A simple light and fluffy banana cake topped with a soft caramel buttercream, this Banana Traybake Cake is ready in no time, perfect with a cuppa!
Try as I might I am not a huge fan of Banana Bread.
I find it too heavy, too moist and waaaaaay too bananary 🍌🍌🍌
Hence why I wanted to make a banana cake without an overpowering banana flavour. This single layer cake is topped with a light caramel buttercream which really compliments the banana flavour.
Similar to my Easy Lime Frosted Carrot Cake with Walnuts this recipe makes a delightfully soft, light and fluffy cake with only a few ingredients. It is quick and simple and keeps well.
Anyway I love it and I hope you do too 🍌😊
Don't have enough bananas for this recipe?
Just use what you have, I have made it with only 1 medium ripe banana before, it simply doesn't taste so full-on banana.
Oh and if you love banana you may like to try these Banana Rhubarb Muffins they're absolutely delicious!
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Why make this Banana Traybake Cake?
Uses up leftover bananas 🍌
Made with store cupboard ingredients🍌
Light and fluffy cake 🍌
No overpowering banana flavour 🍌
Caramel flavoured buttercream 🍌
Quick and easy 🍌
Stores well 🍌
Great for lunchboxes 🍌
Ingredients and Substitutions
See the Recipe card below for the exact quantities
Banana Traybake Cake Ingredients
- Really ripe bananas
You need your bananas to be super ripe so that the flavour is strong and they will mash up easily. If your bananas are not yet ripe enough see below for a tip on how to ripen bananas fast. - Ground cinnamon and Ground mixed spice
If you don't have ground cinnamon you can just use more ground mixed spice or you can substitute it for ground nutmeg. - Self-raising flour
We use SR flour because it contains baking powder to help the cake rise. You can however replace it with plain flour and sift in 1 level teaspoon of baking powder with it. - Large eggs
- Golden caster sugar (superfine sugar) and Light brown sugar
These sugars give your cake a bit of added caramel flavour, however can be substituted with white caster sugar. - Fine Salt
Omit if you like but it does really help enhance flavour. - Vegetable oil
Oil helps to keep your cake soft and light. It can be substituted with with olive oil or melted butter. - Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Added to help the cake rise.
Caramel Buttercream Ingredients
- Icing sugar (also known as confectioner's sugar)
- Unsalted butter
- Caramel sauce
Tinned caramel sauce is perfect, or you can use caramel spread. - Dried banana pieces (optional)
For decoration.
Instructions
See Recipe card for exact instructions.
Banana Traybake Cake Instructions
Sift your flour, ground cinnamon, mixed spice, bicarbonate of soda and salt together and then mix in your sugars.
.
Add your oil and mix in. Then add your lightly beaten eggs and mix mix in. Beat for about 20 seconds until fully incorporated.
Add your mashed bananas and beat briefly until combined.
Transfer to a lined 9x9 inch baking tin and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove and leave to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack and allowing to fully cool.
Caramel butter icing instructions
Beat your butter until light, fluffy and pale yellow (this can take a couple of minutes).
Sift your icing sugar and gradually beat it into the butter, then beat in your caramel sauce.
Spread over your cooled cake. Decorate with dried banana chips if using.
Storage
Store your Banana Traybake Cake in an airtight tin and refrigerate.
This cake will keep well for up to a week.
Alternatives
This recipe for Banana Traybake Cake is pretty versatile, you can use it in several different ways.
Banana Loaf Cake
Add the cake batter to a 2 pound lined loaf tin (I recommend that you use loaf liners they make life so much simpler!). The cake will take about 50 minutes to bake.
Banana Sandwich Cakes
In the recipe card below change the servings to 18, this will then increase the ingredients amounts. Make the cake batter as per instructions but then split it between 2 lined 20 centimetre sandwich cake tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes at the same temperature until a skewer comes out clean and the cake bounces back when touched.
Cover one layer with caramel butter icing. Alternatively, add a layer of caramel sauce first and then cover with butter icing, for even more caramel flavour.
Spread caramel butter icing over the top of the cake and decorate with banana chips.
Add chopped walnuts or chopped pecans
Adding some chopped nuts brings another layer of texture and flavour to your Banana Cake. Chop up 100 grams so they are reduced to small chunks and fold them into the cake batter after its final beating.
Top tips for the best Banana Traybake Cake
Ripening bananas
Your bananas need to really ripe for this Banana cake. If they are not then watch this video for guidance on how to speed the ripening bananas.
Mash your bananas just before you use them
I recommend mashing your bananas just before you need to add them to the cake batter to keep them fresh.
Beating your butter for the best caramel buttercream.
Starting off your buttercream but beating the butter until it is very soft, pale and smooth is vitally important as it ensures your final buttercream is light and full of air. Beating for about 2 minutes on a medium setting is usually adequate.
FAQ
Yes, banana bread is far denser and does not tend to be so sweet, it is usually baked as a loaf. Banana cake uses more sugar and has lightly texture.
Related
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📖 Recipe
Banana Traybake Cake
Ingredients you'll need...
Banana Cake
- 150 g Self raising flour
- 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon Ground mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Fine salt
- 100 g Light soft brown sugar
- 75 g Golden caster sugar or white caster sugar
- 120 ml Vegetable oil
- 2 Large eggs lightly beaten
- 240 g Very ripe bananas mashed (equates to 3 average sized bananas)
Caramel Butter Icing
- 100 g Unsalted butter softened
- 200 g Icing sugar
- 100 g Tinned caramel sauce
- Dried banana chips optional
Here's what we do...
Banana Traybake Cake
- Line your tin with greaseproof paper.
- Heat your oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas mark 4/355°F.
- Sift together your flour, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice, ground cinnamon and salt in to your mixer bowl.
- Mix in your sugars, making sugar no lumps remain.
- Mix in the oil first, then when incorporated add the beaten eggs and beat on high for about 20 seconds (remember to wipe down your bowl so the mixture from the base and sides is fully incorporated).
- Add your mashed bananas and beat again on high for about 10 seconds.
- Transfer the cake batter to your prepared tin and bake in the centre of your oven for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack to fully cool.
Caramel Butter Icing
- Beat your butter for about 2 minutes until really soft and creamy and pale yellow.
- Add your sifted icing sugar and beat in.
- Add your caramel sauce and beat in, scraping the bowl down as you go to ensure everything is mixed in thoroughly.
- Spread the buttercream over your cooled cake and decorate with dried banana chips if using.
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