Just one look at this recipe for Banana Spice Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting is enough to know that this dessert won’t stay around for long!
The secret ingredient in this cake is sweetened condensed milk which makes it a moist, dense cake with just the right balance of sweetness.
This is my fifth banana recipe. I can’t be the only one who buys bananas for the whole family and all too often is left with a bunch of overripe bananas at the end of the week. Hence this being my fifth banana recipe. Check out my Mini Banana Bread Loaves or Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, proof that bananas are an amazing baking ingredient!
I do not like to waste food so this week I baked not one but two banana cake recipes (the second will be posted in a couple of weeks) using up six bananas that didn’t end up in the bin – Yay me!
I had planned to make this recipe using buttermilk, but when I went to grab it from the fridge, I realized I was all out. I went straight to Google to see what substitutes there were and came across one result that said you can use evaporated milk and vinegar.
I didn’t have evaporated milk, but I did have sweetened condensed milk so, with a few adjustments to my recipe, I was well on my way. I decided on a spice cake because I love spice cake and because I thought it would go really well with the banana and chocolate combination. Let me tell you – I was not wrong!
The condensed milk makes a fantastic cake. I can’t tell you how impressed I was with the result! It was super moist and with the banana, it gave a lovely texture and structure without making it soggy and too heavy (which happens a lot with banana cake). The other thing is that the cake lasted a good few days without drying out.
Both my husband and son went wild for this cake (and my son thinks he doesn’t even like bananas) and I have to admit, I cheated on my diet multiple times to have another taste of this fantastic cake!
More Amazing Banana Recipes
- Award Winning Banana Bread
- Caramel Banana Cake
- Banoffee Pie
- Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- Mini Banana Bread
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Let's Make Spiced Banana Cake
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas
- ¾ cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
For the frosting:
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 3 banana chips for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350FGrease two 8 inch round cake pans
- Place the condensed milk and bananas in a mid-sized microwave-safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave on high for 45 seconds. Mash the warm bananas well into the condensed milk. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Beat in the vanilla, vinegar, and banana mixture until combined. Beat in both eggs adding them one at a time until combined.
- Mix in the spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until combined
- Mix in the flour until combined
- Add the batter equally to both cake pans.
- bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Leave to cool 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the frosting:
- Melt the butter and chocolate in a small pan on over a low heat stirring gently until melted. Once completely melted, remove from the heat and let cool.
- In a large bowl, beat the chocolate mixture with the softened cream cheese
- Add the vanilla extract and 1 cup of the powdered sugar adding another cup of the sugar until smooth and desired consistency.
- Place one of the cooled cakes on a cake plate and spread the top with 1/2 cup of the frosting. Place the second layer onto the first layer and cover with the remaining frosting. Decorate with the banana chips and serve.
Tips + Notes
- Always make sure you beat your butter and sugar for around three minutes. This step is important to the success of your baking.
- You can replace the condensed milk with buttermilk if you don’t have this on hand.
- Add some nuts to the cake mixture for extra textutre. Walnuts or pecans work really well.
- To avoid the banana cake sticking to the pan, use a good quality, non-stick pan that’s greased well with baking spray or shortening (butter can cause sticking).
- Check that your baking soda and baking powder are in date, this can affect the rise of your cake.
Katerina @ Diethood says
Oh my goodness, this cake is absolutely gorgeous!! AND that frosting, YUM!!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
Chocolate and banana are just perfect together!
thespeckledpalate says
This cake makes me wish that I could eat bananas because it looks insanely flavorful! That said, my husband and daughter would go bonkers over this cake… because they actually eat all the bananas. Could be fun to surprise them with!
Erren says
My son absolutely loved this cake and he won’t touch a banana so your family is sure to enjoy!
Julie says
Always a favorite dessert in my house.
shashi at runninsrilankan says
I am so loving your use of condensed milk in this! While I cannot enjoy condensed milk, I have some coconut condensed milk that I could use – thanks so much for this recipe!
Erren says
You’re quite welcome, Sashi? Hope it works for you!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
Now this sounds amazing! We have two birthdays coming up in our house next week and this cake so cake is on the mind! Wow this sounds so good!
Erren says
Thanks, Emily! Hope you like it!
Lisa Bryan | Downshiftology says
That frosting swirl is everything! I can imagine this cake doesn’t last long – at all!
Erren says
No it doesn’t! ?
Ali @ Home & Plate says
I’m sure the condensed sweetened milk is the secret to this cake. It looks delicious and I would be in trouble if this was on my kitchen counter. I would take a small slice because it would be just irresistible.
HedgeComber says
Oh good grief! That frosting looks to die for!!!
Janie x
Erren says
Thanks so much, Jane!
Bintu (@recipespantry) says
How utterly scrumptious does this look! Love all the spices and of course that yummy frosting
Erren says
Thanks so much ?