Banoffee is one of the best flavor combinations, and though it's traditionally made as a pie, it's too delicious to not have in other forms! This Banoffee Cake is rich, sweet, and flavorful, while being so incredibly simple to make. It's definitely one you're going to want to have on repeat!
This quick and easy homemade cake recipe is great for birthdays, wedding or baby showers, or any celebrations that call for cake! This simple recipe makes a fairly large cake making it perfect for any gathering. If you love this flavor, you'll also love this super easy Banoffee Tart!
Why this Recipe Works
This from-scratch Banoffee Cake recipe is made with two layers of moist banana cake filled with dulce de leche and banana slices, and covered with homemade whipped cream. The richness of the banana caramel mixture with the light and soft whipped cream creates the perfect balance of textures and flavors.
Ingredients and Notes
Bananas - The bananas that are mashed into the layers of cake should be as ripe as possible - the browner the better! The banana for the filling should also be ripe, but not overripe. You want it to be firm enough to slice. If you keep your overripe bananas frozen, you'll just want to defrost them enough that they're soft to mash.
Dulce de Leche - I buy canned dulce de leche, which can usually be found with the sweetened condensed milk in the grocery store, but you can also make it yourself if you prefer. Just note that it is different from caramel. It's a thicker texture than caramel allowing it to serve as a filling in between the layers as opposed to caramel which would more likely soak into the cake or seep out the sides.
Cream - This is used to beat into a homemade whipped cream to cover the two-layer cake so be sure to use heavy cream or whipping cream. Lighter options such as milk or half and half will not whip up into stiff peaks in the same way as a heavier cream.
Substitutions and Variations
Bananas - The banana in the filling between cake layers can be skipped, especially if you're not eating this the same day. It can be replaced with some extra whipped cream, but it can also just be skipped - there's still plenty of banana baked into this Banoffee Cake!
Cream - Store-bought whipped cream will work great if you don't want to make the whipped cream from scratch. If you stick with the homemade whipped cream, consider adding a tablespoon of bourbon as it's whipping up for a fun and boozy kick. A toasty meringue topping will also be delicious on this Banoffee Cake.
Chocolate - Chocolate shavings would make a fun and delicious addition to Banoffee Cake and would look great too. I suggest using a darker chocolate as this cake is on the sweeter side, but any chocolate you like works great! For a stronger addition of chocolate, consider adding a layer of chocolate on top of the dulce de leche layer before adding the banana slices or add a ganache drip to the decor.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Beat together the butter and brown sugar.
Step 2: Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.
Step 3: Beat in the mashed bananas.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 5: Pour into two lined, greased cake pans and bake at 350°F for approximately 35 minutes. Cool completely.
Step 6: Flip one cake out of the pan onto a serving platter. Spread a thinner layer of dulce de leche on top of the cake, and then pipe a circle of dulce de leche thicker around the edge to form a barrier to hold in the banana slices.
Step 7: Place a single layer of banana slices on top inside the thickly piped barrier.
Step 8: Place the other cake on top of the banana layer. Beat the cream and brown sugar until stiff peaks form and spread over the entirety of the cake. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
The flavor of banoffee originated in Britain in the form of a pie. The traditional English flavor combination is banana and toffee, and the pie is commonly topped with whipped cream. Banoffee Cake turns that original pie into cake form! The base of this homemade Banoffee Cake recipe is a banana cake, with mashed ripe bananas baked into the batter. The toffee flavor comes from the rich dulce de leche filling and I like to add fresh bananas to the filling to add more texture and flavor. Finally, this delicious dessert is covered in a light and not-too-sweet whipped cream to balance the richness of the cake.
There are many different "hacks" to ripen bananas quickly, and different suggestions are great depending on what you need. For this Banoffee Cake, the bananas for the mashed bananas in the cake can be ripened quickly in the oven. Keep the bananas in their peels and place on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for 7-10 minutes, then flip the bananas and put them back in the oven for another 7-10 minutes. Depending on the size of the bananas, the length of time may vary. This will brown your bananas the quickest.
Lemon juice will prevent your banana slices from going brown, but it may impact the flavor. You can skip the bananas if you are not eating the cake immediately. The bananas should be okay for a day or two without lemon juice as long as the cake is stored in the refrigerator.
Tips & Tricks
Tip #1: Banoffee Cake is on the sweeter side. For the dulce de leche layer, use as much or as little as you'd like. You may not need the whole can. It also doesn't need to be spread perfectly because it will be covered up!
Tip #2: The piping of dulce de leche around the edge of the cake helps to hold the banana slices in. If you're skipping the banana slices, the barrier isn't needed and you can just spread the sweet caramel filling as thickly or thinly as you like!
Tip #3: To pipe the dulce de leche around the edge, a piping bag without a tip or a strong zip top bag with a corner cut off will work perfectly.
Tip #4: Ensure the whipping cream is cold before whisking into stiff peaks. Chilling the bowl can add extra assurance that it will whip up nicely, but if the cream is very cold it should whip up just fine!
Tip #5: Instead of a two-layer cake, this cake can be made into three layers using an 8" cake pan or four layers in a 6" cake pan.
Storage Tips
Banoffee Cake is best stored in the refrigerator for a day or two. The banana cakes can be made in advance and wrapped well in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. It's best to assemble no more than one day before serving.
Related Recipes
Did you try this recipe? Leave a review below, and tag @flourdeliz on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Banoffee Cake
Equipment
- 2 9" cake pans
- stand or hand mixer
- 2 mixing bowls
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 3 sticks butter
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla
- 3 cups mashed banana about 6 medium-large bananas
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Caramel Banana Filling
- 13.4 oz can dulce de leche
- 1 ripe (but not overripe) banana sliced
Whipped Cream
- 2 cups whipping cream
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Instructions
Banana Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease two 9" cake pans, line with parchment paper, and grease the parchment.
- Beat together butter and brown sugar.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.
- Mix in the mashed banana.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
- Divide batter between the two prepared cake pans, about 900g of batter per pan.
- Bake approximately 35 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown and the center of the cake is set. Cool completely.
Banoffee Cake Assembly
- Place one layer of cake onto a serving dish and spread a thin layer of dulce de leche onto the cake layer.
- Pipe a border of dulce de leche around the edge of the cake to form a barrier using a piping bag without a tip or a strong zip-top bag with a corner cut off.
- Place a single layer of banana slices inside the barrier.
- Place the other layer of cake on top.
- Beat the cream and brown sugar until stiff peaks form, then spread over the cake. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated so should only be used as an estimate. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Liz Pollio says
The dulce de leche filled banana cake is the perfect flavor pairing, and the whipped cream frosting adds a light and refreshing touch to balance the rich and heavy cake! It's a dreamy cake!