This is my ultimate banana layer cake: two tender, moist banana cake layers, a caramelized banana crémeux filling, and a silky honey Swiss meringue buttercream. The combination of fluffy cake, a creamy banana center, and light honey frosting is perfect for spring desserts or a casual wedding cake for banana lovers.
Banana Cake… NOT banana bread!
I adore dense, brown sugar-rich banana bread, but this recipe aims for a lighter cake texture while staying moist. Blending the bananas in a food processor gives a smooth puree that yields a fine, even crumb without large banana pieces.
I use the reverse creaming method — mixing the fat into the dry ingredients first — which helps produce tender layers with relatively flat tops. That means no trimming domes and less waste.
For extra banana flavor there’s a layer of caramelized banana crémeux that adds a pudding-like richness. Instead of cream cheese frosting, this cake is finished with a honey Swiss meringue buttercream for a lighter, silky finish. Three distinct textures and flavors that work together beautifully.
Key Ingredients & Test Notes
- Cake or Pastry Flour: Use a lower-protein flour (around 8–9%) for a tender, light crumb. Weigh flour with a kitchen scale to ensure accuracy.
- Ripe Bananas: For pronounced banana flavor use ripe or slightly overripe bananas.
- Test Note: Weigh the sliced banana pieces—too much banana can make the batter heavier. The tested amount avoids an overly dense cake.
- Granulated Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar rather than brown sugar so the banana flavor shines without molasses notes.
- Test Note: Bananas contribute sweetness, so the overall added sugar is reduced compared with other cake recipes.
- Butter and Oil: Salted European-style butter gives flavor while a little sunflower oil helps retain moisture.
- Crème Fraiche: Adds fat and tenderness; you can substitute equal amounts of sour cream or Greek yogurt if needed.
- Eggs: Whole eggs go in the cake batter; the filling uses yolks and the buttercream uses whites. Room-temperature eggs help with smooth emulsions.
How to Make Banana Layer Cake
- Weigh and place sliced ripe bananas into a food processor.
- Blend the bananas to a smooth puree.
- Add crème fraiche, vanilla and eggs; process until smooth.
- Process until the mixture resembles a thick banana smoothie.
- Rub lemon zest into the sugar to release its oils. Whisk together the lemon sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixer bowl.
- On medium-low speed, add softened butter and oil and mix until the dry mix looks like wet sand.
- With the mixer on medium-low, slowly pour in half the banana mixture and mix until combined. Add the second half and mix until smooth and thick.
- Divide the batter between two prepared 8-inch round pans and level with an offset spatula.
- Bake until the tops spring back and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. They will bake fairly flat and cool even flatter.
- Place one layer upside down on a serving plate. Pipe an outer ring of honey buttercream to create a dam, then fill the center with piped banana crémeux and smooth.
- Set the second layer upside down on top of the crémeux. Pipe and smooth the outside with honey buttercream.
- Smooth the top and pipe any decorative frosting. Finish with a few edible flowers for color.
Jenn’s Tips
- Read the recipe first: Review the cake, filling, and frosting steps before you begin. Each component is straightforward but made separately.
- Make ahead: Spread the project over two days for less stress.
- Day 1: Make the banana crémeux and chill overnight. Bake the layers, cool, wrap, and refrigerate or leave at room temperature overnight.
- Day 2: Make the honey buttercream (two batches if you want extra for piping), whip the crémeux until pipeable, then assemble.
- Weigh ingredients: Use a kitchen scale for accuracy, including the bananas.
- Piping tip: Use your preferred tip for decorations; a wide tooth tip creates bold, striped frosting textures.
- Serving: The crémeux is stabilized with gelatin and holds at room temperature for serving. If refrigerated, bring the cake to room temperature before serving so the frosting and filling are soft.
★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!
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Moist Banana Layer Cake with Honey Buttercream
By Jenn Davis
Prep: 45
Cook: 35
Frosting & Filling Time: 2
Total: 3 20
Yield: 1 8-inch two layer cake
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Two-layer moist banana cake with a banana crémeux filling and light silky honey buttercream frosting.
Equipment
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food processor or blender
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electric stand mixer
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2 8-inch round cake pans
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 315 grams cake flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 250 grams granulated sugar
- zest from one large lemon
- 170 grams softened salted butter (European style)
- 28 grams sunflower oil
- 180 grams crème fraiche
- 300 grams mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
- 150 grams eggs (3 large)
- 1.5 tsp vanilla bean paste
Banana Crémeux Filling
- 1 batch banana crémeux
Honey Buttercream Frosting
- 1–2 batches honey Swiss meringue buttercream
Decoration
- edible flowers
Instructions
Banana Crémeux
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Make the banana crémeux a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator so it firms and is easy to pipe on assembly day.
Banana Cake
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). For convection reduce the temperature by 25°F. Prepare two 8-inch pans with oil spray and line the bottoms with parchment.
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Combine sugar and lemon zest and rub to release the oils. Set aside.
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Blend bananas, crème fraiche, vanilla and eggs in a food processor until smooth, with a milkshake-like consistency.
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Whisk flour, lemon sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in the mixer bowl.
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With the paddle on medium-low, beat in the softened butter and oil until the mixture resembles wet sand (about 2 minutes).
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Slowly add half the banana mixture while mixing; after it’s combined add the second half and mix until smooth, about 1–2 minutes. Scrape the bowl as needed.
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Divide batter between pans, smooth to level, and bake on the middle rack for 28–33 minutes, until tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean.
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Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack and remove parchment. Let cakes cool completely; they should be about 1.3 inches thick.
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Once cool, wrap cakes and store at room temperature up to one day or chill briefly to firm for easier assembly.
Honey Buttercream
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Make one to two batches of honey Swiss meringue buttercream depending on how much frosting and decoration you want. A second batch makes piping easier and gives more coverage.
Cake Assembly
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Place one cake layer upside down on the serving plate. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge to form a dam and fill the center with crémeux. Smooth lightly.
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Top with the second layer (also upside down). Frost the sides and top smoothly with buttercream.
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Pipe additional decoration and scatter edible flowers. Leftover crémeux can be served with fruit or saved for another use.
Notes
- Ingredients & substitutions:
- Flour: Swans Down cake flour (about 8% protein). You can swap with all-purpose flour, but results may vary—use the weights provided for testing accuracy.
- Butter: Use a European-style butter for best flavor.
- Crème fraiche: Can be swapped 1:1 for Greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Oven: This was tested in a conventional oven. For convection lower the temperature by 25°F and check earlier for doneness.
- Storage: Keep the assembled cake in an airtight container. It can sit at room temperature up to one day, or refrigerate up to five days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Weigh your flour: The tested conversion used here is 1 cup of flour = 125 grams. Use the recipe weights for best results.
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