Jamie Oliver Moist Banana Cake Recipe

This Jamie Oliver Moist Banana Cake Recipe has everything you want in a dessert. It’s easy to make, uses up those pesky leftovers, and most importantly tastes so good!

Banana cake is popular all over the world and is a common sight in Hong Kong bakeries. Countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines all have their own versions of this classic cake as well!

You’ll never have to worry about dry cake when you make this banana bread. Mashed bananas and yogurt add moisture and keep the batter from drying out as it bakes.

This recipe is a family favorite because it uses simple and inexpensive pantry staples like sugar, eggs, and flour. Banana cake is notoriously hard to mess up, so it’s also a great dessert for beginner bakers to try!

Picking the Best Jamie Oliver Moist Banana Cake Recipe Ingredients

Bananas

The best variety of bananas for this recipe is Cavendish bananas. You can find these at most grocery stores in Europe and North America.

I like this variety because it offers a soft texture and sweet flavor. These traits work perfectly in a baked cake!

Try to find bananas that are already yellow at the grocery store, so they won’t take too long to ripen. At home, let the bananas ripen on the counter until they develop brown spots.

One trick to get ripe bananas quicker is to place them in a brown paper bag. Fold the top and wait 1-2 days for the bananas to turn spotty.

All-Purpose Flour

All-purpose flour is made from milled wheat. Usually, it’s a mixture of soft and hard wheats or hard red wheat.

It’s called all-purpose because these blends of flour work excellently for all sorts of baking. Doughs, cakes, and cookies are all usually made with all-purpose flour!

Flour provides the structure for baked goods, by adding protein which forms gluten. Gluten gives baked goods their elasticity and holds cakes and breads together.

The strength provided by all-purpose flour is especially important for moist cakes such as this banana bread. If you use low-protein flours like cake flour, your banana bread will likely turn out more dense.

Sugar

This recipe uses three types of sugar. Brown and white sugar are used in the cake and confectioners sugar is used for the icing.

White sugar, also known as granulated sugar, is the most common type of sugar used in baked goods. These small granules of sugar work great because they allow air into the batter, and do not clump together.

Brown sugar is made by mixing boiled white sugar crystals with molasses. This gives the sugar moistness and a distinct caramel flavor that adds richness to foods.

Confectioners sugar is made by pulverizing white sugar crystals into a fine powder. This makes it an excellent sweetener to use for delicate foods like whipped cream or icing.

Natural Yogurt

You probably enjoy it as a snack or for breakfast, but yogurt is also surprisingly useful in baked goods!

Yogurt is made by adding lactic acid bacteria to milk. Yogurt can be made from cow’s milk or goat milk, as well as skim or full-fat milk.

The lactic acid gives yogurt its notable tanginess. Most commercial yogurt products include added sugar and flavors, but this recipe uses plain unflavored yogurt.
If you prefer, you can use sour cream instead of plain yogurt.

Baking Powder

Baking powder acts as a leavening agent to help baked goods rise and expand. It’s often confused with baking soda, but the two are different.

When baking powder interacts with liquid ingredients like milk or water, it produces carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide creates air in the batter, which makes cakes and bread rise.

Most baking powder products you can find in the grocery store are “double acting”. This means that they begin to react as soon as they touch liquid ingredients, and also when they are heated.

Cinnamon and Vanilla

Vanilla and cinnamon accentuate the flavors of this cake and balance out the sweetness.

Cinnamon can be found in powder form at any grocery store. This spice is commonly paired with fruits like apples (such as in apple pie) to mellow out the sweetness.

Vanilla is one of the most common flavors added to baked goods and desserts. Vanilla acts as a flavor enhancer to make desserts taste sweeter.

Vanilla can be bought in its pure form, or as an extract. Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol to release their flavor.

Imitation vanilla extract is a common substitute since it’s cheaper, but the flavor is less intense.

Method

1. Preheat the Oven
   

   Heat the oven to 325°F.
   

2. Mash Bananas
   

   Unpeel the slightly overripe bananas and place them into a large mixing bowl. Use a potato masher or fork to mash the bananas until smooth.
   

3. Blend Bananas with Butter with Sugar
   

   Add melted butter, white sugar, and brown sugar to the banana puree. Use an electric mixer to blend until smooth.
   

4. Add Eggs, Vanilla, and Yogurt
   

   Add the eggs to the banana mixture and blend until just combined.

   Mix in the vanilla and yogurt.
   

5. Blend Dry Ingredients
   

   Add flour, salt, and baking powder to a large mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until combined.
   

6. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
   

   Pour the flour mixture into the bowl with all the wet ingredients. Mix on low until a batter forms.

   Do not overmix.
   

7. Bake
   

   Pour the banana cake batter into a greased 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 40 minutes.

   Remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely before serving.
   

8. Beat Confectioners Sugar, Butter, and Cinnamon
   

   Add confectioners sugar, butter, and cinnamon to a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is fluffy.
   

9. Add Cream Cheese
   

   Add the cream cheese and continue to beat until fully blended.
   

10. Frost the Banana Cake
    

    Spread a 1/2 inch layer of frosting onto the cooled cake. You can add slices of ripe banana on top for decoration if you want.

    Slice the cake and serve.
    

How to Serve Jamie Oliver Moist Banana Cake Recipe

• Cool Whip and whipped cream also make great toppings and have a lighter taste and texture.


• Banana cakes go great with nuts on top. Crushed pecans or chopped walnuts add a nutty, toasted flavor and a satisfying crunchy texture.


• My favorite way to enjoy a slice of banana cake is with a hot cup of tea or coffee. It makes an excellent weekend breakfast or an afternoon treat!


• For a more decadent dessert, serve this banana cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Melty ice cream brings out all those delicious cinnamon spice flavors!

More Banana Recipes You’ll Love

• Pioneer Woman Banana Nut Bread Recipe


• Ina Garten Banana Bread (Copycat)

Jamie Oliver Moist Banana Cake Storage and Thawing Instructions

Fresh banana cake can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Baked goods like banana cake tend to freeze well due to their low moisture. So, you can make several batches of this cake and freeze them for a later date.

For best results, wrap the cake in wax paper then seal it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. An airtight container would work as well, but it will take up more space.

To thaw, transfer the banana cake from the freezer to the refrigerator. It will take about 1 hour for the cake to defrost, then you can serve it.

You can also leave the cake on the counter to defrost at room temperature if you’re in a hurry. Just make sure the room isn’t too warm or the frosting may melt.