What would life be like without a great cake? Hard to imagine, isn’t it? Today’s cake recipe for Easy Banana Caramel Cake is tender and flavorful, and it all starts with a boxed cake mix that tastes like it came from a high-end bakeshop. It’s that good!
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So, I will be honest: I love to bake, especially from scratch. For me, it’s getting out the ingredients, measuring and mixing everything together, and using all the different techniques to create something delicious.
But I am here to tell you that not everything has to be made from scratch all the time, and this banana bundt cake recipe is proof. It starts with a boxed yellow cake mix and a jar of caramel for an easy box cake mix hack. The result is a seriously delicious moist cake with a tender crumb that has an easy creamy caramel frosting that drizzles down the sides.
We all love easy recipes, and for this cake, just add some bananas to the cake mix, milk, and butter for that made-from-scratch taste.
Reasons To Love This Recipe
- It’s easy—start with a box cake mix and add some extra ingredients. For this recipe, use a Duncan Hines yellow cake mix.
- If you have extra bananas lying around, use them in this cake.
- Flavor—This cake has just the right amount of banana flavor—nothing overpowering. The caramel and vanilla beans pair so well together, making the bananas say thanks for being in my cake.
- The crumb – this cake has it all; it’s moist, tender, and dense-not fluffy.
- A caramel glaze—made with caramel and cream cheese—adds even more amazing flavor and moistness. It’s so pretty drizzled down the sides of the cake with chopped pecans on top.
- Simply decadent—this is not a fussy cake. It’s made in a bundt pan with a simple caramel glaze, but the taste is amazingly delicious, and it is such a crowd-pleasing dessert. You will be asked for the recipe for sure.
Scratch cakes to make and bake
Now if you want to bake a cake from scratch try these four cakes that get rave reviews.
- We always make this delicious Chocolate Stout Beer Cake for Father’s Day, and it is always a great dessert to serve for birthdays or any day you want a great chocolate dessert that is very easy to make.
- For citrus lovers, this Lemon Bundt Cake is full of fresh lemons and has a sweet lemon glaze. Or try this Orange Bundt Cake, a sweet and tender cake perfect for a winter or spring dessert when mandarins are in season.
- Another favorite banana recipe you should try is this easy Banana Cake Roll. The filling is baked right into the cake, so that making the cake roll is easy.
What type of bananas to use for a cake
- It happens with every bunch of bananas I buy; there seems to be one or two that just aren’t eaten before they go from pretty yellow bananas to brown, spotted, and smelly…you know, you probably have a few of them lurking in your fruit bowl. I will peel and freeze these brown bananas because they are perfect for making all kinds of good things.
- Try to use overripe bananas; they have more flavor and are sweeter. These are the bananas that are spotted, have brown streaks, or have turned almost black. Yes, this is the perfect banana to use.
- Frozen bananas – Don’t throw those smelly ones away; just put them in a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. I peel mine, but you can also freeze the unpeeled bananas. Frozen bananas will turn black, and when thawed, they will be juicy, which you will use for flavor.
- Fresh bananas can be used but could be less flavorful. Just puree or mash the bananas; otherwise, they could stay lumpy. Don’t let not having overly ripe bananas stop you from making a cake or bread; use those fresh ones, and you will still have great banana flavor.
- I used a frozen banana and a fresh banana for this recipe, and the flavor was perfect.
Banana Caramel Cake Ingredients
- Bananas: It’s best to use very ripe or frozen bananas for this cake to enhance its flavor. Overripe bananas add natural sweetness and a stronger banana aroma, making the cake exceptionally moist and delicious.
- Unsalted Butter: A 1/2 cup of unsalted butter helps give the cake its tender crumb and rich flavor. Make sure it’s at room temperature for easy mixing.
- Large Eggs: This recipe uses three large eggs, which contribute to the cake’s structure and moistness.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: A 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract as an alternative) adds a rich, deeply flavored background note to both the banana and caramel flavors.
- Yellow Cake Mix: This cake’s base starts with a box of Yellow cake mix, simplifying the baking process while still delivering a delicious, homemade taste.
- Milk: Adding 1/2 cup of milk ensures the cake batter is of the perfect consistency for a moist, tender cake.
- Caramel Sauce: Used both in the batter and glaze, the 6 tablespoons of caramel sauce in the cake, plus the additional 2 tablespoons in the glaze, infuse the cake with a rich, gooey sweetness.
- Granulated Sugar: A 1/4 cup of granulated sugar is used to prepare the bundt pan, ensuring the cake releases easily and has a sweet, crisp exterior.
Caramel Glaze
- Cream Cheese: 4 ounces of softened cream cheese form the base of the decadently creamy caramel glaze, adding a tangy contrast to the sweet caramel.
- Powdered Sugar: Used in the caramel glaze, 1 cup of powdered sugar sweetens and thickens the glaze to the perfect consistency for drizzling.
- Additional Milk: 1-2 tablespoons of milk are added to the glaze to adjust its thickness, ensuring it drizzles beautifully over the cake.
How To Make Banana Caramel Cake
Step 1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2. For this recipe, use a 10-cup bundt cake pan. Thoroughly grease the pan with softened butter or vegetable shortening (not vegetable oil) with a paper towel. Make sure to get into every nook and cranny of the pan; this is super important.
Cake Pan Tip
When baking cakes, my favorite way to prepare the pan is to sprinkle it with white sugar after it is greased instead of using all-purpose flour. The sugar adds flavor to the cake and gives it a sugared crust; the sugar does not leave remnants of flour on the cake.
Step 3. In a large bowl, add softened, room temperature butter and the bananas. See the notes on bananas from above. Set the electric mixer speed to medium to medium-high and mix until the mixture is creamy. You want creamy mashed bananas. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Step 4. Add the large eggs one at a time to the batter, mixing at medium speed. Add the vanilla with the last egg. Scrape the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
Step 5. Add half the milk and mix at low speed to incorporate, then add half the dry cake mix to the wet ingredients and mix in at low speed. Repeat adding the rest of the milk and cake mix. Scrape the bowl.
Step 6. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out into an even layer.
Step 7. Drizzle three tablespoons of the caramel over the cake batter, then run a knife through the cake batter and caramel to gently mix it in. Don’t go crazy here; just lightly marbelize it into the batter. Repeat with the remaining cake batter and caramel.
Step 8. Bake the cake for about 40 minutes. Check the center with a skewer to make sure it is done. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Step 9. After the initial cooling, remove the cake from the pan onto a cooling rack and cool completely before glazing. See my notes above for cooling and removing the cake.
Making the glaze
Step 1. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and caramel on medium speed using a handheld or stand mixer.
Step 2. Add the powdered sugar and one tablespoon of milk to the bowl and mix at low speed until the glaze starts to form and becomes smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add the additional milk to thin it out.
Glazing the cake
Step 1. Once the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled cake. You can glaze this as much or as little as you like.
Step 2. Optionally, sprinkle chopped pecans on the top of the cake.
Step 3. That’s it; your cake is ready to eat.
This delicious banana cake with caramel is perfect for an any day dessert or a grand celebration. It’s just a great cake!
How to cool and remove the cake
- For best results, when the cake is done, remove it from the oven onto a cooling rack and let it cool for 10 – 15 minutes. This will firm the cake up and help the cake shrink on its own from the sides of the pan.
- Letting the cake completely cool in the pan may cause it to become glued to the pan from the steam it creates, causing stickiness.
- If you remove the cake immediately after it is removed from the oven, it will likely tear or fall apart because it is too hot and tender.
- To release the cake from the pan, tap on the sides and gently shake the pan. You should start seeing the cake start to move around a bit. Now, turn the pan upside down on the cooling rack, leaving the pan on top of the cake for a minute. Now lift the pan off the cake and continue to cool.
- If you jiggle the cake pan and the cake is still stuck, try running a thin-bladed knife or spatula down the sides of the pan and the center tube to release the cake, then turn it out.
- Many newer bundt pans are nonstick and heavy, and my cakes just fall out of the pan. My old bundt pan is thinner, and the cake always needs coaxing to come out. No matter what, you need to grease every nook and cranny of the pan before adding the batter for the best results.
Tips
- Caramel Quality: Use a high-quality caramel sauce for both the batter and glaze. It makes a significant difference in the final taste of your cake.
- Mixing: Do not overmix ingredients, which can lead to a denser cake. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Cooling Time: Be patient with cooling both in and out of the bundt pan. This prevents the cake from falling apart when removing it from the pan.
- Glaze Consistency: Adjust the milk in the glaze according to the desired thickness. Start with a little, then add more if necessary to achieve a smooth drizzle.
Variations
- You can replace the vanilla bean paste with vanilla extract or fresh vanilla bean seeds. Before you do, read about the different types of vanilla to decide which ones you prefer.
- Instead of vanilla flavor, other flavors that pair well with bananas are cinnamon or ginger
- Instead of chopped pecans, you can sprinkle the top with chopped walnuts.
- Candied ginger would be delicious on top of the icing as well as in the cake batter.
- You can also make this banana cake without caramel. Try adding butterscotch for a great flavor.
- Toss a handful of mini chocolate chips into the batter.
- Instead of the yellow cake mix, try using a spice cake mix or even a white cake mix.
Recipe FAQ’s
You can swap out any pan you like if you don’t have a bundt pan or want to use one. Bundt pans hold 10-12 cups of batter, which is the perfect amount of batter for a 13″ x 9″, two 8″ round cake pans, or a tube pan.
A banana cake has a lighter, moister, more delicate texture than banana bread. Banana bread has a dense crumb compared to the cake, which contains more butter, sugar, flour, and eggs than a banana bread recipe, which lightens up the texture of a cake and makes it moist.
Honestly, ripe bananas do make a difference in taste since they sweeten as they ripen. If you need to use just-bought banana’s make sure to thoroughly puree them so they are smooth. Also, you can put the bananas in the oven at 300 degrees F. and bake until the bananas turn brown and then puree and add to your batter.
Honestly, ripe bananas do make a difference in taste since they sweeten as they ripen. If you need to use just-bought bananas, make sure to thoroughly puree them so they are smooth. You can also put the bananas in the oven at 300 degrees F. and bake until the bananas turn brown, then puree and add to your batter.
Yes, and it is easy: just replace the water with milk and the oil with softened butter. These two easy tweaks give the cake more flavor and a firmer homemade texture and crumb.
More (Related) Ideas
- This Raspberry Chiffon Cake is always a showstopper, all dressed up in pink. It’s easy to make, too! Bake this cake for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, or for any celebration.
- Make this simple Vanilla Bean Skillet Cake for a quick and rustic cake. This no-fuss cake can be served straight from the skillet; just add a dusting of powdered sugar on top.
- This is the perfect fall cake and a One Hot Oven favorite because it is so good. Once you eat a slice of this Spiced Pumpkin Sheet Cake, you will know why it’s been pinned over 3,000 times.
- Another boxed cake recipe that’s easy to make is these flavorful Coconut Cream Cupcakes.
Storage
I prefer keeping this cake in the refrigerator since it contains fresh bananas and a cream cheese glaze. You can lightly cover the cake with plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container for up to four days.
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Easy Banana Vanilla Bean Caramel Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 bananas preferably very ripe or frozen
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste optional, use 1/2 tbls vanilla extract
- 1 box Yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup milk
- 6 tablespoons caramel sauce
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for the bundt pan
Caramel Glaze
- 4 ounce cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons caramel sauce
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Mixing the cake
- heat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a 10-12 cup bundt cake pan by thoroughly buttering the pan all over with a paper towel. Get into all the groves and the center tube of the bundt pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of sugar into the buttered pan and twirl and shake the pan to cover with the sugar. You may need to sprinkle additional sugar on the center tube to make sure it is completely covered with sugar. When done shake the pan and pour out any sugar that settles in the bottom of the pan
- In a large bowl add the softened butter and the bananas. If using fairly fresh bananas cut them into small pieces or puree or mash them before adding to the bowl.Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment mix on medium to medium-high speed, beat the butter and bananas together until they are thoroughly combined and creamy. There should be no large pieces of bananas visible.
- Add in the eggs one by one to the banana mixture, mixing on medium speed, then add the vanilla bean paste and mix to incorporate. Scrape the bowl.
- On medium speed add half the milk and mix, then add half the dry cake mix and mix. Repeat with the remaining milk and cake mix, scraping the bowl as needed.
- With a large spoon or spatula add half the cake batter to the prepared bundt pan and smooth to make a layer.
- Drizzle three tablespoons of the caramel sauce over the center of the cake batter, keeping the caramel away from the pan, if possible. Gently swirl the caramel through the batter with a knife.Repeat with the remanig batter and caramel.
- Bake at 350° F for a baking time of 40-45 minutes or until done. Test the cake with a toothpick or skewer for any raw batter. I have a very old dark pan that is lightweight so I bake my cakes at 325° F for 45 minutes to ensure it doesn't burn.When done, remove the cake to a wire rack and let cool for about 10-15 minutes in the pan.
- To get the cake out of the pan, do not let it completely cool in the pan, otherwise it will stick to the pan. After the 10-15 minutes, tap the pan and shake it a few times to help release the cake. Turn the cake upside down on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Making the glaze
- In a small bowl add the softened cream cheese and caramel, mix on medium speed until creamed.
- Add the powdered sugar and one tablespoon of milk then mix on slow speed until combined. It's up to you how thick you want the glaze. Add additional milk as needed.
- Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake. Use as much or as little as you want. Optionally, immediatly sprinkle chopped pecans on the top of the cake while the glaze wet.
Storing the cake
- Store the cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for up to four days.
Notes
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Nutrition
First published: Sept. 22, 2017, Last updated Sept. 21, 2022 for better readability.
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About Jere’ Cassidy
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place. I am glad to be sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
I love the combination of these flavors. Banana, caramel, and vanilla! So delicious and flavorful! The box mix makes this so much easier and the texture is amazing!
Huh. You learn something new every day! I didn’t even think of adding other ingredients to cake mixes but it looks like it works! Your cake looks delicious and irresistible.
Amazingly moist and such a delicious cake. The caramel glaze turned out just great. My friends really enjoyed their coffee and I got caramel points. !
I love doctored up cake mix cakes and the flavors of this cake are out of this world! The banana and caramel make this a decadent dessert!