Banana Chocolate Cake

sliced banana layer cake topped with chocolate frosting and fresh fruit on a cake plate

5 from 12 votes

This Chocolate Banana Layer Cake is super easy to make. It's a gorgeous layered cake made with moist and fluffy layers of banana cake and super creamy chocolate cream cheese frosting. It's the perfect cake for any occasion, whether it's an afternoon treat on a lazy weekend or a potluck.

Prep Time45

Cook Time16

Chill4

Total Time5 1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 441kcal

Author: Also The Crumbs Please

Ingredients

Banana cake

4 large eggs
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ¾ cups mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Chocolate frosting

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar sifted
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
1 pinch salt
1-2 tablespoon milk (if needed)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom and the sides of three 8" (20cm) spring pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

Make the cake

In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix eggs, brown sugar, oil, mashed bananas, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth and well combined for about 2 minutes. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon just to combine.
Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake for about 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick centered in the middle comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature.

Make the frosting

In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whisk butter, cream cheese, and vanilla on medium speed until creamy about 2-3 minutes.
Sift in powdered sugar and cocoa and stir until well combined and creamy. Add salt to your taste and stir to combine. If the frosting is too firm, add 1 tablespoon milk at the time until you reach a smooth and creamy consistency. If the frosting is too soft, add more powdered sugar.

Assemble

Cut a thin layer off the tops of your cakes to create a flat surface. Place one cake layer on a cake stand, turner, or serving plate. Spread ⅓ of the frosting over the cake. Repeat one more time.
Place last cake layer on top and lightly frost the top and the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Chill for 4 hours in the fridge or overnight. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

Measure the Bananas: I strongly recommend measuring the mashed bananas rather than relying on a set number of bananas. Bananas vary greatly in weight and size so it's difficult to judge how much banana puree you will get from the bananas you buy at the store. Too little or too much banana puree will change the texture of the cake.

Use Parchment Paper. Line the baking pans with parchment paper instead of just using baking spray. This makes the cake layers easier to remove from the pans after baking. You can buy parchment paper rounds or cut regular parchment to fit.

Ensure Your Cake Layers are Flat. If your cake layers aren't flat after baking, slice off a thin layer from the top to create an even surface. This helps the cake to hold up, makes icing easier, and just looks better.

Frosting the Cake. There is just enough frosting to fill the cake layers and lightly frost the outside of the cake (it's a naked cake on purpose). If you want to cover the whole cake in a thicker layer of frosting, I recommend doubling the recipe.

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