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This perfectly moist banana bundt cake is topped with silky chocolate ganache for a dessert you’ll want to make again and again.
My dad is pretty much a chocolate fanatic: the darker and richer it is, the better. He loves bananas too. So it seemed only natural that the first time I made this banana bundt cake finished with glazed chocolate ganache was for his birthday.
I’ve never been one to try my hand at elaborately decorated cakes. Don’t get me wrong, I think they are truly gorgeous. It’s just that I have an attention span that rivals that of a 4-year-old who eats cupcakes and drinks Mountain Dew. Seriously.
Instead of towering cakes with beautiful piping details, I like to keep things a little simpler – okay, easier – and it doesn’t get any easier than bundt cakes.
And this banana cake isn’t just any donut.
What makes this banana donut so perfect?
This banana donut isn’t just special because of the chocolate ganache on top. (Though that doesn’t hurt!)
No, this banana cake is special because it’s incredibly flavorful and undeniably moist.
The secret to this cake is the unusual method of baking the cake at 275°F and then immediately placing it in the freezer for an hour.
Kinda weird? Absolutely.
However, after just one delicious bite, you’ll be convinced that this banana donut is second to none. (And if you’ve already tried my moist banana cake, you already know!)
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How to make my banana donut
For such a perfect cake, you might be surprised that it’s quite easy to make.
Ingredients you will need
Even though this banana donut is so moist and flavorful, it contains no strange or “special” ingredients! The ingredient list is actually very simple.
You will need:
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Buttermilk is one of the key ingredients in this recipe. It adds a tangy touch to the cake and helps keep it moist.
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make a quick and easy buttermilk substitute using just 2 ingredients that work great in this cake.
Make sure the butter is softened before you start making the dough. If you forget to make it ahead of time, check out my tips for softening butter quickly.
For the chocolate ganache covering you will need:
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Preparing this recipe
We will bake this banana bundt cake at 275°F. No, that’s not a typo. This is the actual temperature! Low and slow.
Take your favorite 12-cup baking pan and grease and flour it or spray it with nonstick baking spray.
For the batter, start by mixing the banana puree with the lemon juice. Set this aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This should take at least 3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until combined after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas.
Pour the mixture into the previously prepared donut mold and bake for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and immediately place the entire pan, with the cake still inside, in the freezer. Leave it in the freezer for 45-60 minutes.
You Candies Skip this step, but I don’t recommend it. I already tried it without putting it in the freezer and it wasn’t as good!
After an hour in the freezer, remove the cake and leave it to cool on a wire rack for at least 3 hours.
When you are ready to serve the cake, arrange it on a serving plate and prepare the covering with the chocolate ganache.
Add the chocolate to a bowl, then place the cream in the microwave for about 1 minute or until bubbles form on the surface. Don’t let it overflow!
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave to rest for about 3 minutes, then blend until smooth and pour over the cake.
Storage and freezing
Store the banana donut, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
You can also freeze the cake. I recommend freezing the entire cake without topping the ganache. Add the ganache after defrosting the cake, before serving.
You can also freeze leftover cake slices. Because of the ganache topping, freeze the slices on a baking sheet before wrapping in plastic wrap and storing in a zip-top freezer bag.
For more details on all the ways you can freeze cake, check out my post on how to freeze cake.
Frequent questions
Don’t panic and don’t go to the store yet. There are many shortcuts to making a buttermilk substitute using regular milk and lemon juice or vinegar, yogurt, cream of tartar, or sour cream.
I walk you through each of these options in my post on how to make buttermilk, so simply choose the substitute that works best based on what you have on hand!
Obviously! You can easily replace the chocolate ganache on this banana cake with a cream cheese frosting. My brown butter frosting would be a great option too!
You could also opt for a vanilla frosting like this one carrot donut.
Technically no. You can absolutely skip the freezer step and just let the cake cool as you normally would. The cake will still be delicious.
But I will tell you that I have tried this banana cake both ways – with the freezer step and without – and it is SO much better when you put it in the freezer! It turns out so much more moist and the texture is just amazing.
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Preheat oven to 275°F (yes, this temperature is correct and not a typo). Thoroughly grease and flour a 12-cup nonstick baking pan or spray with nonstick baking spray.
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In a small bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the lemon juice. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each egg. Stir in the vanilla.
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Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing until smooth. Stir in the mashed bananas.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
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Remove the cake from the oven and place the entire pan with the cake inside directly into the freezer for 45-60 minutes. This will make the cake very moist. Remove cake from freezer to a cooling rack for at least 3 hours.
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When serving, invert the cake onto a serving plate and prepare the chocolate ganache.
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To make ganache, add chopped chocolate to a medium bowl; set aside. Pour the cream into a microwave-safe measuring cup and microwave on high for about 1 minute or until bubbles begin to form on the surface. Be careful not to overheat as the cream will boil over. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it rest for about 3 minutes. Use a small whisk to combine the mixture until you have a smooth chocolate frosting. Drizzle the cooled cake.
If you don’t like chocolate, try topping this banana donut with cream cheese frosting or brown butter frosting.
Useful resources:
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 370kcal, Carbohydrates: 53G, Protein: 5G, Fat: 16G, Saturated fats: 9G, Polyunsaturated fats: 1G, Monounsaturated fat: 4G, Trans fats: 0.4G, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 179mg, Potassium: 194mg, Fiber: 2G, Sugar: 32G, Vitamin A: 474UI, C vitamin: 2mg, Soccer: 47mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is calculated automatically, so should only be used as an approximation.