This gingerbread banana sheet cake is super moist, loaded with cozy gingerbread flavors, and is topped with a cream cheese frosting.
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gingerbread banana sheet cake
Helloooo! Today I’m here with the only banana bread recipe you’ll need for the holiday season – this gingerbread banana sheet cake! It’s made with warm and cozy gingerbread spices & molasses, it’s super moist from the banana and it’s topped off with a super delicious vanilla cream cheese frosting.
So let’s get into it! 🙂
why you’ll love this gingerbread banana sheet cake:
- It’s super moist: a ton of bananas & some sour cream make this banana cake *extra* moist.
- Cream cheese frosting: the perfect balance of sweet & tangy.
- Gingerbread: the warm gingerbread spices pair perfectly with the banana.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
Be careful when mixing the cake batter:
When you over-mix your batter, you create more gluten in the batter which will make your cake go from light and moist to dense and chewy. Only mix in the dry ingredients until that last bit of flour dissapears.
Use room temperature ingredients:
This is super important for allowing the batter to come together smoothly. You’ll want to take your ingredients out of the fridge about an hour before baking to allow them enough time to come to room temperature.
Keep a close eye on the cake while it bakes:
Cakes and cupcakes like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for gingerbread banana sheet cake:
gingerbread banana sheet cake:
- All purpose flour: the structure of the cake.
- Baking powder: for leavening and giving that “cakey” texture.
- Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness.
- Gingerbread spice: for flavor – I used a pre-made blend of gingerbread spices but you can add in your own favorite blend.
- Banana: you’ll need ~3 very ripe bananas for this recipe. The more ripe the bananas are, the sweeter & more moist your cake will be.
- Unsalted butter: tenderizes the cake. You could use salted butter, just be sure to omit the extra salt from the batter.
- Dark brown sugar: sweetens the cake and adds moisture & flavor. I recommend dark brown sugar for the best flavor but you could use light brown sugar here as well.
- Molasses: for that classic gingerbread flavor! Make sure you are using unsulphured molasses.
- Egg: contributes moisture to the cake and helps bind the batter together.
- Sour cream: makes the cake more moist. You could use a full-fat yogurt here as well.
- Vanilla: for flavor.
- Chopped walnuts: for flavor and texture. You can substitute in any other nut, or some chocolate, or leave it out all together.
vanilla cream cheese frosting:
- Cream cheese: the tanginess from the cream cheese compliments the sweetness banana cake so well.
- Unsalted butter: to thicken up the frosting.
- Powdered sugar: for sweetness and thickening the frosting.
- Vanilla: for flavor. You could use vanilla bean paste here for some cute little speckles in the frosting.
how to make gingerbread banana sheet cake
Below are some images of what the cake looks like at various points of the process. You can find the full recipe at the end of the blog post!
- Mash the banana with the gingerbread spice to your desired consistency.
- Then beat in the remaining wet ingredients.
- Fold in the dry ingredients and walnuts.
- Bake the cake.
gingerbread banana sheet cake recipe q&a
Can I bake this cake in a different sized pan?
You could bake this in a 8″ cake pan, 9″ cake pan, or 9″ square pan. Note that in a 9″ pan the cake will be a tad shorter and will probably take a few minutes less to bake.
can I make this cake ahead of time?
The cake itself can be made and stored at room temperature – I probably wouldn’t recommend baking it more than one day before you want to frost and serve it just for the best freshness. You could make the cream cheese frosting ahead of time and keep it stored in the fridge as well – you would just have to have it come to room temperature & re-whip it before frosting the cake.
how to store this banana sheet cake
Once you frost the cake, you’ll want to keep it stored in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will keep well for about 3 days. I recommend only frosting the pieces you’re going to eat right away to avoid needing to store the cake in the fridge, where it will dry out faster.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Gingerbread Banana Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Gingerbread Banana Sheet Cake
- 141 g unsalted butter (10 tbsp.)
- 250 g banana mashed (~3 medium bananas)
- 2 ½ tsp. gingerbread spice
- 150 g dark brown sugar (¾ c.)
- 45 g molasses (3 tbsp.)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 60 g sour cream (¼ c.) room temperature
- 190 g all purpose flour (1 ½ c. + 1 tbsp.)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 85 g crushed walnuts optional (¾ c.)
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- 185 g cream cheese room temperature (¾ c. + 1 tbsp.)
- 85 g unsalted butter (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 270 g powdered sugar (2 ¼ c.)
- 2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
Gingerbread Banana Sheet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Butter and line an 8" square pan* with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, brown the butter. Stir the butter occasionally until it turns amber in color and develops little brown specks.
- Transfer the butter to a small bowl and set it in the freezer for 5 minutes to chill.
- Add the banana and gingerbread spice to a medium sized mixing bowl. Mash the banana to your desired consistency.
- Add in the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, molasses, both eggs, the vanilla, and the sour cream. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is well combined.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix together until only a few flour streaks remain. Add in the chopped walnuts, then mix just until no flour streaks remain.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the cream cheese and butter to a medium sized mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) to beat the ingredients together until the mixture is light and fluffy (1-2 min.)
- Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until well combined. Add in the vanilla, then beat for an additional minute.
- Once the cake has fully cooled to room temperature, top it with the cream cheese frosting. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.