Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Buttercream

Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Buttercream ~ snack time just got a whole lot more interesting with this unique combination of bananas, poppy seeds, and lemon ~ you can whip up this easy one bowl cake in no time.

Bake up this banana poppy seed cake when a good friend’s coming over for coffee, or there’s a last minute potluck at the office, or maybe you’ve been so good about eating super healthy for a couple of weeks now that you could use a treat.  Whatever the excuse, I think you’ll be glad you gave it a shot.  If you’re going to share it, be sure to have copies of the recipe ready to go, you’re gonna get asked.

This is a classic dense and moist banana cake with the footprint of a blondie ~ kicked up a notch or two with lots of crunchy poppy seeds and a tangy lemon frosting.  Why should lemon and almond get all the fun when it comes to poppy seeds?

I don’t know why I haven’t thought to combine all these elements together before, they make for a cake that’s unusual but familiar at the same time.

I’m generous with this particular frosting, which has a similar tangy quality to a cream cheese frosting, but it’s even easier to whip up.  You might know it from my Blueberry Zucchini Cake with Lemon Buttercream.  It’s butter-heavy, and because of that I think it tastes best chilled, so I keep my cake in the refrigerator until I’m ready to eat.

No need to haul out the heavy equipment for this banana snack cake ~ just a whisk and a bowl will do fine.

It’s no secret that I love poppy seeds ~ I use them all the time, in everything from Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes to Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Mayonnaise.  They just add that special touch to so many foods.  I buy them in bulk, which means I always have some on hand to add to my recipes.

Reader Rave ~

“Absolutely amazing. I now have to gift the rest of it so I won’t eat anymore. I did use zest in the frosting. It was perfect.”  ~ Leia

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3.67 from 57 votes

Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Buttercream

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Yield 9 -12 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 2-3 ripe bananas mashed (to make about 3/4 cup mashed)
• 1/3 cup poppy seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

lemon buttercream

• 8 Tbsp 1 stick, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• juice of 1 lemon about 2 Tbsp
• the tiniest drop of yellow food coloring optional

Instructions

• Set oven to 350F Lightly spray a 9x9 square baking pan. I like to line it with parchment paper so I can lift the cake out after baking for easy frosting and cutting.
• Cream the butter, sugar, and sour cream together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, mashed banana, poppy seeds, and vanilla.
• Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together and add to the wet ingredients. Mix until just blended.
• Turn the batter out into the pan and smooth out evenly. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the top is just turning golden and the middle is set. A toothpick inserted in the center should be free of wet batter.
• Let cool on a rack completely before frosting.
• Make the frosting by beating the butter and sugar together with the lemon juice and food coloring, if using. Add a touch more juice if the frosting is too thick, or a little more sugar if too thin.
• I like to store the cake in the refrigerator, and it will keep for up to a week.

Make it your own ~

• Add the zest of the lemon to the frosting if you like.
• Substitute chopped walnuts for the poppy seeds.
• Substitute cream cheese for the butter in the frosting.

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