This moist Spiced Banana Cake is baked in an 8x8 pan, making it the perfect cozy snacking cake when you don't need a full sheet cake. It's soft, fluffy, and filled with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, with just the right amount of sweetness. Top it with cream cheese frosting and homemade salted caramel sauce for something a little extra special.
This spiced banana cake has been a longtime favorite here on the blog, and for good reason. It's one of those keeper recipes that readers come back to again and again because it's soft, moist, and full of cozy warm spices. If you love baking with overripe bananas, this one deserves a permanent spot in your recipe box.
If banana cakes are your thing, you'll also love my Strawberry Banana Cake and Banana Biscoff Cake (baked in a 9x13 pan if you're looking for something larger). I have plenty of banana recipes around here, but this spiced version continues to be one of the top reader favorites.
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So much flavor and very moist cake. I appreciate the tips on how to ripen the bananas quickly because I had one very ripe banana, but the rest were still yellow. 10/10 recipe.
-Maria S.
♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Moist and tender: This spiced banana cake stays incredibly moist thanks to oil, ripe bananas, and buttermilk. Every bite is soft with a perfectly tender crumb.
Perfect 8x8 size: If you love small-batch baking, this cake is made in an 8x8 pan, which is ideal for a cozy weekend bake or serving a small crowd without leftovers taking over your kitchen.
Warm and flavorful: The combination of ripe bananas, cozy spices, and an optional caramel drizzle creates layers of comforting flavor in every slice. If you love cozy spices, try my Caramel Spice Cake!
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Spiced Banana Cake
- Banana: Use very ripe bananas. For this recipe I used two large ripe banana.
- Flour: All purpose flour gives this cake the best crumb.
- Spices: I use a variety of spices in this cake, and if there is one you don't like, you can omit.
- Leaveners: Both baking powder and baking soda are used.
- Salt: Always needed in cake.
- Butter: I use melted butter.
- Sugar: Both brown and granulated sugar are used. You can use dark or light brown sugar.
- Oil: Vegetable or any neutral oil.
- Eggs: Room temperature, large eggs.
- Buttermilk: If you don't have any buttermilk, you can make your own by adding ½ tablespoon of vinegar to the milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes before using.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese: Full-fat block cream cheese. Make sure it's cold out of the fridge.
- Butter: Softened, unsalted butter.
- Vanilla & salt: Both are for flavor and to compliment sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: To sweeten and create a frosting texture.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
square 8x8 pan
I love this pan because it's durable, easy to clean, and the aluminized steel creates an even bake.
✨ Variations & Substitutions
No buttermilk - Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar (or lemon juice) to regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
Make it in a 9x13 pan: If you'd prefer a larger cake made in a 9x13 baking sheet, try my Banana Biscoff Cake.
Layer cake: Turn this into a layered cake by using my Banana Caramel Cake.
Add nuts: Fold in ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for added texture.
Add chocolate chips: Stir in ½ cup chocolate chips.
Skip the caramel: The caramel sauce is optional.
Frosting: Switch up the frosting and use a Chocolate Frosting, Peanut Butter Frosting, or an Espresso Frosting.
Boost the spice: Add a pinch of cardamom for deeper warm spice flavor.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
Make the batter - In a large bowl, add the slightly cooled melted butter and sugars and mix until well combined. Then add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract and mix. Then add the mashed bananas and buttermilk, and mix until incorporated. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
💡 Hint: Make sure to line your baking pan with parchment paper so that it's easy to take the cake out of the pan once cooled.
Step 2
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Depending on your oven, it could take more or less time. If you feel like the top is browning too much, cover it loosely with foil. Start checking at 25 minutes.
Step 3
In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until combined and smooth, for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined, then add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until each addition is incorporated, and beat for a few minutes until it's very smooth.
Step 4
Once cake is completely cooled, frost, and drizzle caramel sauce if desired.
💬 FAQ
Yes. Use my Banana Biscoff Cake recipe for detailed instructions, as the ingredient quantities are a little different and the baking time will be longer.
Yes. Wrap the cooled (unfrosted) cake tightly in saran wrap, then place in a Ziploc bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
If you don't have any ripe bananas but want to make this recipe, bake bananas on a lined baking sheet at 350 degrees F. for about 15 minutes until the peels are black.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Don't over bake - Start checking at 25-28 minutes.
Cool completely - Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
Ripe bananas - If you don't have any ripe bananas but want to make this recipe, bake bananas on a lined baking sheet at 350 degrees F. for about 15 minutes until the peels are black.
Buttermilk - Instead of buttermilk, you can use whole milk, with a ½ tablespoon of vinegar added. Let sit for 5 minutes to curdle.
❄ Storage
Room temperature: This cake can be stored unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature.
Refrigerator: Once frosted, the cake must be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Let come to room temperature before eating.
Freezer: Unfrosted, you can wrap the cake in saran wrap, then aluminum foil and place in the freezer for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge over night.
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📖 Recipe Card
Spiced Banana Cake
Ingredients
Spiced Banana Cake
- 2 (228 g) very ripe large bananas (about 1 cup, mashed) see notes
- 6 tablespoon (84 g) unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk see notes
- 1½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon cinnamon see notes
- ½ teaspoon all spice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz. cream cheese, cold block, full fat
- 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
Optional Topping
Instructions
Spiced Banana Cake
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.Mash the bananas very well.2 (228 g) very ripe large bananas
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices and mix well.1½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon all spice, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cloves
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the slightly cooled melted butter and sugars and mix until well combined. Then add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract and mix. Then add the mashed bananas and buttermilk, and mix until incorporated.6 tablespoon (84 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 3 tablespoon vegetable oil, ½ cup buttermilk, 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Combine: Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Pour & Bake: Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Depending on your oven, it could take more or less time. If you feel like the top is browning too much, cover it loosely with foil. Start checking at 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until combined and smooth, for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined, then add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until each addition is incorporated, and beat for a few minutes until it's very smooth.6 oz. cream cheese, cold, 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1½ cups powdered sugar
- Frost: Once cake is completely cooled, frost, and drizzle caramel sauce if desired.caramel sauce
Step 1 mentioned straw errors however they are not in the ingredients?
Apologies for that. This recipe is based off my Strawberry Banana Cake recipe and I must have missed removing the strawberries from the recipe card. I got that updated. Thank you for pointing that out! 😊
I made this before Christmas and it was SO delicious! Will definitely make again.
Thank you for the review, Keri! I'm so glad you liked the cake. 🙂
This recipe was easy and delicious. It was all gone in one day. That frosting was dreamy!
Thank you for the wonderful review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
I made this for a first day of fall party that I was going to and everyone loved it. Several people asked for the recipe. Love this cake.
Thank you for the lovely review, Natalie! I'm so happy you enjoyed the cake. 🙂
Cake was very moist and needed a bit more spice. However the instructions on the cake mix were confusing.
Thank you for the comment, Mark. The great thing about this cake is that you can customize the spices to your liking. 🙂 What instructions were unclear or confusing? I've updated the recipe card for a little more clarity on how to add the dry and wet ingredients. If there was something else that was confusing, please let me know and I'll get that changed. Thank you again for the feedback.
So much flavor and very moist cake. I appreciate the tips on how to ripen the bananas quickly because I had one very ripe banana, but the rest were still yellow. 10/10 recipe.
Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Maria! I love the tip on ripening bananas! I buy lots of bananas and sometimes I don't like to wait for them to ripen. 🙂