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Home / Recipes
1 hour 5 minutes
4.71 from 17 votes
27 Comments

Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake

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  • 208
by: Joanna Cismaru

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake is super moist, delicious and your new favorite dessert. Filled with an easy and tasty cream cheese filling, and iced with the best cream cheese icing, this banana cake is simply divine! Snack time just got a lot more interesting!

a slice of Cream Cheese Filled Cake on a plate with fork and banana slices

Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake

Banana bread is the most common “dessert” I make at my house. I consider it a dessert, but really we mostly have it for breakfast with our coffee or late at night when we need a snack or have a sweet tooth.

Today I had a strong craving for that oh so comforting banana bread, but with a richer dessert twist in a cake form. Now I am a fiend for a good cream cheese icing, I almost consider carrot cake and red velvet a vehicle for the stuff. So I thought I’d really make this banana cake decadent by incorporating both cream cheese icing and filing.

Banana Cake?

All I happened to have handy was a bundt pan, so necessity required some creativity. Just goes to show that banana cake doesn’t have to be made in a loaf pan at all and works perfectly well in an unconventional shape. So with that in mind I decided to whip up an easy recipe that doesn’t require any specialized pans or mixers. So get ready to enjoy your new favorite dessert. Don’t worry, I promise not to judge if this also becomes your new favorite snack.

process shots for making Cream Cheese Filled Cake

Ingredients in Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake

Banana cake batter
  • Bananas – We want very ripe bananas, just like you would use for banana bread. They are super sweet and best for baking.
  • Buttermilk – We want to use buttermilk as it has a nice tang, if you don’t have any on hand feel free to use regular milk.
  • Vegetable oil – Something mild is flavorless is what we’re looking for. This is the key to getting a moist rich cake.
  • Eggs – Our binding agent for this dessert.
  • Vanilla – I used vanilla extract for this recipe but if you have vanilla beans feel free to include them. Vanilla is key to rounding out our flavor in this dish.
  • Sugar – White granulated and brown are both needed for this cake base.
  • Flour – All purpose flour.
  • Salt – Don’t forget the salt in your baked goods! Without it your flavor will fall flat.
  • Leavening – I used baking soda and baking powder. If you don’t have one or the other just keep in mind that one teaspoon of baking soda equals 2 – 3 teaspoons of baking powder.
Cream cheese filling
  • Cream cheese – Softened at room  temperature.
  • Sugar – Granulated is needed for this rich filling. Feel free to cut back on this if you prefer a less sweet dessert.
  • Flour – All purpose again.
  • Egg – Just one egg to bind this filling together as it bakes.
  • Vanilla – Plain ole’ vanilla extract is fine.
Cream cheese icing
  • Cream cheese – Softened at room temperature.
  • Butter – Unsalted is a key, we want to control the sodium level of this dessert.
  • Powdered sugar – This is the sugar to use for these types of fillings or icings.
  • Vanilla extract – Again needed for that well rounded flavor.
  • Salt – Don’t forget the salt! every layer needs seasoning.
process shots for making Cream Cheese Filled Cake

How To Make Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake

Detailed instructions and measurements can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

  • Prepare your oven: Preheat oven to 350 F degrees, spray your bundt pan with cooking spray in the meantime.
  • Prepare wet ingredients: Add the ripe bananas to a medium size bowl and mash them using a fork or a potato masher. To it add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and the sugar. Whisk until combined.
  • Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together until well combined.
  • Incorporate wet with dry: Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients. With a spatula mix until combined. Do not over-mix.
  • Combine filling: In a medium size bowl, add all the cream cheese filling ingredients and whisk until smooth. Usually I like to use a spatula to soften the cream cheese further, this makes it easier to whisk everything by hand.
  • Combine cake with filling: Pour about 2/3 of the cake batter to the prepared bundt pan. Evenly spoon or pour the cream cheese filling over the cake batter, then pour the remaining cake batter over the cream cheese filling. Smooth the top lightly with a spatula. Place the bundt pan in the oven and bake on middle rack of the oven for 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
  • Prepare the icing: Prepare the cream cheese icing. Add the cream cheese and butter to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Mix in the remaining ingredients and continue whisking until smooth. Incorporate more milk, a tbsp at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency
  • Finish the dessert: Take the cake out of the oven and let it sit in the bundt pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife along the sides of the cake if necessary, then flip the cake over onto a cake tray. Let the cake cool completely before icing.
cutting into a banana cake covered in cream cheese icing

Tips For Making The Best Banana Cake

  • Be sure to use very ripe bananas for this banana cake, ones that are completely brown for this recipe.
  • I like my cream cheese icing as thick as possible, hold off on incorporating more liquid to achieve this consistency.
  • If you have super ripe bananas and want to make this banana cake at a later date, feel free to freeze them with the peels removed till then.
  • Let the bananas stay a little chunky when mashing for this recipe, we don’t want any part of this batter to be over mixed.
a slice of Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake on a white plate

Storing Left Over Cream Cheese Icing And Cake

As our filling and icing contain dairy, we want to refrigerate this treat. This method will allow the treat to last 3 – 4 days. If you’d prefer to freeze it be sure to wrap the cake in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 months, with the icing stored separately. To thaw the cake you’ll want to keep it wrapped in foil for 3 hours as it thaws on the counter.

Craving More Banana Desserts? Try These:

  • Banana Buzz Scones
  • The Perfect Banana Muffins
  • Banana Upside Down Cake
  • Easy Banana Bread
  • Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
  • Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread
  • Banana Bread French Toast with Caramelized Bananas

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side view shot of a slice of banana cake with a bite missing

Simple Banana Cake

4.71 from 17 votes
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 1 hr 5 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 16
Print Pin Rate
This Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake is super moist, delicious and your new favorite dessert. Filled with an easy and tasty cream cheese filling, and iced with the best cream cheese icing, this banana cake is simply divine! Snack time just got a lot more interesting!

Ingredients

Cake Batter

  • 3 large bananas very ripe
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sugar granulated
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 6 ounce cream cheese softened at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sugar granulated
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Icing

  • 8 ounce cream cheese at room temperature, I recommend Philadelphia
  • 6 tablespoon butter unsalted, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Cake Batter

  • Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a bundt cake pan generously with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Add the ripe bananas to a medium size bowl and mash them using a fork or a potato masher. To it add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and the sugar. Whisk until combined.
  • In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together until well combined.
  • Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients. With a spatula mix until combined. Do not over-mix.

Cream Cheese Filling

  • In a medium size bowl, add all the cream cheese filling ingredients and whisk until smooth. Usually I like to use a spatula to soften the cream cheese further, this makes it easier to whisk everything by hand. Alternatively, you could use a hand mixer to mix everything.
  • Pour about 2/3 of the cake batter to the prepared bundt pan. Evenly spoon or pour the cream cheese filling over the cake batter, then pour the remaining cake batter over the cream cheese filling. Smooth the top lightly with a spatula
  • Place the bundt pan in the oven and bake on middle rack of the oven for 40 minutes to about an hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Icing

  • While the cake is baking, prepare the cream cheese icing. Add the cream cheese and butter to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and continue whisking until smooth. Add more milk, a tbsp at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency. I prefer it a bit thicker for this cake.
  • Take the cake out of the oven and let it sit in the bundt pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife along the sides of the cake if necessary, then flip the cake over onto a cake tray. Let the cake cool completely before icing.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. The secret to a moist banana cake is the ripe bananas, so please make sure your bananas are super ripe before using them in a banana cake or bread.
  2. As our filling and icing contain dairy, we want to refrigerate this treat. This method will allow the treat to last 3 – 4 days. If you’d prefer to freeze it be sure to wrap the cake in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 months, with the icing stored separately. To thaw the cake you’ll want to keep it wrapped in foil for 3 hours as it thaws on the counter.
  3. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 394kcal (20%)Carbohydrates: 59g (20%)Protein: 7g (14%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Cholesterol: 73mg (24%)Sodium: 374mg (16%)Potassium: 297mg (8%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 36g (40%)Vitamin A: 390IU (8%)Vitamin C: 2.2mg (3%)Calcium: 108mg (11%)Iron: 1.6mg (9%)
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:American
Keyword:bananas, cake, dessert
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 208
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Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. Dr. Grandma Jeannie says

    April 15, 2020 at 8:18 pm

    Just a suggestion, but you might want to review your instructions for the cake batter. As written, they do not make much sense, and use an extra bowl. Perhaps Step 3 should be omitted. The only difference I see between Steps 3 & 4 is that Step 3 uses a larger bowl and omits the salt.
    Thanks for the recipes. You do a great job.

    Reply
    • jo says

      April 16, 2020 at 3:52 pm

      You’re correct, that’s been fixed. Thanks!

      Reply
  2. Erica says

    June 15, 2019 at 5:06 pm

    Can I bake this in 9×13 pan? Thank you!! Looks yummy!!!

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      June 17, 2019 at 10:25 am

      Yes you can! It will come out a little thinner but still tasty.

      Reply
  3. Cathe says

    February 27, 2019 at 11:58 am

    5 stars
    Made this cake for my painting club board meeting and it was a hit with everyone. My granddaughter thought it was delicious and loved the filling and icing. Will definitely be making this cake again. I love getting your recipes everyday. I look forward to see what you will post.

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      February 27, 2019 at 12:14 pm

      Aw, thank you, Cathe! I appreciate your kind message and I’m glad you guys enjoyed the cake! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Julia says

    January 13, 2019 at 10:03 am

    I love this cake. Although the time baking is like 20 min more than what the recipe calls for. ???

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      January 14, 2019 at 11:37 am

      Every oven is different, 45 minutes was perfect for us!

      Reply
  5. Ramona says

    August 28, 2018 at 7:01 am

    Hi,

    This recipe looks amazing. To make this in a 9X5 loaf pan, would I just cut the ingredients in half?

    Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      August 28, 2018 at 9:56 am

      Do 2/3 of the recipe to fit your pan.

      Reply
  6. Arlene Michelle says

    June 1, 2018 at 8:03 pm

    5 stars
    Anyway, I did make the cake; I found that 40 minutes was sufficient baking time; even at that it started to get a little dark, but the thick frosting covered it up. Came out great; I decided to put some mini chocolate chips into the filling. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Arlene Michelle says

    May 30, 2018 at 7:38 pm

    You’ve got sugar in both steps 2 & 3. Which is it?

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      May 31, 2018 at 11:09 am

      I only see sugar mentioned in step 2!

      Reply
  8. Ruth Pedrie says

    May 28, 2018 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    I saw this cake recipe on Friday morning and it looked SO good I decided to make it for a crawfish party I was attending on Saturday. The icing made a large amount and covered the cake nicely and was so delicious. It was so popular (especially to the men) that it was gone before I knew it. Easy to make and well worth the time and effort. You won’t be disappointed. This will definitely be my “go to” cake.

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      May 28, 2018 at 5:23 pm

      We always like to make lots of icing, it’s our favorite part 🙂 Thanks for the great review!

      Reply
  9. Craig says

    May 25, 2018 at 9:16 am

    Just received this recipe and will make it for the holiday. Every recipe I’ve made from Jo is delicious!

    Reply
  10. Agomonee says

    March 1, 2014 at 1:55 pm

    4 stars
    Thanks a ton. I baked it with whatever I had and hence skipped the vanilla essence. But it still tastes awesome. Drinking my evening tea with a piece of banana cake topped with Butterscotch topping and loving every bit of it!!

    Reply
    • jo says

      March 1, 2014 at 6:35 pm

      Enjoying the simple things in life, I love it!

      Reply
  11. Diana says

    November 24, 2013 at 3:51 pm

    You had me at “simple”!!

    Reply
    • jo says

      November 24, 2013 at 8:29 pm

      LOL my favorite word!

      Reply
      • ann says

        October 27, 2015 at 7:18 am

        5 stars
        I made this and it was so delicious. Thank you!

  12. Judy says

    October 25, 2013 at 4:32 pm

    She is absolutely beautiful. No other word for her. How old is she?

    Reply
    • jo says

      October 26, 2013 at 12:17 am

      Thanks Judy, she’s 9 1/2 years old, though in my eyes she’s still my puppy!

      Reply
  13. Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says

    June 1, 2013 at 11:38 pm

    That looks amazing! Will be putting on my to-bake list. Pinning!

    Reply
  14. Lisa says

    May 24, 2013 at 12:48 pm

    I always have an abundance of bananas that are ready to be made into something yummy. We go from eating tons of them a week to barely three or four so on those weeks, this cake will be added to the list of “what to use those for!”

    Reply
  15. Karen says

    May 24, 2013 at 2:04 am

    What a beautiful pup! And I am going to make this banana cake this weekend, looks wonderful!

    Reply
    • jo says

      May 24, 2013 at 4:12 am

      Thanks Karen, she’s 9 years old now but she’ll always be a pup to me. 🙂

      Reply

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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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