This easy banana cake with cake mix uses ripe bananas to create a moist, soft texture that tastes completely homemade. With just a few pantry staples and your favorite frosting, it’s perfect for birthdays, potlucks, or an easy anytime dessert
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Before You Make This Banana Cake
These quick tips will help you get the best results before you start.
Can you add bananas to a box cake mix?
Yes. Mashed bananas add moisture and flavor to a box cake mix, making it taste more homemade. Replace part of the liquid with 1–2 ripe mashed bananas for best results.
Can you use vanilla or yellow cake mix for banana cake?
Yes. Yellow cake mix is most common, but vanilla, white, or even spice cake mix all work well with bananas. Each gives a slightly different flavor.
What is the secret to a good banana cake?
Use overripe bananas and don’t overmix the batter. This keeps the cake moist and soft with the best banana flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No Fancy Equipment Needed: You only need a mixing bowl, spoon, and pan—no electric mixer required.
- Moist and Tender Every Time: The bananas add natural moisture, so you’ll never end up with a dry cake.
- Crowd-Pleaser: This cake always gets rave reviews, so you should be prepared to share the recipe if you take it to an event.
- Perfect for Overripe Bananas: A great way to use up bananas before they go to waste
Cake is one of my favorite foods (right behind potatoes), and I don’t mind taking a shortcut to keep things simple. This is a great way to use up overripe bananas, and the end result tastes like it was made from scratch.
Now if you want a scratch made banana cake, I’m here for you. Check out this Banana Sour Cream Coffee Cake, it’s totally homemade!
When it comes to finishing touches, there are so many options for this cake. I went with a dreamy chocolate frosting (link in recipe card), but you could easily swap it out for cream cheese frosting or even a classic chocolate frosting. No matter what you choose, it’s going to be a delicious treat every time.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
I don’t follow the box directions exactly—I like to tweak a few things for better flavor and texture. Here are some easy swaps and tips:
- Cake Mix: I usually use one box of yellow cake mix, but I’ve also made this with white, chocolate, and even spice cake mix. All of them work great!
- Butter: Melted butter gives the cake a richer, more homemade taste. You can swap in canola oil, vegetable oil, or even unsweetened applesauce if you’d like a lighter option.
- Eggs: I add one extra egg (so four large eggs total) to give the cake a little more body and homemade flavor.
- Milk: Instead of water, I use whole milk for a richer texture. But you can stick with water to make it more budget-friendly or if you just don’t have milk on hand.
- Bananas: Make sure to use over-ripe bananas for the best flavor and sweetness. Just-ripe bananas will work too, but I wouldn’t recommend green ones for this recipe.
Quick Visual Overview
See the recipe card below for full instructions and exact amounts.
The batter will be slightly lumpy from the mashed bananas—this is normal. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake soft and tender.
Bake until the edges are lightly golden and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
FAQs
What are common banana cake mistakes?
Using underripe bananas, overmixing the batter, or overbaking can lead to a dry or dense cake. For best results, use very ripe bananas and bake just until a toothpick comes out clean.
Does this cake need to be refrigerated?
That depends on the frosting. If it’s dairy-based, refrigerate it. Otherwise, it can stay at room temperature for a few days.
Can this cake be frozen?
Yes. Freeze unfrosted or frosted cake until solid, then wrap tightly and store in an airtight container. Unwrap before thawing so it doesn’t stick.
Try These Delicious Cake Recipes Next!
These are all made with box cake mix!
Love this recipe?
Leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
Easy Banana Cake with Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 1 box cake mix
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup melted butter
- 4 eggs
- 1 ½ cups mashed banana about 3 medium
- nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.nonstick cooking spray
- Mix the batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients with a whisk or large spoon until smooth.1 box cake mix, 1 cup milk, ½ cup melted butter, 4 eggs, 1 ½ cups mashed banana
- Pour into pan: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared cake pan.
- Bake: Bake for 34–38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Frost and serve: Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack, then top with your favorite frosting.
I only had 2 bananas but that gave it plenty of flavor. I didn’t overly mash the bananas which gave the cake some texture. I like N. Martens idea of trying it with strawberry cake mix and spice cake mix.
Leaving the bananas more chunky is a great idea, I’m glad you like it! I agree, N.Martens did have some great ideas. Thank you for commenting and rating.
Made this with my 10 year old daughter with bananas we needed to use up, because we were feeling burnt out on banana bread. We used a chocolate cake mix and topped the cake with just simple whipped cream. It turned out so good! We’re thinking we’d like to try it with strawberry cake mix and maybe even spice cake mix. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad y’all like it, and those cake flavors sound delicious! I love whipped cream on cake, too. Thank you for commenting and rating.
could you use this recipe to make cakesicles or cake pops?
I don’t see why not, I haven’t tried it though. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
I used 4 ripe but not overly so bananas and the texture is unusual (coarse) but good!
Thanks so much for commenting and rating! The texture of mine turns out like a typical cake, but bananas can definitely change things depending on ripeness and amount. I’m glad you enjoyed it!