This sourdough banana cake is a delicious way to use your sourdough discard as well as any ripe bananas that have been hanging out in your fruit bowl! Not only is this banana cake tasty but it is also a great way to reduce food waste.
I don’t know about you but I’m rather attached to my sourdough starter. I love making sourdough bread with my family and I also love using the discard to make yummy treats for friends and family.
This sourdough banana cake is one of my favorite discard recipes. If you are a fan of bananas then you have to try this cake. It is a soft and tender banana cake that is topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting.
Jump to:
Ingredients needed
For the cake you will need:
- All purpose flour: The base of the cake.
- Sugar and brown sugar: To sweeten the cake.
- Baking soda: To give the cake some rise.
- Salt: You’ll need just ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: To give the cake some spice.
- Sourdough starter: You’ll want to use your unfed sourdough starter.
- Egg: You’ll need one large egg for this recipe.
- Vegetable oil and sour cream: To make the cake moist.
- Vanilla extract: If possible, I recommend using pure vanilla extract in baking.
- Lemon juice: Feel free to use bottled or fresh.
- Bananas: You’ll need one cup of mashed ripe bananas. One cup was three bananas for me.
For the frosting you will need:
- Cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese for the best results.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter but if you prefer a little salt, feel free to use salted.
- Confectioner’s sugar: Also called powdered sugar.
- Vanilla extract: If possible, I recommend using pure vanilla extract.
- Milk (optional): Add one to two tablespoons of milk, if needed.
What size pan?
For this recipe, you will need a 9 x 13 inch pan.
How to make cake
To make the sourdough discard banana cake, begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
Next, in a large mixing bowl combine your dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda). Mix well with a large spoon.
Stir in your wet ingredients (sourdough starter, egg, vegetable oil, sour cream, mashed bananas, vanilla extract, and lemon juice).
Mix well with a hand mixer until everything is well combined with no lumps.
How to make the frosting
To make the frosting bring your cream cheese and butter to room temperature. With a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add in the vanilla extract then add the confectioner’s sugar a little at a time.
Mix until everything is fully blended. Add one to two tablespoons of milk, if needed.
Tips for a great banana cake
- Use very ripe bananas for a sweeter cake. The darker the bananas the more sweetness they will add to the cake.
- Mix the dry ingredients and then the wet. This well help to ensure that no one gets a big bite of salt or baking soda.
Other recipes that you might like:
Sourdough Banana Cake
Equipment
- 9 x 13 inch pan
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup sourdough starter unfed
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup vegetable oil substitute safflower oil, if desired
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas about 3 large bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice fresh or bottled
For the frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter (1 stick) softened
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk (optional) if needed
Instructions
For the cake
- To make the sourdough discard banana cake, begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
- Next, in a large mixing bowl combine your dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda). Mix well with a large spoon.
- Stir in your wet ingredients (sourdough starter, egg, vegetable oil, sour cream, mashed bananas, vanilla extract, and lemon juice).
- Mix well with a hand mixer until everything is well combined with no lumps.
- Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle.
- Let cool before frosting.
For the frosting
- Soften your cream cheese and butter to room temperature. With a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add in the vanilla extract then add the confectioner's sugar a little at a time.
- Mix until everything is fully blended. Add one to two tablespoons of milk, if needed.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for a sweeter cake. The darker the bananas the more sweetness they will add to the cake.
- Mix the dry ingredients and then the wet. This well help to ensure that no one gets a big bite of salt or baking soda.
Julie Martin says
If I want to let it ferment over night in the fridge and bake in the morning – which ingredients should I leave out until ready to bake??
Audrey says
Hi Julie, I haven’t overnight fermented this but if you want to experiment I would recommend that you leave out the leavening agents, nutmeg, and cinnamon while fermenting. The dough can get stiff and harder to mix once fermented so if you have a stand mixer that might be best. Hope that helps.
Katy says
Could I bake in 2, 6” or 8” round cake pans? Also could I sub butter or avocado oil for the veggie oil?
Audrey says
You can sub two, 8inch pans but you may have a little extra batter (do not overfill). The best sub for the vegetable oil would be coconut oil. I haven’t tried this with avocado oil so I can’t say for sure if it would work or not. Hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Lynette LeDoux says
Baking now and it smelled so good when I peeked into the oven. Did not use baking/cake flour, used all purpose; sifted all dry ingredients together into the bowl. Used coconut oil (shortening?) to prime the baking pan. I can tell this cake will be a big winner. I am already thinking of substituting the bananas with pumpkin or butternut or acorn squash. Fabulous!
Lisa says
Delicious! But bakers should know that when I entered the calories, carbs, fat, and protein from the nutrition info here on the blog my food tracking app notified me that the calories could not be correct. I entered the recipe by ingredient and entered twelve servings and the app suggested the calories per 1/12 of the cake are actually 529.
Audrey says
Thanks for sharing, Lisa! The nutritional information is automatically calculated so it is only an estimate. There is a disclaimer in each recipe card.
Addie says
This cake is stunning!
Julia says
What a great way to use sourdough!
Melinda says
A great new way to bake with ripe bananas! Love the frosting too.
nancy says
what a great idea with add banana to sourdough. i made this and everyone really enjoyed it over brunch today!
Keri says
Thank you for a great recipe!
Kris says
I’ve never seen sourdough cake- excited to try!
Andrea says
love a banana cake and this one is so delicious! easy and fluffy!
Sunrita says
Just love this recipe. Will be trying to make it soon!