Banana Cream Cake with Whipped Berry Frosting
A delicious banana cake, fortified with rich coconut cream for moisture and topped with a vibrant, silky-smooth fresh berry frosting. For quick-fix berry frosting options, see the section in the post titled, “Berry Frosting Tips.”
- Yield: Makes one, 9 x 13-inch cake 1x
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 3 large, very ripe bananas
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 14.5-ounce can coconut cream
FOR THE BERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 6 ounces blackberries
- 11 ounces blueberries (one package, typically)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (one stick)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (or more, depending on how sweet you like it)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 X 13-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper. Mash the bananas in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the 10 tablespoons of butter on high speed until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute. Add the sugars and beat for 3 minutes until very smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the vanilla and bananas, and scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is fully mixing together. Mix on med-high until well blended.
- In a bowl, whisk the buttermilk together with the coconut cream (tip: don’t shake the can of coconut cream to mix it – you just want the thick solid cream at the top. Save the coconut water underneath for another use).
- Add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk/coconut cream mixture. After each addition, mix just until things are incorporated – no more. Overmixing makes for tough cakes.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 43 to 45 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly in the oven, just lay a piece of foil over top.
- Cool completely before removing, and slathering with the frosting (see below; you probably won’t need all of the frosting).
To make the frosting:
- Put the berries in a saucepan over medium heat and, stirring occasionally, let them simmer and cook into what is essentially a chunky berry sauce. After about 10 to 12 minutes, when the berries have totally broken down, strain them through a fine mesh sieve/strainer and collect as much juice as you can (you’ll get about 1/3 to 1/2 cup-ish). Set the juice aside and discard the pulp in the strainer.
- Using a hand held or stand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until super smooth. Add the powdered sugar, ¼ cup of the reserved fresh berry juice, and the vanilla. Whip until very smooth and creamy (It’s very smooth and silky compared to standard butter creams). Add more berry juice, if you like. The more you add, the prettier the color but the looser the frosting.
Notes
1. Storage tip: Because the frosting is so smooth and won’t harden the way others do, I recommend actually slicing the frosted cake into squares (as pictured) and placing them back into the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and store that way, so the frosting will remain undisturbed.
2. Extra cream cheese frosting can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. To re-use, let it thaw in the fridge/countertop and re-whip again before spreading.
Keywords: Banana Cream Cake with Berry Frosting