Easy Banana Cake Recipe: Moist and Quick

Anyone who’s ever ended up with a bunch of spotty bananas on the counter knows the drill: it’s banana cake time. But not just any cake — one that’s moist, simple, and ready in under an hour. The secret? Swapping butter for oil, a trick that keeps the crumb tender for days. Here’s how to make an easy banana cake that turns out perfect every time, with a step-by-step guide rooted in trusted recipes from BBC Food (UK public service broadcaster) and Cookie Dough Diaries (home baking specialist).

Prep time: 10 minutes ·
Cook time: 45 minutes ·
Servings: 8 slices ·
Bananas needed: 3 very ripe medium bananas ·
Key ingredient: Sunflower oil for moisture

Five key numbers, one clear pattern: this recipe is built for speed and moisture.

How to make a quick and easy banana cake?

Gather your ingredients

• 3 very ripe medium bananas (about 225g peeled weight) — BBC Food
• 150ml (⅔ cup) sunflower or vegetable oil
• 3 large free-range eggs — BBC Food
• 200g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 225g (1¾ cups) self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Step-by-step method

1. Mash the bananas: Peel and mash the bananas in a large bowl until smooth but with a few small lumps. Overmashing isn’t an issue, but leave some texture for better mouthfeel. BBC Food recommends using very ripe fruit for natural sweetness and moisture.
2. Mix wet and dry ingredients: Add the oil, eggs, vanilla, and sugar to the mashed bananas and whisk until combined. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a spatula — do not overmix. Overmixing develops gluten and produces a tough, dense cake, as noted by Sugar Spun Run (baking blog).
3. Bake and cool: Pour the batter into a greased 2lb loaf tin or an 8-inch round cake pan. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cookie Dough Diaries suggests checking at 40 minutes. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

What is the secret to a moist banana cake?

Oil vs butter for moisture

Oil is liquid at room temperature, so it coats flour proteins without solidifying the way butter does. Frosting and Fettuccine (recipe blog) describes banana cake made with oil as “moist and tender.” Butter adds flavour but can make the cake drier after a day or two. For a cake that stays soft, sunflower or vegetable oil is the better choice.

Don’t overmix the batter

Gluten development is the enemy of tenderness. Stir until the flour just disappears — about 10 to 12 folds. Spend With Pennies (budget cooking resource) emphasises this as a key step for a soft, rich crumb.

Use overripe bananas

Brown spots are a good sign. Ripe bananas have higher sugar content and softer flesh, which means less added sugar needed and a more intense banana flavour. BBC Food calls for “very ripe” bananas for the best result.

What cake can I make with ripe bananas?

Classic banana loaf

The simplest option — just the recipe above. It’s the most forgiving and uses pantry staples. Allrecipes (community recipe platform) calls their version “super moist” and easy to customise.

Banana and chocolate chip cake: Fold 100g of dark chocolate chips into the batter before baking. Cookie Dough Diaries suggests this as a popular variation that works with the oil-based method.

Vegan banana cake

Replace eggs with flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg) and use dairy-free milk. Frosting and Fettuccine notes that oil already makes the cake dairy-free, so only the egg substitution is needed.

The implication: ripe bananas are a versatile base that works across dietary preferences, and the oil method makes adaptation simpler.

What is the number one mistake made when making banana bread?

Using underripe bananas

Green or barely yellow bananas lack the sugar and moisture needed. The result is a dry, bland cake. BBC Food explicitly says “very ripe” — with brown spots — is non-negotiable.

Overmixing the batter

Mixing beyond the point of combining develops gluten. Sugar Spun Run describes the ideal texture as “fluffy” — that’s lost when overmixed.

Baking at wrong temperature

Too high and the outside burns before the inside sets. Too low and the cake rises poorly. Cookie Dough Diaries recommends 350°F (180°C) for a standard loaf, checking doneness with a skewer.

The pattern: most banana cake failures trace back to ingredient ripeness and handling — easy to fix once you know.

How to make banana cake Jamie Oliver?

Jamie Oliver’s banana cake method

Jamie Oliver’s version, published on BBC Food, uses self-raising flour and plain yogurt for extra moisture. He adds a honey drizzle after baking for sweetness and shine. The method is similar: whisk oil, eggs, and sugar, fold in bananas and flour, bake at 180°C for about 40 minutes.

Key differences from standard recipe

• Uses plain yogurt instead of some oil — adds tang and tenderness
• Honey drizzle on top for a sticky glaze
• Slightly shorter baking time (40 minutes vs 45)

The trade-off: yogurt adds a small dairy step but yields a slightly lighter crumb. For those preferring oil-only simplicity, the standard recipe is faster.

Clarity: what we know and what remains uncertain

Expert perspectives on banana cake

“Use 3 very ripe medium bananas for best sweetness and moisture.”

BBC Food recipe notes

“Oil instead of butter keeps the cake moist for days.”

Cookie Dough Diaries

These two approaches — ingredient ripeness and fat choice — are the pillars of a foolproof banana cake. Ignore either one and you risk dryness; get them right and you have a consistently excellent bake.

For a variation that uses British store-cupboard staples, try this moist and foolproof banana cake recipe from a UK baker.

Frequently asked questions