This is banana bread baked in a bundt pan, finished with a quick brown sugar icing. The bundt shape means every slice has more crust, the icing sets into a thin caramel-like shell, and the whole thing looks like you put in more effort than you did. If you have four overripe bananas and about two hours, this is a straightforward bake with a genuinely impressive result.
The short version of why this works
Two things carry this recipe. First, sour cream — it adds fat and acid, which keeps the crumb tender and moist for days without making the batter heavy. Second, the brown sugar icing is cooked briefly on the stovetop so the sugar actually dissolves and caramelizes slightly before the powdered sugar goes in. That step takes five minutes and is the difference between a flat, sweet glaze and one with real depth. Everything else is standard banana bread technique.
Mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the pan prep. A bundt pan has a lot of surface area and grooves. If you miss a spot with butter and flour, the cake will tear when you unmold it. Use softened butter and a pastry brush, or a baking spray that contains flour.
- Pulling the cake too early. Banana bread batters are dense and wet. A toothpick that comes out with a few moist crumbs is fine, but wet batter means it needs more time. The 60-minute mark is a minimum — check at 60, not 50.
- Icing a warm cake. If the cake is still warm, the icing will run straight off and pool on the plate. Wait the full hour of cooling on the rack before you drizzle. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish — if you are short on time, but do wait on the icing.
- Adding powdered sugar to hot icing. Let the cooked butter-sugar mixture cool for the full five minutes off the heat before whisking in the powdered sugar. Adding it too soon makes the icing grainy and thin.
- Overpacking the flour. Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off. Scooping directly from the bag compresses the flour and can make the cake dense and dry at the center.
Storage and reheating
Covered at room temperature, the cake keeps well for up to 3 days — the sour cream helps it stay moist longer than a standard loaf. In the fridge it lasts up to 5 days, but cold firms up the crumb noticeably, so let individual slices sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before eating, or give them 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave. To freeze, wrap the unglazed cake tightly in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, bring to room temperature, then make the icing fresh — it takes five minutes and the texture will be much better than icing that has been frozen and thawed.
Banana Bread Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Icing
Equipment
- 10-cup or 12-cup bundt pan
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer)
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Small Saucepan
- Rubber spatula
- Toothpick or cake tester
Ingredients
Banana Bread Cake Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt softened
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 1⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 4 large very ripe bananas mashed
- ⅔ cup sour cream
Brown Sugar Icing Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar (icing sugar) sifted
- ¼ cup walnuts or pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C (160°C fan-forced). Generously butter and flour a 10-cup or 12-cup bundt pan, making sure to coat every crevice.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar at medium speed. Scrape bowl as needed.
- Add vanilla, followed by eggs–adding only 1 egg at a time.
- Add the mashed bananas and mix on low speed until just incorporated. The batter may look slightly curdled — this is normal.
- With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the sour cream and mix briefly, then add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until no dry streaks remain — do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Gently tap the pan on the counter 2-3 times to release air bubbles. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly after 40 minutes, loosely tent with aluminium foil.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then run a thin spatula or butter knife around the edges and centre tube. Invert onto a wire rack and cool completely (about 1 hour) before adding the icing.
Icing Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and milk over medium heat. Whisk continuously and bring to a gentle simmer until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the vanilla extract, then gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, whisking vigorously until the icing is smooth and slightly thickened — it should be pourable but not watery.
- Immediately drizzle the icing over the cooled cake, letting it run down the sides. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top while the icing is still tacky so they adhere.
Notes
- Storage: Keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Freezer-friendly: Wrap unglazed cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and add icing before serving.
- Make-ahead: Bake the cake a day ahead and store covered without icing. Prepare the brown sugar icing fresh just before serving for the best drizzle consistency.
- Substitution: Swap sour cream for full-fat Greek yoghurt in equal measure — the result is nearly identical.
- Pro tip: Let the batter rest in the bundt pan for 5 minutes before baking. This helps it settle evenly into all the ridges and produces a cleaner shape when unmoulded.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes — thawed frozen bananas work well here. Drain off the liquid that collects when they thaw, then mash as usual; too much extra liquid can make the batter too wet.
My bundt cake stuck to the pan. What went wrong?
The pan almost certainly had a spot that wasn’t fully coated with butter and flour. For future bakes, use a pastry brush to work softened butter into every ridge, then flour thoroughly and tap out the excess — or use a flour-based baking spray like Baker’s Joy.
Can I make this without a stand mixer?
A hand mixer works fine. You can also do it by hand with a whisk and a rubber spatula, though creaming the butter and sugar will take a few extra minutes of effort.
Do I need exactly four bananas, or can I use three?
Four large very ripe bananas give the best flavor and moisture. Three medium ones will work in a pinch, but the banana flavor will be noticeably milder.
The icing hardened before I finished drizzling. Can I fix it?
Put the saucepan back over very low heat and stir for 30 seconds until it loosens up. Work quickly once it’s pourable — it sets fast as it cools.
Can I bake this in a regular loaf pan instead?
You can split the batter between two standard 9×5 loaf pans. Reduce the bake time to around 55 to 65 minutes and start checking at 50 minutes with a toothpick.
More recipes to try
- Ultimate Banana Bread
- Classic Banana Nut Bread
- Fluffy Cinnamoroll Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls
- Heavenly Strawberry Cake with Fresh Berries and Whipped Cream
