The Barefoot Contessa Old Fashioned Banana Cake

This Old Fashioned Banana Cake recipe is easy to make, and it tastes amazing! Just like everything that Ina Garten makes. 

Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa is loved by many for her affable personality and easy and delicious recipes. I’ve been a fan for ever and have all of her cookbooks. Of course my favorite recipes are the sweet treats, like the Outrageous Brownies. Recently I had a bunch of bananas sitting on the island, getting a little black and very ripe, in other words,  perfect for this old fashioned banana cake with cream cheese frosting. Of course you could make Ina Garten’s banana bread recipe but there is just something special about this banana cake, could be the frosting.

Old Fashioned Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ina’s recipe is delicious as a light breakfast cake, naked or with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Or with the cream cheese frosting for dessert.

Ingredients for Banana Cake

Here is what you need to whip up this banana cake.

• 4 overripe old bananas
• 3/4 cup of granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of the zest of one orange
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts nuts(optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

• 6 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 21/2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream

How to Make Ina Garten’s Old Fashioned Banana Cake

• Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 9 inch round cake pan, grease and flour or place a piece of parchment in the bottom of the pan and use cooking spray.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix bananas, white sugar and brown sugar, and mix until combined. Add the oil, extra large eggs, sour cream and vanilla, and orange zest, then mix until smooth. Add the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined. Then add the walnuts if using and stir with a rubber spatula making sure everything is combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes on a cooling rack, then turn out onto wire rack.
• Prepare cream cheese frosting and spread on cooled cake. Mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric mixer, slowly add confectioners sugar and stir until smooth. Add heavy whipping cream to get the consistency of the frosting that you prefer.
• Decorate the top of the cake with a few walnut halves and enjoy.

FAQ

Variations of Banana Cake

• Add chocolate chips or chocolate chunks to the cake
• Use pecans instead of walnuts
• ​Frost with your favorite buttercream.

How to store old fashioned banana cake

Banana care with or without the cream cheese frosting can be wrapped in plastic or stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

THAT’S ALL FOR NOW

I hope that you enjoyed Ina Garten’s tasty Old-Fashioned banana cake. This delicious cake is moist and tasty, perfect with a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast of served as desert. But then again I have rarely met a banana cake I do not like and if the cake has cream cheese frosting then I like it even more. If you like this recipe you might enjoy Best Ever Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting or this scrumptious banana bread.

Do you have a favorite Ina recipe?

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The Barefoot Contessa Old Fashioned Banana Cake

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This Old Fashioned Banana Cake recipe is easy to make, and it tastes amazing! Just like everything that Ina Garten makes.

• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: 1 cake 8-10 servings 1x

Ingredients

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Ingredients:

4 overripe  bananas

3/4 cup of granulated white sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of the zest of one orange

2 cups all purpose flour, after sifting

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts nuts(optional)

Ingredients for Frosting

6 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

21/2 cups of powdered sugar

1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream

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Instructions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 9 inch round cake pan, grease and flour or place a piece of parchment in the bottom of the pan and use cooking spray.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix bananas, white  sugar and brown sugar, and mix until combined. Add oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla, and orange zest, then mix until smooth. Add the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined. Then add the walnuts if using and stir with a rubber spatula making sure everything is combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes on a cooling rack, then turn out onto wire rack.

Prepare cream cheese frosting and spread on cooled cake. Decorate the top of the cake with a few walnut halves and enjoy.

Cream Cheese Frosting Directions

Mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract  in a bowl with an electric mixer, slowly add powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Add heavy whipping cream to get the consistency of the frosting that you prefer.

Notes

Recipe from The Barefoot Contessa on FoodTV.com

Post Updated with new photos 2024

• Author: Elizabeth
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 40-50
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American