This Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting is a moist one bowl banana snack cake that pleases everybody, from the pretty crunch of the poppy seeds to the creamy vanilla buttercream, it’s a joy to make, and eat!
That handful of everyday ingredients pulls together to make a really special cake…I’m not sure if it’s the extra ripe bananas, the poppy seeds, the sour cream in the batter, or that frosting with a virtual galaxy of vanilla bean specs. But in the end, does it really matter? This cake is perfect, that’s all we need to care about, right?
Vanilla beans are expensive, but you can also use vanilla bean paste, which is one of my favorite new discoveries. It gives you that same flavor and beautiful specs at a much lower cost. The heavy vanilla presence in this frosting really makes a difference, and extract just doesn’t cut it.
Of course you could double the recipe and made a grand layer cake, but I like it this way, it’s more approachable, more snackable. And I could never eat a layer cake for breakfast 😉
I know this is going to become your favorite…
‘Nuf said.
In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve got more great banana cakes on the blog~
-
BANANA CAKE WITH SPICED VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
-
BANANA CAKE WITH NUTELLA BUTTERCREAM
-
BANANA WALNUT CAKE WITH MOCHA BUTTERCREAM
-
BANANA WALNUT CAKE WITH CARAMEL FROSTING
Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Ingredients
the cake
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup poppy seeds
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
the vanilla bean frosting
- 3 to 4 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature (about half the 8 oz package)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- the seeds from 1 vanilla bean
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
- milk or cream for thinning the icing
- a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Cream the butter, sugar and sour cream together. Beat in the egg, bananas and vanilla. (Make sure the bananas are completely mashed smooth first)
- Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into the wet mixture. Mix together just until thoroughly combined. Fold in the poppy seeds.
- Spread the batter into a greased 8x8 square baking pan. I lined mine parchment paper (or foil) so I could remove it easily for a neater presentation and cutting.
- Bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick just comes out clean.
- Cool before frosting.
- To make the frosting--- mix everything together until you have a thick, creamy, spreadable consistency. Taste to adjust your lemon juice.
- Heap onto the completely cooled banana cake and swirl it around thickly.
Don’t forget to pin this Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Vanilla Buttercream
How much vanilla bean paste would you use to replace the seeds of 1 vanilla bean?
About a teaspoon, Cheryl.
Do you think I could use a 9inch round pan? Thanks!
Yes, sure, Amanda, just check it carefully as it’s baking.
I know this is a crazy question on a cake recipe, two years after you posted it, but do you have any idea what removing the sugar would do to the cake? Ripe bananas are so sweet already, so it’s more the texture than the flavor that I’m concerned about. Thanks!
Gosh, you’ve got me there, Max. I think that’s a baking ‘chemistry’ question, and I don’t know. But now you’ve got me interested and I’m going to research it!
Just wondering if anyone has tried making this without the egg? (Egg allergy)
It seems like it could be made without, just not sure.
You could certainly try it, Bonnie, maybe use just a little more banana to replace it.
You can use flex seed meal for egg substitute. Look on the bag.
Hi !
Wow, this cake look lovely !
How thick is the cake ? I made this today (using a different recipe) but the cake was only just over an inch thick 🙁
Also, I am in England. Would it be possible for you to include Imperial measurements in your recipes ?
Thanks 🙂
Thanks, Andy — this cake is about 2 – 2 1/2 inches, as I remember. I would very much like to include universal measurements in my recipes, at least for the basic ingredients like butter and flour. As for the other things, it would be pretty difficult to convert everything, but I like the idea and I’ll give it some thought!
This cake was awesome! The only problem is that it’s kind of small! 🙂 I am not a banana fan per se, but this was really addictive. The frosting and the cake were a perfect combo. So much so that I didn’t mind walking around with seeds in my teeth! I had a lot of extra frosting, so I’m making another one today. Your blog is one of the best. I literally want to make everything I see on here. Thanks for sharing!
My gosh, that looks delicious! I’m rather excited to see my bananas get ripe now 🙂
finally, poppy seeds get to mingle with a fruit other than lemon! 🙂
Oh boy, what a simple cake. I can almost taste how good this one is. The frosting is what I would love to have a spoonful of.
poppy seed is one of my all time favorite breads- now you go making it beyond extraordinary by adding in banana! i love it- more importantly I love the icing on top! LOL!