My Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting is a little one bowl banana snack cake that makes everybody happy!
A handful of everyday ingredients pulls together to make a really special cake…I’m not sure if it’s the ripe bananas, the crunchy 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 know.
banana poppy seed cake ingredient notes
bananas
- Don’t let anyone tell you you must have a blackened banana to make this cake. I’ve used bananas straight from the supermarket and that’s fine. Firm bananas have a different flavor profile from over-ripe ones, but both will work.
poppy seeds
- Poppy seeds not only make this little cake pretty, they add crunch and nutty flavor. Poppy seeds, like all seeds, can go rancid if stored too long, so give your jar a sniff and make sure yours are fresh. If you’ve had yours for a year or more, time to replace.
sour cream
- Makes a moist tender cake.
vanilla bean
- 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.
- Don’t waste your bean ~ after scraping the seeds for this cake, pop the pod into your canister of sugar. It will flavor the sugar for months to come.
take note…
This banana poppy seed cake is on the small side. I could have called it banana poppy seed bars, or blondies. But the frosting sealed the deal, it’s definitely a cake, just a small one.
Of course you could double the recipe and made this 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 😉
banana poppy seed cake comment highlights
I know this is going to become your favorite…
Some like to roast their bananas first for extra flavor and sweetness (roast ~ peel on ~ in a 400F oven for 15-20 minutes.)
One reader made the snack cake into muffins.
One used applesauce in place of the egg, another substituted egg whites.
Several of you skipped the frosting altogether and love this cake as is.
Chris emailed me to let me know this recipe was her most successful bake sale item ever!
Bridget bakes it in a loaf pan, and says it is her “go to banana bread.”
I’ve gone bananas!
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Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Equipment
- 9×9 square baking pan
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 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup poppy seeds
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
the vanilla bean frosting
- 3 to 4 ounces brick style cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- milk or cream for thinning the icing
- a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and butter your pan. I like to line with a sling of parchment paper so I can remove the cake for frosting and serving, but that's optional.
- Cream the butter, sugar and sour cream together. Beat in the egg, bananas, vanilla, and poppy seeds. (Make sure the bananas are mashed smooth first)
- Sift your flour, baking soda and salt into the wet mixture and blend just until thoroughly combined ~ but don't over mix.
- Spread the batter into your prepared baking pan.
- Bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick just comes out clean.*
- Let the cake cool before frosting.
- To make the frosting— blend everything together until you have a thick, creamy, spreadable consistency. Taste to adjust your lemon juice. Note: I do this quick and easy in my food processor. This way you can start with cold cream cheese!
- Heap onto the completely cooled banana cake and swirl it around thickly.
Notes
Nutrition
First it was your chewy ginger cookies, now it’s your banana poppy seed cake. We love the View from Great Island!
PS. Made a double batch of the cake for tomorrow’s Super Bowl party. I’m sure it will be a great hit.
Haha, I’m grinning! Thanks Edith <3
I paleo-fied this and it is so good. I just love the banana poppy seed combo. I posted about it on my blog, if you have a chance to check it out. I would appreciate it!
Thanks Joanna, I will. I agree the combo is such a good one 🙂
Can you bake this in a loaf pan? And if so would it be the same temp and time?
You can convert it to a loaf pan, baking at the same temperature, but the loaf pan should take a little longer because it will be deeper.
I have never used vanilla bean paste, about how much would you use in this recipe?
I use it interchangeably with the extract, so in the same amount. If you love vanilla you will go crazy for the paste, Terry!
Hi Sue ! I made muffins today and my husband said they are delicious ! I am wondering what the best way is to store muffins and all baked goods. I am not a fan of plastic. Have a beautiful Sunday !
That’s a great question and one I’m always struggling with ~ I hate it when my baked goods get soggy or lose their beautiful texture after being stored. I usually loosely cover them in foil. If you have a glass cake dome that can work too.
Delicious cake! I only used half the amount of poppy seeds (1/4 cup) which was plenty! And I had a ton of icing leftover so now o need to make another cake!
Everybody has their own special poppy seed limit, I love to go overboard with them, but 1/4 cup is plenty to get the effect, for sure! Glad you liked it Lisa.
Hi! I made these as muffins and they were awesome. I cut the sugar in half, and no frosting. And I was out of eggs so used applesauce. What a great recipe, thanks!
That’s great to know Michelle, I didn’t realize this recipe was so versatile, love the appleasuce idea! I think I’d keep the frosting, though 😉
Can’t make this anymore! So horrible for my diet! Ate the entire thing 🙂
5 stars in my eyes. So moist n yummy. Really glad i tried this recipe. TY
🙂 I was just thinking about doing this recipe again and re-posting it as part of my Vintage View series ~
This is delectable Sue. I like old fashioned cakes – i find them homely and wonderful!
Me too, Tina!