One-Bowl Banana Bread Bundt Cake

This one-bowl banana bread bundt cake takes everything you love about classic banana bread and gives it a dramatic bundt shape. It’s the same tender, banana-forward loaf you know, but with a golden, cake-like crumb and a simple vanilla glaze that drips down every ridge.

The batter stirs together in minutes, no mixer required, and it uses up a whole bunch of brown bananas at once. It stays moist for days and slices into beautiful, even wedges.

Why This Banana Bread Bundt Cake Works

Banana bread is already a favorite, but baking it in a bundt pan solves a few problems. The center bakes through evenly, so you never get a gummy middle. And every slice ends up with a touch of that chewy crust.

I keep returning to this version because it leans on sour cream and melted butter for a rich, tender crumb that holds its moisture well. The whole thing comes together in one bowl, and the bundt shape makes a casual bake feel a little special without any extra work.

Ingredients

• 4 very ripe bananas: the ones with heavily speckled, almost black peels. They give the strongest flavor and most moisture.
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly: adds richness. Salted butter works too, just reduce the added salt.
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar: sweetens and helps the crust caramelize.
• 3 large eggs, room temperature: for structure and tenderness.
• 2 tsp vanilla extract: rounds out the banana flavor.
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature: full-fat gives the best crumb, but light works if that’s what you have.
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour: spooned and leveled, not scooped.
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt: balances the sweetness.
• For the vanilla glaze:
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
• 2 to 3 tbsp milk, any kind
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Variations / Substitutions

• Greek yogurt: swap in for the sour cream 1:1. The cake will be slightly tangier and just as moist.
• Chocolate chips: fold 1 cup of dark chocolate chips into the batter for a sweeter, richer bite.
• Walnuts or pecans: toast 3/4 cup and fold them in right before baking. The crunch contrasts nicely with the soft crumb.
• Dairy-free: use a neutral oil like canola instead of the butter, and a thick, plain plant-based yogurt in place of the sour cream.
• Gluten-free: a good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend will swap in directly for the all-purpose flour.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Bundt Cake is another reader favorite dessert worth making next.

How To Make One-Bowl Banana Bread Bundt Cake

Step 1: Mash and Whisk the Wet Ingredients

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease a 10-cup bundt pan with butter, making sure you coat the center tube and all the crevices. Place the 4 very ripe bananas in a large bowl and mash them with a fork until they’re mostly smooth with a few small lumps, about 1 minute.

Pour in the melted 3/4 cup butter, then add the 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1 cup sour cream. Whisk until the mixture is uniform and no streaks of egg remain. It will look a bit curdled from the sour cream, and that is exactly what you want.

Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Take a full 30 seconds to whisk. This is the moment when the leaveners get evenly distributed, and skipping it can leave you with patches of cake that don’t rise properly.

Step 3: Fold the Batter Together

Tip the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Use a flexible spatula to fold everything together, cutting through the middle and scraping the bottom, until you no longer see any dry flour. Stop as soon as that last streak disappears.

The batter will be thick and speckled with tiny banana bits. Overmixing from here on out activates the gluten and can make the cake tough, so a light hand pays off.

Step 4: Bake the Cake

Scrape the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted halfway between the center tube and the outer edge comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. The surface that faces up in the oven will become the bottom once you invert the cake, so the crack that forms on top is completely normal.

If the edges are darkening too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil after 40 minutes. The cake should pull just slightly from the sides when it is done.

Step 5: Glaze and Slice

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the center tube and the outer edges, then invert the cake onto the rack to cool completely. While it cools, whisk the 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until smooth. Add the remaining milk a teaspoon at a time if you need a thinner consistency; you want it thick but pourable.

Once the cake is fully cool, drizzle the glaze over the top, letting it run down the ridges. Let it set for about 10 minutes so the glaze firms up into a thin, crackly shell, then slice and serve.

Tips for a Bundt That Slips Right Out

• Let the bananas get heavily speckled or even black. The darker the peel, the sweeter and more intense the banana flavor.
• A light metal bundt pan gives the crispest crust and the most reliable release. Dark nonstick and silicone work, but they tend to soften the outer edge slightly.
• Check your leavening agents if they’ve been open longer than six months. Old baking soda or powder can leave you with a dense, squat cake.
• For an even moister crumb, wrap the completely cooled, unglazed cake tightly in plastic and leave it at room temperature overnight. The texture settles and improves.
• If you only have salted butter on hand, cut the added salt in the recipe to 1/4 teaspoon.

Bake times shift a little depending on what your pan is made of.

Storing Leftover Bundt Cake

Keep the cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. The glaze may soften a bit in a humid kitchen, but the cake itself stays moist. For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to a week, then let slices come to room temperature before eating. You can also wrap individual slices tightly and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw a slice on the counter overnight and the glaze will still have a little snap.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen bananas?

Yes, thaw them first and drain off any excess liquid. They’ll be very soft and mash easily, which works perfectly here.

My bundt cake didn’t release. What did I do wrong?

Under-greasing is usually the problem, especially inside the center tube. Next time, use softened butter and brush every crevice generously, then dust the whole interior with a thin layer of flour.

Can I turn this into muffins instead?

Absolutely. Divide the batter among a 12-cup muffin tin and bake at 375°F for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Why is my cake dry?

Overbaking is the most common reason. Start checking for doneness at the 50-minute mark. Also, bananas that are less ripe contain less moisture, so that dark, spotty peel really matters.

Banana Bread Bundt Cake Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 380

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 very ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• For the glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tbsp milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, pinch of salt

Method

 

1. Heat oven to 350°F and grease a 10-cup bundt pan. Mash bananas in a large bowl, then whisk in the melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula just until no dry flour remains.
4. Scrape batter into the pan, smooth the top, and bake 50 to 55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely. Whisk glaze ingredients until smooth, drizzle over the cooled cake, let set 10 minutes, and slice.

Notes

Let the cake cool fully before glazing, or the glaze will melt and soak in. If you want an even moister cake, wrap the cooled, unglazed cake in plastic wrap and let it sit overnight. The glaze takes about 15 minutes to set up enough to slice cleanly.