Grandma’s Banana Cake

If you like this recipe, please share!

Grandma’s Banana Cake recipe is homemade from scratch with ingredients you more than likely have in your pantry. A simple dusting of confectioners’ sugar finishes it off.

Pin Grandma’s Banana Cake to make later.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, an Instacart Tastemaker, as well as a member of other various affiliate programs, I earn a nominal commission if products are purchased through links at no additional charge to you.

I guess you could say we go through banana phases in my house. Sometimes when I buy them, they get devoured right away.

Other times, I’m looking for ways to use them up before they are way too ripe to use for anything. I hate wasting food.

It’s really hit or miss with my family and bananas. But when they do get too ripe, they are always happy to have some baked goodies.

Ingredients for Grandma’s Banana Cake Recipe

Most of the ingredients are pantry ingredients that you more than likely have on hand. You just need the overripe bananas.

• Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Vanilla Extract (I like Rodelle)
• Egg
• Very Ripe Bananas
• Cake Flour
• Baking Soda
• Baking Flour
• Sour Milk
• Confectioners’ Sugar

Grandma’s banana cake is no exception. About that Grandma’s… this recipe is really my Mom’s but since my kids know their Grandmother made it for them, I changed the name. So Mom’s banana cake became Grandma’s.

No harm, no foul.

You would think a cake with such a thick batter would be dense. Not so with this moist banana cake recipe from scratch. 

The crumb is soft and tender.

If you’ve read through the recipe, you’ll see it calls for sour milk. You may be thinking…

What’s the difference between sour milk and buttermilk?

At first, you may think sour milk is bad, or spoiled, milk. Maybe you remember your Mom saying, “that milk is sour”.  That’s not the type of sour milk used here. In a nutshell, it’s like buttermilk without having to buy a whole carton. Using buttermilk will yield a bit of a different taste in this cake. 

Sour milk for this recipe is easily made by adding lemon juice to milk. The exact instructions are in the notes on the recipe.

What if I don’t have cake flour?

This recipe also uses cake flour. I did not have enough in my box so I set out to substitute it. 

It’s easy to do and if you bake a lot, you have the ingredients. To substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour you need flour and cornstarch. The substitution instructions are on the recipe card for convenience.

Tips, Tricks, and Substitutions

Don’t let the fact you don’t have cake flour keep you from making this recipe for banana cake.

It’s easy to substitute for cake flour and here’s how: for 1 ½ cups of cake flour measure 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and remove 3 tablespoons. Place in a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Using a wire whisk, stirring to combine and fluff. It’s ready to use.

You can mix up this recipe by adding finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter.

Test the cake for doneness by using a toothpick

More Banana Recipes for Overripe Bananas!

• Easy Banana Nut Muffins
• Mom’s Banana Bread
• Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
• Banana Spice Waffles
• Apple Banana Streusel Bread

Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a 5-star review on the recipe card below.

Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe

Grandma’s Banana Cake

Grandma's banana cake recipe is homemade from scratch with ingredients you more than likely have in your pantry. A simple dusting of confectioners' sugar finishes it off.

4.75 from 4 votes

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Desserts and Sweets

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bananas, cake, dessert, Sweets

Servings: 9

Author: Ellen Folkman

Equipment

• 8×8 square pan
• Whisk
• Mixing Bowls
• Cake Tester

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup butter softened
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2 very ripe bananas mashed
• 1 ½ cups cake flour see note on how to substitute if you don’t have any!
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons sour milk see notes
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting cooled banana cake

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray an 8-inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray with flour, like Baker's Joy.
• In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a second bowl beat together butter, sugar, and vanilla extract, until light and fluffy (approximately 3 – 5 minutes). Then add the egg and the mashed bananas beating to mix.
• To the butter mixture, add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour milk, starting on low, beat until incorporated, then beat on medium-high until smooth.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Let cool completely before dusting with confectioners' sugar.

Recipe Notes

To make a cake flour substitute: For 1 1/2 cups of cake flour measure 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and remove 3 tablespoons. Place in a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Using a wire whisk, stir to combine and fluff. It’s ready to use.

To make sour milk: In a ramekin or other small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons 2% milk and 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice. Let stand for 10 minutes.