Banana Poppyseed Cake is a classic recipe that combines banana cake with little pops of crunchy poppyseeds. Topped with a delicious vanilla frosting and ready to eat in less than one hour!
There are SO many options to choose from when you have some lovely, ripe bananas to use up.
My Café Style Banana Bread and Fudgy Chocolate Banana Bread are both very popular, but sometimes, you just want something like this Banana Poppyseed Cake that's lighter, slightly sweeter and more dessert-like!
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
Just like the well-known lemon and poppyseed combination, this Banana Poppyseed Cake, is moist, sweet and guaranteed to please!
- Simple and easy - Using just one bowl and basic cake-making methods, this is a simple and easy recipe.
- Budget friendly - Made with pantry staples and other simple ingredients, this makes a good-sized cake that is perfect to share! (and saves wasting those overripe banana's too).
- Top it your way - You could choose a classic cream cheese frosting, a lemon frosting or even a caramel frosting recipe instead of the vanilla option.
What You Need
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients, quantities and full detailed method.
- Butter - I prefer to use unsalted butter as a baking ingredient. This is not essential, and if you usually buy salted butter, using that will be perfectly fine.
- Caster Sugar - This is also known as superfine sugar. It has a lighter texture than granulated sugar and dissolves quicker and easier, resulting in a better texture.
- Brown Sugar - Using brown sugar in recipes adds a deeper, more caramel flavour and colour, and keeps the texture moist.
- Vanilla Extract - You can use vanilla essence or paste if you prefer.
- Eggs - When using eggs in a recipe, it is best to have them at room temperature before you start. I suggest cracking eggs into a separate bowl before adding them to the other ingredients, in case they are past their best or you have pieces of the shell fall in.
- Sour Cream - Sour cream is cream with lactic acid bacteria added to make it sour and thick. Adding sour cream to a cake gives it a slightly tangy flavour as well as making the texture richer.
- Bananas - Ripe, soft bananas are the best ones to use in baking recipes. They add much more flavour as well as their own sweetness.
- Poppyseeds - These have a subtle flavour and add a bit of texture to the cake. They can be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard with up to 2 years shelf-life.
- Plain flour – Also known as all-purpose flour, this doesn't contain any raising agents.
- Baking powder - This is a leavening (raising) agent. It is a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar, and may also contain cornflour.
- Icing mixture - This is a mixture of powdered sugar and starch, and is specially formulated for icing.
- Milk – I use full-fat or full-cream milk in my baking.
How To Make Banana Poppyseed Cake
With just a few simple steps, and only one bowl, this cake will be in the oven before you know it!
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients, quantities and full detailed method.
Step 1. Combine The Wet Ingredients
Beat the butter, caster sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy.
One at a time, add the eggs, beating between additions.
Add the sour cream, mashed banana and poppy seeds and mix through.
Step 2. Add The Dry Ingredients
Sift the plain flour and baking powder over the mixture.
Gently fold through the dry ingredients until combined.
Step 3. Bake the Cake
Pour the mixture into the greased and lined baking tin, and gently smooth the surface.
Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through.
Allow the cake to cool in the baking tin for 30 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 4. Make The Vanilla Frosting
Weigh or measure out the icing mixture, butter, vanilla and milk for the frosting.
Sift the icing mixture into a mixing bowl before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Beat the frosting together until it is pale and fluffy.
Frost the cake when it is completely cooled.
Expert Tips And FAQ
The fat content in sour cream adds moisture and richness, which gives cakes a softer texture.
I specify fan-forced oven temperatures in my recipes, so if you have a conventional oven, increase the temperature by between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius.
Ripe, soft bananas are the best ones to use in baking recipes. They add much more flavour as well as their own sweetness.
Pure icing sugar produces a slightly firmer icing, which would be perfectly fine to substitute.
You can store this cake in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I prefer to freeze the cake before frosting it as it defrosts better, without compromising the texture of the frosting.
More Decadent Frosted Cake Recipes
- Ultimate Butter Cake with Buttercream Frosting - The ultimate classic butter cake recipe with buttercream frosting... a moist and fluffy cake that's perfect for birthdays, school lunch boxes, cake stall fundraisers or morning tea.
- The Best Chocolate Mud Cake - This dense, rich chocolate mud cake is the only recipe you'll need.
- Salted Caramel Mud Cake - A dense and rich salted caramel mud cake is the perfect choice for a celebration cake!
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - Made with fresh carrots, bursts of juicy pineapple, crunchy nuts, and a sweet cream cheese frosting, this cake is moist, rich, and absolutely delicious.
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Banana Poppyseed Cake with Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 125 g butter softened to room temp
- 220 g caster sugar (1 cup)
- 45 g brown sugar (¼ cup)
- 2 tbs vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 200 ml sour cream
- 300 g mashed banana ~(1 cup) or 3 small/medium bananas
- 70 g poppy seeds (½ cup)
- 300 g plain flour (2 cups)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
For The Icing
- 375 g icing mixture (3 cups)
- 75 g butter softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1-2 tbs milk
Instructions
Conventional Method
For The Cake
- Preheat oven to 180° celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line a 30cm x 22cm rectangular baking tin with baking paper. Set aside until needed.
- Place the butter, caster sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl. Beat with a stand mixer or handheld beaters until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition.
- Add the sour cream, mashed banana and poppy seeds and fold through.
- Sift over the plain flour and baking powder and fold through until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin nd bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Allow the cake to cool in the baking tin for 30 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For The Frosting
- To make the vanilla frosting, sift the icing mixture into a bowl. Add the butter, vanilla extract and 1 tbs milk and beat with a stand mixer or handheld beaters until creamy.
- Add the remaining 1 tbs milk (if needed) and beat until pale and fluffy.
- Spread frosting over cooled cake and cut into slices.
Thermomix Method
For The Cake
- Preheat oven to 180° celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line a 30cm x 22cm rectangular baking tin with baking paper. Set aside until needed.
- Place the plain flour and baking powder into the Thermomix bowl. Sift using 1 sec, Turbo Function, 5-10 times, then set aside in a separate bowl.
- Place the butter, caster sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract into the Thermomix bowl. Cream for 30 seconds,Speed 4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 30 seconds.
- Reduce to Speed 2, and with the blades still turning, add the eggs one at at a time. Once combined, mix for 15 seconds, Speed 4.
- Add the sour cream and mashed banana and mix for 15 seconds, Speed 4.
- Add the plain flour, baking powder and poppy seeds and mix for 15 seconds, Speed 5.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Allow the cake to cool in the baking tin for 30 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For The Frosting
- To make the vanilla frosting, place the icing mixture into the Thermomix bowl. Sift using 1 sec, Turbo Function, 5 times. Add the butter, vanilla extract and 1 tbs milk and combine for 10 seconds, Speed 5.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for a further 5 seconds, Speed 5, adding the 2nd tablespoon of milk if the frosting is too thick.
- Spread frosting over cooled cake and cut into slices.
Tammy says
Oh my gosh this is delicious! Such an easy cake to make. Thank you
Lucy says
Yay! I'm thrilled you like it!
JACQUI says
Hi, Ive just made this and it smells delicious!! But i was wondering if its freezeable with the icing on?
Lucy says
Hi Jacqui, I generally freeze it un-iced but it's ok to be frozen iced too. xx
Alysse says
So excited to try this recipe! I’ll be making it for a friend whose just had a baby, so cake and cuddles for me
Lucy Mathieson says
Oh that's the perfect combination!!!
Karla says
Hi, can you post your icing mixture recipe? Thanks!
Bake Play Smile says
Hi Karla, the recipe for the icing is included in the cake recipe below. xx
Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid says
I love baking with poppy seeds, I never thought of using them with banana! What an ace idea, as is that vanilla frosting! It looks like it is the tops!