Name: Best Banana Sheet Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 (8-ounce)(250g) brick of cream cheese - at room temperature; 2 cups (224g) powdered sugar; 2 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 cup olive oil; 3 large whole eggs; 1 + 1/2 cups sugar; 3/4 cup sour cream; 4 large ripe bananas - mashed (about 1.5 - 1.75 cups); 2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. salt; 3 tsp. baking soda; 3 + 1/2 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour

Jump to Recipe

The Best Banana Sheet Cake is loaded with bananas, and topped with a delicious vanilla cream cheese frosting, making it the best banana flavor ever! Moist and flavorful, everyone will fall in love with this banana sheet cake.

A square piece of banana bread with frosting on top served on a sheet of brown wax paper.

Best Banana Sheet Cake Recipe

This recipe will make you bake the BEST banana sheet cake ever! Topped with a sweet vanilla cream cheese frosting, it’s amazing! It is so good, you’ll be tempted to eat a second piece.

We enjoy baking and love bananas. So, we decided to take our banana bread recipe and turn it into a sheet cake with a few modifications. It not only turned out fabulous, but also gave us so many additional servings – it’s ideal for large gatherings.

Plus, it’s SO moist and loaded with banana flavor, you can enjoy this sheet cake without the cream cheese frosting – we promise – it’s AMAZING! It’s that good, even without the frosting!

If you love sheet cake recipes, try our Fabulously Easy Carrot Cake and Fresh Strawberry Snack Cake Recipe. These recipes are delicious too! And for more banana treats, don’t miss our Decadent Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, No-Bake Banana Pudding Icebox Bars, and Pineapple Banana Spice Cake.

What is a Sheet Cake?

Basically, a sheet cake is when you turn a three layer cake recipe and decide to bake it in a 9 x 12 sheet pan (instead of a cake or Bundt cake pan). That is a sheet cake. We love it simply because it’s a no-fuss way to making a dessert quick and easy. And, you can get more servings depending on the size of each slice you cut.

How to make this Banana Sheet Cake?

For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients listed. Also, all ingredients and directions are located in the printable recipe card on the bottom. Plus, for convenience with US customary measurements, we recommend using this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!

Ingredients Needed…

For this recipe, you will need the following pantry ingredients, plus bananas:

olive oil
whole eggs
granulated sugar
sour cream (see our notes below)
large ripe bananas
ground cinnamon
salt
baking soda
organic unbleached all-purpose flour
For Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
cream cheese
powdered sugar
vanilla extract

How To Make the Best Banana Sheet Cake?

There are only 4-Easy-To-Follow Steps to making the Best Banana Cake. Plus, our full printable recipe card is located at the bottom. But first, let’s go over our easy steps so you can see what’s involved before you begin.

1. FIRST STEP: Prepare the Pan and Oven: Prepare your 9 x 12inch sheet pan with grease and dust with flour. Then preheat your oven to Bake at 300F (150C).

2. STEP 2: Make the Batter! Mix the first 4 ingredients in one large mixing bowl. Then mash your bananas and blend in the mashed bananas. Add the remaining dry ingredients (and hold the flour for last). Blend in flour, one cup at a time. Blend until well combined, and pour it into the sheet pan.

A large silver mixing bowl with ingredients, and measuring glass with mashed bananas.

3. STEP 3: Bake the Cake! Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes. Test the cake with a toothpick for doneness. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding frosting on top.

As sheet pan filled with cake batter, then it is baked in the sheet pan.

4. FINAL STEP: Make the Frosting: Make the vanilla cream cheese frosting and frost the cake.

Smearing white frosting over a sheet cake.

When you bake this banana sheet cake with these simple ingredients, it turns out amazing and perfect every time! Try our recipe, it won’t disappoint!

A forkful of banana cake on a white plate.

Notes & Tips for Success

Ingredients Adaptations: 1.) You can omit the sour cream from this recipe, it will still be moist and delicious. 2.) Also, you can omit the cream cheese and just make a simple vanilla icing for the top of the sheet cake.
Baking On Low Heat: Our banana sheet cake is baked using low heat, at 300 F (150C). This will give the sheet cake a beautiful height and light texture, rather than being dense.
All Ovens Vary: the cooking time on this cake can vary. Check your cake at 40 minutes, if it isn’t ready, continue baking until a toothpick comes out clean. Also, when you smell a strong aroma of banana from the oven? That’s an indication it’s almost done.
Cool Cake Quickly: you can pop your sheet cake into the refrigerator (you will have to make room) for about 20 minutes or more, or into your freezer(for about 15 minutes) to cool it down quickly. Then add the frosting on top.
Make the Vanilla Frosting: while the cake is baking, make the cream cheese frosting and place it into the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes.

A square piece of banana cake topped with icing on a white plate.

Storing and Freezing

To Store: Since banana cake is made with fresh bananas, we recommend storing the cake in a sealed container, or lightly wrap with clear wrap and refrigerate it. If kept chilled, it will stay fresh longer and for up to 4 to 5 days (if it lasts that long!).
To Freeze: Yes, you can, but keep in mind, that the cream cheese has a tendency to crumble up a bit when frozen and thawed. As cream cheese frosting has quite a high-fat content, it does freeze quite well.
To Thaw: The best way “to thaw” this banana cake with cream cheese frosting is to remove the pan from the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight. Then take it out just before you serve it.

Your comments help us! If you make our Best Banana Sheet Cake, let us know! Leave a comment with a 5-star rating below in our recipe card. Your insights and experiences will help our readers and us too! For more delicious recipes, follow us on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, & FACEBOOK.

More Delicious Cake Recipes You’ll Love!

Best Banana Sheet Cake

Yield: 16 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

The Best Banana Sheet Cake recipe has a melt-in-your-mouth texture and is loaded with banana flavor. Plus, it's topped with a scrumptious vanilla cream cheese frosting, making it the best banana sheet cake ever!

Ingredients

1 cup olive oil
3 large whole eggs
1 + 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
4 large ripe bananas - mashed (about 1.5 - 1.75 cups)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking soda
3 + 1/2 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour

For Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 (8-ounce)(250g) brick of cream cheese - at room temperature
2 cups (224g) powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat your Convection Oven to Bake at 300 degrees F (150C). Set the rack in the center of the oven. Lightly spray your (12.5 x 9.5 x 2-inches) sheet pan with cooking spray, and lightly dust with flour on the bottom and all 4 sides.
In a large mixing bowl, blend olive oil, sugar, eggs, and sour cream with a whisk or hand mixer. Then add the mashed bananas and beat for about 1 minute, until smooth.
Next, add the cinnamon, salt, and baking soda, and beat for about 30 seconds, or until the mixture is well combined.
Beat in the flour, (one cup at a time) until the mixture is thick and well blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan, and spread the batter evenly. Then place the sheet cake pan onto the middle rack of the oven.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until you see some cracks form on top, and a toothpick comes out clean in the center.
Remove from oven, and allow the cake to cool completely inside the sheet cake pan. No need to remove it. QUICK TIP: Transfer the sheet pan to your refrigerator, or freezer to cool faster.
When banana cake is cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly. Then chill the banana cake for about 15 minutes or longer to set the frosting on top.

TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and has no visible lumps.

2. Spread the frosting onto the banana sheet cake. Chill the entire cake in your fridge or freeze for a few minutes to set the frosting on top. Then slice and serve.

Yields: 16 servings

Notes

Storing and Freezing:

To Store: Since banana cake is made with fresh bananas, we recommend storing the cake in a sealed container, or lightly wrap with clear wrap and refrigerate it. If kept chilled, it will stay fresh longer and for up to 4 to 5 days (if it lasts that long!).
To Freeze: Yes, you can, but keep in mind, that the cream cheese has a tendency to crumble up a bit when frozen and thawed. As cream cheese frosting has quite a high-fat content, it does freeze quite well.
To Thaw: The best way "to thaw" this banana cake with cream cheese frosting is to remove the pan from the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight. Then take it out just before you serve it.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 servings Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 514Total Fat: 26.9gSaturated Fat: 13.1gCholesterol: 127mgCarbohydrates: 47.5gFiber: 9.7gSugar: 26gProtein: 9.3g

Happy Baking! 🙂

Thanks for stopping by…

xo anna and liz

Welcome! From Anna and Liz

We believe the kitchen is the center and the heart of the home. It is where we cook, eat, and unwind with family and friends, creating memorable traditions! Read more…

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