I love a good banana cake and this Banana Rum Cake recipe is at the top of my list. Not only is the cake delicious, it will also make your home smell amazing while baking. It is a cake that is wonderful on it's own, or drizzle some chocolate or peanut butter sauce over the top - or both!
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What you will love about this recipe
The rum in this cake is optional and may be replaced with vanilla extract. Both flavors work well with the bananas. The crumb is billowy and soft, yet dense enough to hold up to slicing and toasting - if you have any leftovers!
Ingredients
- Bring your butter and eggs to room temperature before starting to mix the cake batter. I know - I sound like a broken record - but it is important to create a homogenous batter!
- Use ripe bananas. This recipe uses three bananas - two sliced and layered in the cake and one mashed and added to the cake batter after the eggs. I prefer to use a dinner fork to mash bananas.
- All-purpose flour (use gluten-free flour if desired), granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon
- Dark rum: dark rum is full of bold flavor with hints of spice. You may replace the rum with vanilla extract.
Cake Assembly
- Prepare a 8" round cake pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper or greasing the pan.
- After mixing the cake batter, add half of the batter to the prepared pan, smooth with a spatula, slice two bananas to ¼" slices and lay on top of the batter in the pan. Then add the second half of the batter on top of the banana slices.
- This recipe produces a thick batter and it will be necessary to smooth the batter in the cake pan using an offset spatula.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar evenly over the top of the cake prior to baking. The sugar will caramelize while baking and add an extra crunch to the top of the cake.
Storage
Place the cake in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Also, the cake may be frozen for up to 3 months.
Flavor Variations
This Banana Rum Cake is wonderful on its own, but to dress it up a little, consider the following:
- Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake top
- Drizzle with peanut butter sauce and add a torched banana slice
- Add walnuts and caramel to the cake slices
- Drizzle with melted chocolate
📋 Recipe
Banana Rum Cake Recipe
The perfect cake for any banana lover - the rum is optional! It is a cake that is as simple in its look as it is in the process to create it – but there is nothing simple about the flavor.
Equipment
- 1 Hand Mixer or
- 1 Cake Pan 8"
Ingredients
- 180 Grams All Purpose Flour (1 ½ Cups)
- 1.5 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 114 Grams Butter (room temperature) (6 ounces or 1 ½ sticks)
- 170 Grams Granulated Sugar (⅔ Cup)
- 3 Large Eggs Room temperature
- 2 tablespoon Dark Rum Optional
- 2 Ripe Bananas For slicing and layering in cake
- 1 Ripe Banana, smashed For adding to cake batter
- 2 tablespoon Granluated Sugar (for sprinkling top of cake prior to baking)
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Prepare an 8" round cake pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper or greasing the pan.
- Smash one banana and set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Place butter and granulated sugar in stand mixer bowl. Begin creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2 - 4 minutes), scraping bowl occasionally.
- Add room temperature eggs, one at a time, scraping bowl between each addition. Mix on medium-low speed until eggs are well incorporated.
- Add the rum and mix for approximately 30 seconds,
- Add the smashed banana and mix for approximately 60 seconds.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Slice 2 bananas in ¼" slices and layer on top of cake batter.
- Pour second half of cake batter over bananas and smooth top with an offset spatula.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar evenly over top of cake.
- Bake for 50 - 60 minutes at 350°. The cake top will be a golden color and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake will come out clean when the cake is done.
- Place cake on a rack and allow to cool completely before unmolding.
- If desired, sprinkle confectioners' sugar over top of cake after unmolding.
Video
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Donalyn says
I don't care for bananas raw, but put them in a cake and I'm happy. This cake is so good - and we tried all the different toppings - they were all great!