Banana Layer Cake with Malted Chocolate Cream
This moist banana cake is one of the easiest and most delicious cakes you'll ever bake!
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins
- Total
- 50 mins
- Makes
- 12 servings
This Moist Banana Cake is one of the simplest and most delicious cakes you'll ever bake! It's two 8-inch layers of tender banana cake paired with a malted chocolate mascarpone whipped cream that's out of this world.
Why You'll Adore This Recipe
- Bananas and chocolate are a match made in heaven!
- It's an incredibly moist banana cake.
- You can mix it with a whisk, hand mixer or stand mixer. A hand mixer or stand mixer works best for the malted chocolate whipped cream.
- It’s made of 2 8-inch layer banana cakes—great for a larger group or party!
- It pairs beautifully with this smooth, creamy malted chocolate mascarpone whipped cream.
- Crown this cake with malted chocolate balls (like Whoppers) for a fun finishing touch!
If you'd like a smaller snack version with chocolate chips and a richer chocolate frosting, try my Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cake! For more layered cakes, check out my Chocolate Chip Cake, Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake, and Chocolate Cake with Oreo Buttercream Frosting recipes!
What You'll Need
Grab a pen and paper, or your favorite shopping list app! Here's everything you need for this two-layer banana cake.
- All-Purpose Flour. Use whatever you have on hand. My go-to is King Arthur Flour. Sift it before using for the best results.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda. These leavening agents give cakes their lift, structure and volume. Make sure they're fresh and not expired.
- Salt. It keeps the sweetness from getting out of hand.
- Vegetable Oil. Coconut oil, vegetable shortening or unsalted butter can be used instead. Keep in mind that shortening or butter may change the structure and texture of the banana cake slightly.
- Granulated Sugar. Adds a touch of sweetness to the cake.
- Eggs. Use large eggs that have come to room temperature.
- Sour Milk. Made by combining whole milk with lemon juice.
- Vanilla Extract. Rounds out all the flavors in this moist banana cake.
- Bananas. Use medium bananas that are well ripened and mashed before they go into the mixture. They're what gives this cake its very moist texture.
For the malted chocolate mascarpone whipped cream, you'll need the following:
- Malted Milk Powder. I used Nestle's, but King Arthur also makes a good malted milk powder.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Vanilla Extract
- Mascarpone Cheese. Leave this out if you want a much lighter topping.
You'll find exact quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sour Milk
Sour milk can stand in for buttermilk (see my Single Layer Red Velvet Cake recipe for an example), and it's very easy to make. You'll need it for this moist banana cake.
The full steps are in the instructions below, but to make sour milk, whisk 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 cup of whole milk. No lemon juice? White distilled vinegar works as a substitute. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before adding it to the batter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's a quick overview of how to make this delicious, super-moist banana cake! For the full printable recipe, scroll down to the recipe card. You can make this banana cake with US customary or metric measurements.
Quick Tip: Before you start, make the sour milk and mash the bananas. Doing these two things early keeps the process moving smoothly. Also, prep your cake tins and preheat the oven.
Step 1. Sift the dry ingredients together. That means the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Or you can sift just the flour and then whisk in the other dry ingredients.
Step 2. Whisk the wet ingredients. Start with the vegetable oil and granulated sugar, then add the eggs.
Step 3. Alternate adding the sour milk and the dry ingredients. Mix in the vanilla and mashed bananas. Stir until everything is just combined.
Step 4. Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake. 28-30 minutes at 350ºF. Let the layers cool completely. They can be made ahead and frozen for up to a month.
Step 5. Frost the cake. Once the layers are cool, frost them with the malted chocolate mascarpone whipped cream.
My Favorite Baking Tools
For this easy banana cake, here are the baking tools I used. A whisk, hand mixer or stand mixer will all work.
Recipe FAQs
Do you sift your all-purpose flour before weighing it?Yes. If you're going by the metric weight of the all-purpose flour (recommended), sift it straight into the mixing bowl sitting on your food scale. If you measure with cups, I'd suggest sifting
When all-purpose flour is noted as ‘sifted all-purpose flour,’ does that mean it is weighed before or after it’s sifted?That means the flour is weighed before it's sifted. Or it's sifted into a mixing bowl that's sitting on the food scale. If the recipe says 'all-purpose flour, sifted,' you should weigh the flour after sifting it.
How do I prevent my cake layers from doming?Here are three ways to keep your cake layers from getting a domed top:
1. Use a heating core in the center of your cake pan. I haven't tried this one myself, but some people swear by it. 2. Use cake baking strips. I've used my Wilton baking strips many times, and they work well. 3. Tap the cake tins. Gently tapping the filled tins on the counter before baking releases any trapped air bubbles.
Yes! Cake layers can be made ahead and frozen for up to a month. Double-wrap them in plastic wrap, put them in a labeled freezer bag, and lay them flat in the freezer. You can frost them straight from frozen without thawing first.
More Cake Recipes to Enjoy!
If you tried this Banana Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and tell me what you thought in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!
Banana Layer Cake with Malted Chocolate Cream
This moist banana cake brings together two layers of soft, delicious banana cake with an ultra-creamy malted chocolate mascarpone whipped cream.
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins
- Total
- 50 mins
- Makes
- 12 servings
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour, sifted
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 cup Whole Milk, mix with lemon juice for sour milk
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice, only to be mixed with the milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 medium Bananas, well-ripened, mashed
Malted Chocolate Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- 3 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 tbsp Malted Milk Powder
- 3 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 16 oz Mascarpone Cheese
Cake Topping
- 2 cups Malted Milk Chocolate Balls, whole or chopped
Method
- Set your oven rack to the second level (just above center) and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat two 8-inch cake tins with a flour-based baking spray and line each with a parchment paper circle. Optional: wrap a cake baking strip around each tin to help prevent doming.
- Sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Or sift just the flour into the bowl, then whisk in the other dry ingredients. Set aside.
- To make the sour milk, whisk the lemon juice into the milk and let it sit for 5 minutes while you move on. If you don't have lemon juice, use one tablespoon of white vinegar instead.
- In a large bowl, whisk the vegetable oil and granulated sugar until fluffy. It should look a bit like slushy snow.
- Add the eggs and beat until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
- Alternate adding the sifted dry ingredients and the sour milk to the mixture. Then add the vanilla extract and mashed bananas, mixing again just until combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake tins and bake for 28-30 minutes at 350ºF. Take them out and let them cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning them onto wire racks.
- When the layers are completely cool, frost the cake with the chocolate mascarpone whipped cream. Keep the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Put the heavy whipping cream, sifted powdered sugar, cocoa powder, malted milk powder and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk on low speed at first until the dry ingredients are almost fully blended into the cream. Then raise the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Add the mascarpone cheese and whisk on low speed until fully combined.
- Frost the 2-layer banana cake once the layers are cooled, then top with whole or chopped malted chocolate balls (like Whoppers).
Baker’s notes
- For the best results, sift your all-purpose flour. It gives the banana cake layers a much nicer crumb. For an even lighter whipped cream, leave out the mascarpone.
