This Strawberry Banana Cake is the perfect snacking cake; it's moist, perfectly spiced, filled with mashed bananas and strawberry chunks, then topped with a delicious strawberry cream cheese frosting!
If you're a lover of banana cakes, try this spring/summer version that is filled with chunks of fresh strawberries and topped with a delicious strawberry cream cheese frosting. This Strawberry Banana Cake is adapted from my Spiced Banana Cake, but with a twist.
It's the kind of small batch cake that you make when you want something homemade but not fussy. For more easy banana cakes, try my Banana Biscoff Cake, Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting, Peanut Butter Banana Cake, Brown Butter Banana Cake, and Banana Caramel Cake.
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Omg who doesn't love strawberry banana combo? It was so yummy in a cake ! Recipe was super easy to follow and I want to make all the time now! Love the icing too!
-Sabrina
♥ Why You'll Love This Strawberry Banana Cake
- Super soft and moist thanks to ripe bananas and buttermilk
- Fresh strawberries throughout add little bursts of flavor
- Tangy cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness
- Small-batch friendly, so it's perfect when you don't want leftovers for days
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Ripe bananas: The riper, the better, since this adds natural sweetness and moisture
- Fresh strawberries: I like to use them while in season, and make sure they're sweet and fresh.
- Buttermilk: Helps create a tender, soft crumb. For a quick alternative, use whole milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
- Butter + oil: Butter adds flavor, oil keeps the cake moist for days
- Cream cheese: Gives the frosting that tangy contrast to the sweet cake
- Freeze-dried strawberries: For the strawberry flavor in the frosting. Freeze-dried strawberries gives the best strawberry flavor without having to puree or use fresh strawberries.
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
Frozen strawberries - You can use frozen strawberries. Don't thaw them, and make sure to toss them in flour. You may need to bake for a few minutes longer.
Raspberries - Use fresh berries in the cake and switch the frosting to a freeze-dried raspberry frosting.
Frosting - Leave out the strawberries in the frosting and opt for a plain cream cheese frosting.
Sheet cake - double the ingredients and make a sheet cake. Use my Banana Sheet Cake recipe for ingredient quantities.
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. Lastly, fold in the strawberries until combined.
🎩Trick: Toss your chopped strawberries in a little flour before folding them into the batter. This helps keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Step 2
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 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 30 minutes.
Step 3
Pulse the freeze dried strawberries in a food processor or a nutri-bullet until completely powdery.
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. Once all incorporated and smooth, add the freeze fried strawberries and beat until completely combined.
Once cake is completely cooled, frost.
Step 4
Frost the cake, decorate, then slice and enjoy!
💬 FAQ
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.
Instead of buttermilk, you can use whole milk, with a ½ tablespoon of vinegar added. Let sit for 5 minutes to curdle.
This usually happens if they weren't coated in flour or the batter was too thin.
💡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.
Coat strawberries: Toss the strawberries in a tablespoon of flour. This helps them from sinking to the bottom.
Don't over mix: Once the flour is incorporated, stop mixing. Fold in the bananas and strawberries.
Don't over bake: Start checking at 30 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: You can store unfrosted cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
Refrigerator: Store cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Freezer: You can freeze the cake once wrapped tightly for several months. To thaw, let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
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📖 Recipe Card
Strawberry Banana Cake
Ingredients
Strawberry Banana Cake
- 1 large banana, very ripe see notes
- 6 tablespoon (84 g) unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (66 g) brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3 tablespoon neutral oil vegetable, canola, avocado, etc.
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk see notes
- 1½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
Strawberry 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
- ½ cup Free-dried strawberry slices
Instructions
Strawberry Banana Cake
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Mash the banana, chop the strawberries.Coat strawberries: Toss the strawberries in a tablespoon of flour and set them aside (this helps them from sinking to the bottom).1 large banana, very ripe, 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon, mix and set aside.1½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 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) granulated sugar, ⅓ cup (66 g) brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 3 tablespoon neutral oil, ½ cup buttermilk, 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Combine: Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Add strawberries: using a spatula, fold in the strawberries.
- Pour & Bake: Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 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 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep strawberry: Pulse the freeze dried strawberries in a food processor or a nutri-bullet until completely powdery.½ cup Free-dried strawberry slices
- 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. Once all incorporated and smooth, add the freeze fried strawberries and beat until completely combined.6 oz. cream cheese, cold, 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1½ cups powdered sugar
- Frost: Once cake is completely cooled, frost.
Omg who doesn’t love strawberry banana combo? It was so yummy in a cake ! Recipe was super easy to follow and I want to make all the time now! Love the icing too!
The icing is my favorite! Love the strawberry. Thank you for trying it out. 🙂