A true dessert recipe, this cake is moist, slightly tangy, and has a great banana flavor. Topped with the perfect cream cheese icing, it’s a dessert you’ll love.
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Great use of sourdough starter. Sourdough bakers are always looking for ways to use discarded starter, and this recipe is a new favorite.
- Sweet and delicious. Just like my sourdough chocolate cake, this is a true cake: a dessert, not a breakfast. (Not that I would judge you for having a slice in the morning!). If you’re looking for banana bread, you can grab that recipe here.
- Easy to make. No layers, no fussing, no sifting. Simple!
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
You’ll need the following for this yummy snack cake:
- very ripe bananas
- sugar
- brown sugar
- vegetable oil
- eggs
- vanilla
- flour
- baking soda
- salt
- sourdough starter
- non-stick baking spray
🥣 Equipment
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- square or round cake pan
- hand mixer
- spatula
🍴Instructions
Make the cake
Before you get started, preheat your oven to 350 with a rack in the center.
Step one: Wet ingredients
This is an easy recipe and since it’s vegetable oil-based, there’s no need to break out the stand mixer. A hand mixer will work fine. Mash up your bananas a little bit to help them blend in easily.
First beat the oil, sugars, and banana in a large mixing bowl with your mixer on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined.
Step two: Add dry ingredients
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate large mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time, mixing on low until just combined after each addition. Add the sourdough starter and stir in by hand. Don’t worry, the starter doesn’t make the cake taste sour at all.
Step three: Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Carefully turn the cake out onto the cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting
Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Add half the powdered sugar and beat on low. Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat on low until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute.
🥫 Storage instructions
Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days. The cake freezes well unfrosted.
🔍 FAQs
Sure, and that way you can feel good about eating it for breakfast.
Ummm…. no. It would be a totally different recipe and that’s too confusing.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- Don’t overmix the batter.
- This recipe is quite sweet and you can safely reduce the sugar by about 1/3 and still get a good result.
- Make sure your bananas are very ripe and soft or they won’t properly incorporate into the batter.
📘 Related Recipes
📖 Here’s the recipe
Sourdough Banana Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 very ripe bananas masheed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard or unfed
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 6 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2.5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in center. Prepare a 9 inch round or square cake pan with cooking spray or shortening dusted with flour
- Beat the oil, sugars, and banana in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla, mix until combined.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate large mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time, mixing on low until just combined after each addition. Add the sourdough starter and stir in by hand.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Carefully turn cake out onto cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Cut into wedges or squares to serve. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days.
Make the Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Add half the powdered sugar and beat on low. Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat on low until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute.
Notes
Nutrition
Hope you enjoy this sourdough cake recipe!
Hi! I was looking for a banana cake recipe that also used sourdough discard and I found yours! Excited to try it! I am confused by the pan sizes mentioned – you say use either a 9″ round or square. Those two pans are not really equivalent in volume and swapping them will make for very different baking times and cake size. (a 9″ round has 63.5″ area and holds approx 8 cups of batter. A 9″ square is 81″ area and holds 10cups batter) Which shape pan do you typically use with the baking time indicated on the recipe for the best success? Thanks so much!
Hey Karyn I use a round!
Thanks! I had so much discard I didn’t want to waste – so I actually tried doubling this and used a 9×13 pan and it worked great!! It’s a very yummy recipe!
This was absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe.