux versions et toutes les deux étaient excellentes.
1). J’ai remplacer la vanille par de l’essence d’érable et au lieu du sucre brun, j’ai mis du sucre d’érable.
2) Une autre fois, j’ai ajouté une bonne poignée de noix de coco en flocons et pour le lait de beurre (buttermilk) , j’ai ajouté un peu de jus d’ananas.
Glad you enjoyed this! Thank You!