Banana Cake with Butter Pecan Cream Cheese Filling
This super moist and flavorful homemade banana cake is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Servings: 15 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Buttered Pecans for Filling
- 2 cups chopped pecans (190g)
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted (14g)
For the Banana Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 3 cups cake flour (342g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (3g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (12g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (3g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (170g)
- 1 1 /2 cup mashed bananas about 3 bananas
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8g)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature (If in a hurry, place eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.)
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk (363g)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting (also used for butter pecan filling)
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (226g)
- 16 oz cream cheese We use two 8 oz packages cream cheese, full fat.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8g)
- ½ teaspoon salt 2g optional - it will cut the sweetness, popcorn salt is best to use because it is fine and dissolves faster
- 6 to 6 ½ cups powdered sugar (690g-747g)
Instructions
For the Buttered Pecans
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter. When melted, add 2 cups chopped pecans and toss into butter to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, stirring several times. Set aside for later.
For the Banana Cake (makes 8 cups batter)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, Grease/spray & flour three 8 inch pans and line with parchment circles (or your prep method of choice).
- In the mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients, sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, & salt. Turn on the mixer and blend for 30 seconds to incorporate ingredients
- Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl
- In a separate bowl, slice and mash the bananas, add lemon juice, eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla and buttermilk. Lightly mix these ingredients with a fork to blend
- Slowly add the banana/buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients beating on medium speed for 1 minute, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat another minute.
- Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes 10 minutes on the rack and then turn out.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of your mixer, blend the butter and cream cheese until just combined. Add vanilla, with mixer on low speed gradually add the powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and combined.
- Recipe makes 4 to 4 ½ cups
- This recipe was inspired by the "Banana Cake IV" recipe on Allrecipes.com
To Assemble the Cake
- Place the first banana cake layer on the pedestal. Spread with a layer of cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with about ⅓ of the butter pecans (or your desired amount.)
- Top with the next cake layer, and sprinkle with more butter pecans, reserving some for the top.
- Top with the third banana cake layer. Fill in any gaps between the cake layers with frosting, and then frost a thin crumb coat of frosting over the top and around the sides of the cake.
- At this point, I like to chill the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes (or longer in the refrigerator) to firm everything up before applying the final coat of frosting.
- Frost the cake with the remaining frosting an top with remaining butter pecans.
Notes
Substitute for Buttermilk: No Buttermilk? Here is a substitution: Add 1 Tablespoon plus one teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup. Add milk to the 1 ¼ c. mark, stir. Wait 5 minutes and it is ready to use.
Substitution for Cake Flour: Using all purpose flour (plain in UK) to make Cake Flour: For each cup of flour in a recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons of flour and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK). This recipe has 3 cups of flour so you will measure out 3 cups of all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch, whisk to blend