Inevitably with bananas comes the day they go from unripe to super ripe and you have to think fast. Instead of muffins or bread, I decided to try banana walnut layer cake this time! I adapted the cake portion from a recipe on Sally’s Baking Addiction, but I decided to go a little fancier with the frosting and punch it up a bit. Next go round, I might put some of the walnuts in the cake like I would typically do with quick breads, but I liked the added crunch between the layers regardless.
What are the best bananas to use for banana walnut layer cake?
The best bananas to use for banana walnut cake are ripe bananas with a lot of brown. Green or fully yellow bananas will not be sweet enough. They shouldn’t be overly ripe either (black). Rather, look for lots of brown speckles. And make sure you measure the bananas, too! Remember, they are all different sizes, so measuring by volume or by weight ensures accuracy.
What kind of frosting do you use for banana walnut layer cake?
I liked to mix it up with mascarpone, but you can absoluely use regular cream cheese frosting here. If you want to make it taste similar, go ahead and add a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the frosting for a similar flavor. You’ll love the seasonality to it and it really punches up the flavor for everything.
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Banana Walnut Layer Cake
- Yield: One 8-inch cake 1x
Description
This moist banana walnut cake has creamy cinnamon mascarpone frosting and crunchy walnuts in between the layers.
Ingredients
Banana Layer Cake
- 3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (169 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (108 grams) light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs (150 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (354 grams) mashed ripe bananas, about 3
- 1 ½ cups (338 grams) buttermilk
Cinnamon Mascarpone Frosting
- 3 cups (750 grams) mascarpone
- 1 ½ cups (173 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (179 grams) heavy cream
Filling/Decoration
- 1 ¼ cups (125 grams) toasted walnut halves
Instructions
Make the Banana Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch pans, line with parchment and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a bowl fitted for a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a medium bowl with a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugars on medium high until light and creamy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, on medium speed to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, and then add the bananas.
- With the mixer running on low, alternate the flour mixture with the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Pour into the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Cinnamon Mascarpone Frosting
- In a bowl fitted for a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the mascarpone for about 30 seconds to break up and get creamy again.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar on low speed until absorbed, then add the honey, cinnamon and vanilla. Turn to medium-high and whip until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Turn the speed to medium-low and slowly drizzle in the cream. Once mostly incorporated, turn to medium-high and whisk until fluffy peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use immediately.
Assemble the Banana Walnut Layer Cake
- Coarsely chop about a cup of the walnuts, leaving some full halves to decorate the top if desired.
- Level the cakes, laying the first one down on a cake board. Fill with the frosting, sprinkle with about 1/3 of the nuts. Layer with the second cake and repeat the process.
- Layer the final cake, frost the sides and top and decorate as desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
AnnMarie Mattila
AnnMarie Mattila has been the editor for American Cake Decorating since 2021, and her company, Kissa Media, acquired the publication in 2025. She is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education and spent many years toting around her sweet creations before changing her focus to food media. She has a master’s degree in food studies from New York University and sometimes still eats cake scraps for dinner.
