Banana Bread Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Icing
This banana bread bundt cake takes everything you love about classic banana bread and turns it into a showstopping dessert. Topped with a quick brown sugar icing and crunchy pecans, it's moist, tender, and disappears fast. Grab your overripe bananas and let's bake.
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
Serving: 1servingCalories: 406kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 4gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 227mgPotassium: 193mgFiber: 2gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 562IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg
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