The Ultimate Moist Sour Cream Banana Cake Recipe with Creamy Vanilla Frosting
Prepare to fall in love with this exceptionally soft and tender Sour Cream Banana Cake. This recipe is not only quick and easy to make but also incredibly versatile, serving equally well as a comforting banana bread for a simple snack or transforming into a decadent dessert when generously topped with our luscious vanilla sour cream frosting. The secret to its unparalleled moist texture and rich, tangy flavor lies in one star ingredient: full-fat sour cream. It works wonders by infusing the cake with incredible moisture and a subtle tang, while also forming the foundation for a thick, velvety, and irresistibly creamy vanilla frosting.
If you’re seeking an even richer banana cake experience and don’t mind getting out your electric mixer for a slightly more involved process, you might also enjoy our banana cake made with milk and butter, which is typically crowned with a delightful peanut butter cream cheese frosting. However, for a straightforward yet utterly delicious option that consistently delivers, this sour cream banana cake is your go-to recipe.
Table of Contents
- The Magic of Ingredients and Essential Substitutions
- Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make this Irresistible Sour Cream Banana Cake
- Precision Matters: Measuring Ingredients for Baking Success
- Storage and Freezing Tips for Your Delicious Banana Cake
- Expert Baking Tips for a Perfect Sour Cream Banana Cake
- Frequently Asked Questions About Sour Cream Banana Cake
- Explore More Banana Cake Recipes
The Magic of Ingredients and Essential Substitutions
Crafting the perfect banana cake starts with understanding the role of each ingredient. Below is a detailed look at the key components for both the cake and its luxurious frosting, along with recommended substitutions to ensure your baking success. For precise measurements and quantities, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card located at the end of this post.
- Bananas – The Ripeness is Key: For the most intense, naturally sweet banana flavor and a wonderfully moist cake, it’s absolutely crucial to use overly ripe bananas. You’ll want them to be covered in prominent brown spots, as this indicates their starches have converted to sugars, making them incredibly flavorful and easy to mash into a smooth consistency. Unripe bananas will yield a less flavorful and potentially drier cake. If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough, you can speed up the process by baking them in their peels at 300°F (150°C) for 15-30 minutes until they turn black and soft.
- Sour Cream – The Moisture Maestro: This is the hero ingredient! Full-fat sour cream is essential for achieving the best texture, unparalleled moistness, and a rich, tangy depth of flavor in both the cake and the frosting. Look for sour cream with a milk fat content of 14-18%. For an extra thick and creamy frosting, I highly recommend using 18% milk fat sour cream. I have not tested this recipe with light sour cream or yogurt, as their lower fat content can significantly alter the texture and moisture balance, and likely won’t produce the same decadent results. The full-fat variety provides the necessary richness and structure.
- Oil – For Supreme Moistness: I typically use neutral-flavored vegetable or canola oil for this recipe, as they allow the banana and sour cream flavors to shine. However, lighter olive oil or avocado oil can also be used. The benefit of using oil over butter in many cake recipes is that oil stays liquid at room temperature, contributing to a consistently moist and tender crumb that stays soft for longer. Butter, on the other hand, can solidify, making cakes feel denser or drier once cooled.
- Sugars – A Balanced Sweetness: This recipe expertly balances the sweetness with a combination of granulated and light brown sugar. Granulated sugar provides a clean sweetness, while light brown sugar adds a deeper, molasses-rich flavor and extra moisture, contributing to the cake’s tender texture. I haven’t tested this recipe with alternative sweeteners, as they often behave differently in baking and could affect the cake’s structure and moisture levels. The specific ratio of these two sugars is designed to complement the tangy sour cream and sweet bananas perfectly.
- All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt: These foundational ingredients work together to give the cake its structure and rise. All-purpose flour provides the base, baking soda acts as a leavening agent activated by the acidic sour cream to create a light and fluffy crumb, and salt enhances all the flavors, balancing the sweetness.
- Egg and Vanilla Extract: The large egg adds structure, richness, and binds the ingredients together, contributing to a tender crumb. Vanilla extract, or even better, vanilla bean paste for an intensified flavor, complements the banana and sour cream beautifully, adding a warm, aromatic note to both the cake and the frosting.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make this Irresistible Sour Cream Banana Cake
Creating this delicious Sour Cream Banana Cake is a straightforward process, designed for bakers of all skill levels. Below you’ll find a detailed overview of each step, complete with helpful photos, to guide you through making both the cake and its luscious frosting. For a comprehensive list of ingredients and precise quantities, please refer to the full recipe card at the conclusion of this post.
Precision Matters: Measuring Ingredients for Baking Success
Baking is often described as a science, and nowhere is this more true than when it comes to measuring ingredients. While US cup measurements are conveniently provided in the recipe card for this Sour Cream Banana Cake, for optimal accuracy and consistent results, especially in baking, we strongly recommend using weight measurements. Grams (g) are provided for most dry ingredients, and milliliters (ml) for liquid ingredients, alongside the cup measurements.
Using a kitchen scale to weigh your flour, sugars, and sour cream (where specified in grams) eliminates common measurement errors associated with packing or scooping cups incorrectly. A small difference in flour quantity, for example, can significantly impact the final texture of your cake, potentially making it dry or dense. For liquids, a liquid measuring cup (with a spout and clear markings at eye level) will provide greater accuracy than dry measuring cups. Smaller quantities of potent ingredients like baking soda, salt, and extracts are best measured with standard measuring teaspoons and tablespoons, ensuring you don’t overwhelm or underflavor your creation. Embracing these precise measuring techniques will elevate your baking and help you achieve a consistently perfect Sour Cream Banana Cake every time.
Storage and Freezing Tips for Your Delicious Banana Cake
Once you’ve baked this delightful Sour Cream Banana Cake, you’ll want to ensure it stays fresh and delicious for as long as possible. Here’s how to properly store and even freeze your cake:
- Room Temperature Storage (Unfrosted): If you plan to enjoy the cake plain or frost it just before serving, the unfrosted cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. Ensure it’s completely cooled before placing it in the container to prevent condensation and sogginess.
- Refrigerate (Frosted Cake): Due to the dairy-based sour cream frosting, the frosted cake must be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will keep it fresh and moist for 5-7 days. For the best flavor and texture, allow slices to come to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Freezing (Unfrosted Cake for Longer Storage): To extend the life of your banana cake, you can easily freeze it. Once the cake has completely cooled, wrap it tightly in several layers of plastic wrap, ensuring no air can get in. Then, place the wrapped cake in a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container. It will last in the freezer for 2-3 months without losing its quality. When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw the cake at room temperature for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator before frosting and serving. Freezing unfrosted helps prevent the frosting from getting smushed or freezer-burnt.
Expert Baking Tips for a Perfect Sour Cream Banana Cake
Achieving a perfectly moist, tender, and flavorful Sour Cream Banana Cake is easier with a few key techniques. Keep these expert tips in mind to ensure your cake turns out flawlessly every time:
- Do Not Overmix the Batter: This is perhaps the most crucial tip for any cake. Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stir only until they are just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, resulting in a tough, dense, and chewy cake rather than a soft and tender one. A few lumps in the batter are perfectly normal, especially due to the mashed banana; resist the urge to keep mixing until it’s perfectly smooth.
- Bring Chilled Ingredients to Room Temperature: For both the cake batter and the frosting, ensure your chilled ingredients, especially the sour cream, egg, and butter (for frosting), are at room temperature. Room temperature ingredients emulsify better, creating a smoother, more uniform batter and a creamier frosting. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to seize up or curdle, affecting the final texture. Plan ahead and take them out of the fridge at least 30-60 minutes before you start baking.
- Proper Pan Preparation: Always grease and line your cake pan with parchment paper. This simple step ensures your cake doesn’t stick and releases cleanly, preventing any frustration after all your hard work.
- Test for Doneness: Use the toothpick test! Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, your cake is done. If it comes out with wet batter, continue baking for a few more minutes and test again. Overbaking can lead to a dry cake.
- Allow Complete Cooling: Before applying the frosting, ensure the cake is completely cooled to room temperature. Frosting a warm cake will cause the frosting to melt and slide off, creating a messy result. Patience is key here!
Frequently Asked Questions About Sour Cream Banana Cake
Absolutely! This recipe adapts beautifully to a loaf pan. I frequently make this Sour Cream Banana Cake in a 9×5 inch loaf pan, turning it into a delicious banana bread. When doing so, you’ll need to adjust the baking temperature and time. Reduce your oven temperature to 325°F (160°C) and bake the loaf for approximately 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The lower temperature helps ensure the thicker loaf bakes evenly through without over-browning the crust.
While sour cream and yogurt are often used interchangeably in some recipes, I don’t recommend substituting Greek yogurt for the full-fat sour cream in this specific banana cake recipe. When I tested it, I found that the flavor and texture were noticeably different and didn’t quite meet the desired richness and moistness. Greek yogurt tends to be tangier and has a different protein and fat composition, which can affect the cake’s tenderness and overall balance. If you decide to experiment with it, please let me know your results in the comments!
If your bananas aren’t quite ripe enough (still green or mostly yellow without many brown spots), you can speed up the ripening process. Place them in a paper bag with an apple or another ripe banana, fold the top of the bag down, and leave it at room temperature. The ethylene gas released by the ripe fruit will help ripen the others. For an even quicker method, you can bake unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for 15-30 minutes, until their skins turn black and soft. Let them cool before mashing.
Absolutely! This Sour Cream Banana Cake is a fantastic base for additions. Feel free to fold in about ½ to 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for a delightful crunch and nutty flavor. If you’re a chocolate lover, ½ to ¾ cup of chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark) would also be a wonderful addition. Just fold them in gently with the flour mixture in Step 4 to ensure even distribution.
Explore More Banana Cake Recipes
If you’ve loved this Sour Cream Banana Cake and are keen to explore more variations of this beloved classic, here are a few other fantastic banana cake recipes from our collection:
- Banana Cake with Oil: Another wonderfully moist cake using oil for tenderness.
- Moist Banana Cake with Milk: A classic, rich banana cake using milk and butter for a different texture profile.
- Almond Flour Banana Cake: A delicious gluten-friendly option for those looking for an alternative flour.
- Easy & Moist Eggless Banana Cake: Perfect for those with egg allergies or dietary preferences, without compromising on flavor or texture.
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Print Recipe
Sour Cream Banana Cake with Sour Cream Frosting
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- Author: Leanne
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cooling Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 43 minutes
- Yield: 16 pieces
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Description
Experience baking perfection with our Sour Cream Banana Cake! The secret to its incredible moistness and tender crumb is generous full-fat sour cream, which also makes for a thick, creamy, and utterly delicious vanilla frosting. This easy recipe promises a rich banana flavor and a dessert that’s both comforting and elegant. Perfect for a casual treat or a special occasion!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 1/2 cups (190g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (110g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) loosely packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (205g) mashed banana (about 2 over ripe medium bananas)
- 1/2 cup (125g) full fat sour cream, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (63g) full fat sour cream, room temperature
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar (plus more, if necessary)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1–2 teaspoons milk, optional for thinner frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a 9-inch square cake pan by lightly greasing it and then lining the bottom and sides with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to easily lift the cake out later.
- In a medium-sized bowl, thoroughly whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
- In a separate, large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Whisk these ingredients together vigorously until they are well combined and smooth, ensuring no sugar clumps remain.
- To the wet mixture, add the mashed ripe banana, room temperature full-fat sour cream, large egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is uniform.
- Gradually add the reserved flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Using a spatula or spoon, gently stir until the ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter; a few lumps are perfectly fine and indicate a tender cake.
- Pour the prepared batter evenly into the lined cake pan. Bake for 21-23 minutes, or until the cake is beautifully browned, and a toothpick inserted into the very center comes out clean, indicating it’s fully cooked through.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. This is crucial before applying the frosting to prevent it from melting.
- For the luscious frosting, use an electric mixer to cream together the room temperature unsalted butter and full-fat sour cream until the mixture is light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste), beating on medium speed until the frosting is smooth, creamy, and spreadable. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk. For a sweeter or thicker frosting, you can add a little more powdered sugar.
- Once the cake is entirely cooled, generously spread the prepared sour cream frosting evenly over the top. Slice the cake into desired portions and serve immediately for the best experience, or store it covered in the fridge to enjoy later.
Notes
- The quality of your sour cream significantly impacts the outcome of this recipe. Full-fat sour cream typically contains 14% to 18% milk fat. For an incredibly rich, moist cake and a perfectly thick and creamy frosting, I highly recommend opting for sour cream with an 18% milk fat content. This higher fat percentage provides superior texture and flavor.
- To achieve the most intense and aromatic vanilla flavor in your frosting, I used vanilla bean paste, which features tiny specks of vanilla bean. However, high-quality vanilla extract works wonderfully as a substitute and will still impart a delightful taste.
- This versatile recipe can easily be transformed into a delicious banana bread. Simply bake the batter in a standard 9×5 inch loaf pan. Remember to reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C) and extend the baking time to approximately 45-50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Don’t be afraid of very ripe bananas! The browner and more spotty they are, the sweeter and more flavorful your cake will be. This ripeness ensures a naturally sweet cake without needing excessive added sugar.
- Ensure all cold ingredients like eggs, sour cream, and butter (for frosting) are at room temperature before mixing. This helps them combine smoothly, creating a uniform batter and frosting consistency.