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This perfectly moist banana bundt cake is topped with a silky chocolate ganache for a dessert that you’ll want to make over and over again.
My dad is pretty much a chocolate fanatic – the darker and richer the better. He loves bananas, too. So it only seemed natural that the first time I made this banana bundt cake finished with satiny chocolate ganache was for his birthday.
I’ve never been one to try my hand at elaborately decorated cakes. Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re pretty darn stunning. It’s just that I have an attention span that rivals a cupcake-eating, Mountain-Dew-chugging 4-year-old. Seriously.
Instead of towering cakes with beautiful piping details, I like to keep things a little more simple – okay, more like easy – and it doesn’t get much easier than bundt cakes.
And this banana cake is not just any bundt cake.
What Makes This Banana Bundt Cake so Perfect?
This banana bundt cake isn’t just extra special because of the chocolate ganache on top. (Although that doesn’t hurt!)
No, this banana cake is special because it’s incredibly flavorful and undeniably moist.
The secret to this cake is the unusual method which calls for baking the cake at 275°F and then immediately placing the cake into the freezer for an hour.
Kind of odd? Absolutely.
However, after one delicious bite, you’ll be convinced that this banana bundt cake is second to none. (And if you’ve tried my moist banana cake before, you already know!)
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Pin ItHow to Make My Banana Bundt Cake
For a cake that is so perfect, you might be surprised that it’s pretty easy to make.
Ingredients you’ll need
Even though this banana bundt cake is so moist and flavorful, there aren’t any weird or “special” ingredients in it! The ingredient list is actually really straightforward.
You’ll need:
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Buttermilk is one of the key ingredients in this recipe. It adds a tanginess to the cake and helps keep it moist.
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make a quick and easy buttermilk substitute using just 2 ingredients that works great in this cake.
Make sure your butter is softened before you start on the batter. If you forget to set it out ahead of time, check out my tips for softening butter quickly.
For the chocolate ganache topping, you will need:
- 4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Making this recipe
We will be baking this banana bundt cake at 275°F. No, that isn’t a typo. That’s the actual temperature! Low and slow.
Grab your favorite 12-cup bundt pan and either grease and flour it or spray it with nonstick baking spray.
For the batter, start by mixing the mashed bananas with the lemon juice. Set this aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This should take at least 3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix thoroughly and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for about 1 hour and 40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Take the cake out out of the oven and immediately place the whole pan – with the cake still in it – into the freezer. Leave it in the freezer for 45-60 minutes.
You can skip this step, but I don’t recommend it. I have tried it without placing it in the freezer before and it just wasn’t as good!
After an hour in the freezer, remove the cake and place it on a cooling rack for at least 3 hours.
When you’re ready to serve the cake, place it on a serving platter and prepare the chocolate ganache topping.
Add the chocolate to a bowl, then microwave the heavy cream for about 1 minute or until bubbles form on the surface. Don’t let it boil over!
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for about 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth and pour over the cake.
Storage and Freezing
Store the banana bundt cake, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
You can also freeze the cake. I recommend freezing the whole cake without the ganache topping. Add the ganache after you have thawed the cake, before serving.
You could also freeze leftover slices of the cake. Because of the ganache topping, freeze the slices on a sheet pan before wrapping them in plastic wrap and storing in a zip-top freezer bag.
For even more details on all the ways you can freeze cake, check out my post on how to freeze cake.
FAQs
Don’t panic, and don’t leave for the store just yet. There are lots of shortcuts for making a buttermilk substitute using regular milk and lemon juice or vinegar, yogurt, cream of tartar, or sour cream.
I walk you through each of these options in my post on how to make buttermilk, so simply pick the substitute that works best based on what you have on hand!
Of course! You can easily swap out the chocolate ganache topping on this banana cake for cream cheese frosting. My brown butter frosting would be a great option, too!
You could even go for a vanilla bean glaze like the one on this carrot bundt cake.
Technically, no. You can absolutely skip the freezer step and simply let the cake cool like you normally would. The cake will still be delicious.
But I will tell you that I have tried this banana cake both ways – with the freezer step and without it – and it is SO much better when you put it in the freezer! It comes out so much more moist and the texture is just incredible.
Banana Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas about 3 bananas
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
For the ganache
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F (yes, this temperature is correct and not a typo). Thoroughly grease and flour a 12-cup non-stick bundt pan or spray with a nonstick baking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas with the lemon juice. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time mixing thoroughly after each egg. Stir in the vanilla.
- Add in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing until combined. Stir in the mashed bananas.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven for about 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place the entire pan with the cake in it directly into the freezer for 45-60 minutes. This will make the cake very moist. Remove cake from freezer to a cooling rack for at least 3 hours.
- When ready to serve, invert the cake onto a serving platter and prepare the chocolate ganache.
- To make the ganache, add the chopped chocolate into a medium mixing bowl; set aside. Pour the heavy cream into a microwave-safe measuring cup and microwave on high for about 1 minute or until bubbles begin to form on the surface. Take care to not overheat because the cream will boil over. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for about 3 minutes. Use a small whisk to combine the mixture into a smooth chocolate glaze. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Video
Notes
- Before getting started, make sure you know how to measure flour and how to cream butter and sugar correctly. Having a grasp on both of these steps will help this banana cake turn out perfect every time.
- Forgot to set out your butter to soften ahead of time? Check out my tips on how to soften butter quickly.
- Don’t panic if you don’t have buttermilk on hand. Learn how to make buttermilk using just a couple of ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just wanted to make sure the oven is set for 275 degrees????
Hi Jenny – Yes, that is correct! Happy baking –
Jamie
Hi, I just made the cake yesterday, it turns out really great!! For next time, can I make the batter in advance, put it in the fridge and bake it in the next 2-3 days?
Hello! I haven’t attempted making this batter ahead, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
It’s in the oven as i write! I doubled the recipe … used a bundt, a 9×13 and 4 small loaf pans.. I check in 45 min as baking time will obviously differ with each one… also I reduced the amount of white by a cup and used light brown sugar instead! Thanks so
Much for this recipe- Hubs birthday cake , and bringing samples to nearby cafe for a possible weekly order – wish me luck!!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Diane! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
-Jamie
I baked this yesterday and it is so delicious. My kids wouldn’t wait to freeze it. The cake was so moist and full of banana flavor. Excellent recipe.
I am trying to reduce sugar consumption at home. Can I reduce the sugar to 1 cup ? Will that affect the baking?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Manal! I haven’t tried this cake with reducing the sugar by half, but I say give it a try. Let me know how it goes!