This Banana Walnut Cake is tall, moist and sturdy enough to be sliced. It's easy to make and has an intense banana flavor. With no frosting required, it’s perfect as a stand-alone snack cake. Plus, there's no need to mash the bananas!
Snack cakes are those magical cakes that are acceptable to eat any time of the day. They make an ideal Mother's day brunch recipe like carrot walnut cake.
Bursting with sweet banana and vanilla flavor, you won’t be able to get enough of this banana snack cake. Like the air fryer banana cake, you need only basic baking ingredients to make this no-fuss cake recipe in no time.
I wanted a banana walnut cake that was moist and tender, with an intense banana flavor. However, if you use too many bananas, the cake can end up too dense and sink because of the extra moisture.
You'll need very ripe, heavily speckled bananas to get that rich caramel flavor and perfect texture. Just be careful not to use bananas that are overly ripe or starting to rot.
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Why you'll love it?
- Tall and sturdy yet soft and tender
- Perfect snack cake to enjoy with coffee to serve for brunch
- Walnuts add a wonderful crunch
- Not overly sweet
- No frosting needed
- Best use of overripe bananas
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Bananas - Make sure those bananas are nice and spotty, just like for mini banana muffins.
- Oil - It adds richness and keeps the cake moist.
- Flour - All purpose flour gives stability and structure.
- Sugar - Unlike my eggless banana muffin recipe, I choose to use white sugar because there is enough moisture from mashed bananas and yogurt or sour cream.
- Leavening agents - Baking powder gives the lift and baking soda to react with the acid and create a fluffy texture.
- Sour cream or yogurt - Sour cream adds richness and moisture.
- Eggs - Eggs provide height, texture and structure.
- Walnuts - Adds a subtle crunch and texture contrast.
Tip: As I explain in ripe banana recipes, if using frozen bananas, let them thaw at room temperature, drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe below.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
- Whisk all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
2 & 3. Add sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream or yogurt, mashed bananas and vanilla extract into another bowl. Beat with an electric beater for two minutes, until fluffy and creamy.
Add dry ingredients, finely chopped walnuts and continue beating for an additional 30 seconds.
Pro tip: Beat for full 2 minutes. Sugar that is dissolved in liquid before baking breaks down more quickly, helping in caramelize more readily.
4. Transfer batter into a greased cake pan, top with more walnuts and bake at 350 degrees, until the top is golden in color.
Best pan to use: I prefer using an 8-inch round or square baking pan. If you use a 9-inch pan, like a springform or round pan, the cake will be shorter compared to the one baked in an 8-inch pan.
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How to serve?
Serve a slice of banana walnut cake with coffee for a tasty treat. For a simple one-layer cake, top it with cream cheese frosting or buttercream.
How To Store?
You can make this banana walnut cake ahead of time and store it covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To Freeze - Let the cake cool completely to room temperature. Wrap in two layers of plastic warp and then place in gallon size zipper bag, seal well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature.
Helpful tips
- Use room temperature ingredients.
- Measure flour correctly. Adding more or less flour is the common mistake in baking. Fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a butter knife.
- Don't over mix. When adding the flour mixture you want to mix until just combined. Over-mixing will cause a denser banana walnut cake.
Recipe FAQs
If your bananas aren't ripe enough to mash, place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or the skin turns black. Cool and add to the batter.
If the cake isn't fully baked, it might sink after coming out of the oven. Additionally, using expired leavening agents can prevent the cake from rising properly.
More recipes using bananas
Banana Walnut Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sour cream, plain yogurt or buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional ingredients
- ¾ cup walnuts finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°F). Grease a 8-inch round baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Add all dry ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add all wet ingredients into a large bowl, beat with a hand held electric beater for 2 minutes on high. Pro tip: Beat for full 2 minutes. Sugar that is dissolved in liquid before baking breaks down more quickly, helping to caramelize more readily.
- Add dry ingredients, ½ cup chopped walnuts and beat for an additional 30 seconds.
- Transfer batter into the prepared pan, smooth top and sprinkle remaining walnuts on top.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes clean and the top looks golden brown in color.
- Place pan on a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Dina Ghali
Excellent. Not very sweet very easy. I baked in a Bundt mold. I had 2 pieces. 1 was not enough. This is how light it is. Thank you
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear! So glad you enjoyed it hun – Maria ♡
Maria Doss
Hi Dina, Sincerely appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Shrimp is added along with the stock and we have fixed the recipe with the necessary changes. Thanks again - Maria ♡