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–+ servings
A piece of banana cake on a plate, with frosting
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3.89 from 68 votes

Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Buttercream

Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Buttercream is an easy one bowl snack cake generously topped with an irresistible lemon frosting!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 299kcal
Author: Sue Moran

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.

Notes

Notes:

 
  • Add the zest of the lemon to the frosting if you like for even more lemony flavor.
  • Substitute chopped walnuts or pecans for the poppy seeds.
  • Substitute cream cheese for the butter in the frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 384IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg