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Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF, gas mark 4). Grease and line an 18cm (7in) round cake tin.
Reserve half a banana for the icing and place the rest of the bananas in a mixing bowl. Mash until smooth, then set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and bananas, and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda and mix thoroughly. Quickly mix in the walnuts, then pour into the baking tin.
Bake in the oven for 60-75 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Turn out the banana cake and leave to cool on a wire rack.
To make the icing, place the butter and cocoa powder in a small saucepan. Heat until melted. Mash the reserved banana until very smooth. Add the melted butter mixture to the mashed banana and beat well, then add the icing sugar and vanilla extract. Beat thoroughly until very smooth. Use to ice the top of the banana cake once it has cooled. Decorate with chopped walnuts if you wish.
What do you think of this recipe? Leave us your comments, twists and handy tips.
Your comments
Capricornbabe
I made this cake in a bundt tin and susbstitued chocolate chips for the walnuts, as my children don't like them. Instead of icing. I dusted the ring with icing sugar. About half way through baking I covered with tin foil as the top was getting very dark and it still needed time baking. The result was delicious and I have another one baking in the oven right now. I very much recommend this recipe.
jubaker
I wonder what it is you did differently, as I love the look of the cake, but mine turned out like a brick!
jubaker
Made this today. Wish I had read some of the other comments. Far too long in the oven at an hour and pretty much didn't rise at all. Looks lovely in the photo, but there's no way I could even disguise this one!
Nikki84
I love this recipe, in fact i made it for the first time yesterday and it went down so well i've just made a second cake today! I don't use the nuts, and replaced them with the same weight in sultanas. I didn't make the icing yesterday, but gave it a go today. I found the icing comes out quite runny, like others have said, and even more icing sugar isn't seeming to help. Also, with mashed up banana in the icing does anyone know how long it will last for?? I may well leave the icing out next time, because even without it's a lovely, moist, tasty cake. By far the best banana cake i've ever had!
Katy goodtoknow Recipes
Hi BB, sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the recipe - wondered what size cake tin you used? The recipe calls for an 18inch round tin which is quite small for a round cake - using an 18 inch tin and the bicarb along with the self-raising flour will help the cake to rise higher - using a 20inch or 24inch tin will make the cake a bit shorter - hope that helps!
BB
The finished cake is nothing like that in the picture. I followed instructions exactly, yet cake came out a third of the size of that in the picture, and the icing was too runny to spread on to the cake, even after leaving it in the fridge for a couple of hours before spreading. Taste was ok, although very sweet, too sweet.
Jolene goodtoknow Editor
Thanks for the tip, Hannah
Hannah09
I made this cake yesterday. I didn't use the icing. I used a round cake tin, cooked it for 1 hour and found the cake was quite dry. I think it needed 45 minutes in the oven max so its moist. Or use a loaf tin and cook for 1 hour.
Irene
I made this recipe in a loaf tin without the icing and it was gorgeous. The best cake I've ever made, so moist and tasty.
jill
I made this cake last week and actually found it to be a bit dry. This time round, I added slightly more banana, 1/2 tsp mixed spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon. I removed the walnuts so my toddler could eat it too- he loved it! I iced all over the cake and decorated with gold dragees for a festive look- delicious! x
Mel
I made this cake and actually decided to cook it in a loaf tin. I was very pleased with my finished product and do recommend the recipe. My icing turned out fine and i followed the recipe.
Sarah
The cake was good and turned out well. However, the icing was very runny and was more like a sauce. I could not get it to set even after adding more icing sugar - spoilt the look of the cake.
Sid
I followed Georgina's advice and put the icing in the middle, it was delicious. I would double the cake mix though if you want a big cake, as it doesn't come out nearly as tall as the picture! Delicious, moist cake.
Melina
Delicious cake, but it doesnt raise as high as in the picture. I would personally add the vanilla to the actual cake, not the icing. But other than that, this is a very good recipe :)
Georgina
Made this yesterday and the cake itself is lovely and moist - must be the pound of overripe bananas! However the icing is very sweet. I would recommend using this in the middle after slicing the cake in half to sandwich back together or leave out altogether. Would make this cake again although not sure about the icing.
Your comments
Capricornbabe
I made this cake in a bundt tin and susbstitued chocolate chips for the walnuts, as my children don't like them. Instead of icing. I dusted the ring with icing sugar. About half way through baking I covered with tin foil as the top was getting very dark and it still needed time baking. The result was delicious and I have another one baking in the oven right now. I very much recommend this recipe.
jubaker
I wonder what it is you did differently, as I love the look of the cake, but mine turned out like a brick!
jubaker
Made this today. Wish I had read some of the other comments. Far too long in the oven at an hour and pretty much didn't rise at all. Looks lovely in the photo, but there's no way I could even disguise this one!
Nikki84
I love this recipe, in fact i made it for the first time yesterday and it went down so well i've just made a second cake today! I don't use the nuts, and replaced them with the same weight in sultanas. I didn't make the icing yesterday, but gave it a go today. I found the icing comes out quite runny, like others have said, and even more icing sugar isn't seeming to help. Also, with mashed up banana in the icing does anyone know how long it will last for?? I may well leave the icing out next time, because even without it's a lovely, moist, tasty cake. By far the best banana cake i've ever had!
Katy goodtoknow Recipes
Hi BB, sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the recipe - wondered what size cake tin you used? The recipe calls for an 18inch round tin which is quite small for a round cake - using an 18 inch tin and the bicarb along with the self-raising flour will help the cake to rise higher - using a 20inch or 24inch tin will make the cake a bit shorter - hope that helps!
BB
The finished cake is nothing like that in the picture. I followed instructions exactly, yet cake came out a third of the size of that in the picture, and the icing was too runny to spread on to the cake, even after leaving it in the fridge for a couple of hours before spreading. Taste was ok, although very sweet, too sweet.
Jolene goodtoknow Editor
Thanks for the tip, Hannah
Hannah09
I made this cake yesterday. I didn't use the icing. I used a round cake tin, cooked it for 1 hour and found the cake was quite dry. I think it needed 45 minutes in the oven max so its moist. Or use a loaf tin and cook for 1 hour.
Irene
I made this recipe in a loaf tin without the icing and it was gorgeous. The best cake I've ever made, so moist and tasty.
jill
I made this cake last week and actually found it to be a bit dry. This time round, I added slightly more banana, 1/2 tsp mixed spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon. I removed the walnuts so my toddler could eat it too- he loved it! I iced all over the cake and decorated with gold dragees for a festive look- delicious! x
Mel
I made this cake and actually decided to cook it in a loaf tin. I was very pleased with my finished product and do recommend the recipe. My icing turned out fine and i followed the recipe.
Sarah
The cake was good and turned out well. However, the icing was very runny and was more like a sauce. I could not get it to set even after adding more icing sugar - spoilt the look of the cake.
Sid
I followed Georgina's advice and put the icing in the middle, it was delicious. I would double the cake mix though if you want a big cake, as it doesn't come out nearly as tall as the picture! Delicious, moist cake.
Melina
Delicious cake, but it doesnt raise as high as in the picture. I would personally add the vanilla to the actual cake, not the icing. But other than that, this is a very good recipe :)
Georgina
Made this yesterday and the cake itself is lovely and moist - must be the pound of overripe bananas! However the icing is very sweet. I would recommend using this in the middle after slicing the cake in half to sandwich back together or leave out altogether. Would make this cake again although not sure about the icing.