Banana Cake with Gooey Walnut Filling

Hey y'all! If you're on the hunt for the best banana walnut cake with cream cheese frosting, look no further. This simple layer cake is full of flavor! Moist layers with sweet walnut filling in between are topped with a whipped cream cheese frosting that is out of this world delish!

It's absolutely, hands down the best, and sure to become a family favorite!

Table of Contents

• ...people go crazy over it
• 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
• 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
• 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
• 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
• 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
• 🥫 Leftover love: how to store banana walnut cake
• Marye's Tip o' the day
• 💭 Insider tips: things to know
• 👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
• 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
• 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
• 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
• 📖 Recipe
• ✍🏻 A note from Marye...
• Banana Cake
• 💬 Comments

Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.

🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite

• Rich banana flavor, gooey walnut filling, tangy cream cheese frosting - what's not to love?
• This easy 2-layer cake is as perfect for a birthday party as it is for a family dinner!
• If you find yourself with extra bananas that are about to be too ripe for anything just pop them in the freezer, peel and all. You can thaw them and use them as needed.

Banana walnut cake is an old fashioned cake. It isn’t fancy, or difficult but it is really, really good. I promise. Good enough for cozy family dinners or dinner with the mother-in-law.

The walnuts in the filling are cuddled (yes cuddled!) by a gooey, sweet, rich caramel that is just thick enough to hold them together without being so thick you have to chew it.

The cream cheese frosting is rich and creamy and the slight tang from the cream cheese adds a nice flavor contrast to the sweet caramel. But, do not be fooled…it is definitely the banana that stars in this show.

🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖 Make it your own: yummy variations

1. Chocolate chips: Add a cup of chocolate chips to the batter for a chocolatey twist.
2. Peanut butter: Swirl some peanut butter into the batter for a deliciously nutty flavor.
3. Brown butter: Use brown butter in the frosting for an extra layer of rich, nutty flavor.
4. Spike it: Replace 1 to 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk in the cake with rum for a delicious variation.
5. Get nutty: Substitute pecans or macadamia nuts for the walnuts.

🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.

Bake the cake

Walnut filling

Assemble the cake

🍴Must have tools: essential equipment

1. Large mixing bowl
2. Electric mixer or hand mixer
3. Cake pan
4. Parchment paper
5. Wire rack
6. Measuring cups and spoons

🥫 Leftover love: how to store banana walnut cake

Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep it in the refrigerator.

This cake freezes well for up to 3 months.

💭 Insider tips: things to know

1. Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy to incorporate more air into the batter. This will take about 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer.
2. Don't overmix the batter after adding the flour to avoid a dense cake.
3. You can mash the bananas until smooth or leave them slightly chunky if you prefer.
4. Toast the walnuts before adding them to the batter for extra crunch and flavor.
5. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
6. Use full-fat cream cheese for a richer, creamier frosting.
7. Add a pinch of salt to the frosting to balance the sweetness.
8. For even layers, use a kitchen scale to divide the batter equally if making a layered cake.
9. If you prefer a less sweet cake, reduce the amount of sugar in the batter slightly.
10. Let the frosted cake sit for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs

Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!

📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love

• The absolute BEST chocolate mayonnaise cake ever.
• Pretty orange layer cake with a burst of fresh citrus flavor.
• Pig Pickin' Cake is an old fashioned southern favorite.
• Pineapple Upside Down Cake like mom used to make for Canasta parties.
• Old fashioned Chocolate Sheet Cake is perfect for potlucks.

Sooner or later it happens to all of us - you walk in the kitchen one morning and the bananas have gone past the point of no return. You've got to do SOMETHING and SOON.

Never fear! I've got you. Here are some great recipes to help you use up those leftover, over ripe bananas!

🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose

Turn leftover cake into cake pops by mixing crumbled cake with a little frosting, shaping into balls, and dipping in melted chocolate.

📞 Wrapping it up: the last word

Banana cake with gooey walnut filling and whipped cream cheese frosting is not an incredibly elegant dessert recipe. It is not low calorie nor low carb.

It is pure comfort food, straight from grandma's kitchen — that is if you had a grandma that baked. Tender layers of banana cake are filled with a walnut filling (similar to pecan pie), and frosting with a tangy-sweet whipped cream cheese frosting that's so light it's like biting into a cloud.

While I was baking it the whole house was banana scented. The flavor is intensely banana swathed in a cloud of whipped cream cheese - I'll tell you what, I couldn't keep my fingers out of it.

And, moist? Listen, if this was a state it would be Washington, o.k.?This banana walnut cake is extremely moist — and it stays that way.

The texture changes from the tender cake to the crunchy walnuts and the creamy frosting make it interesting. Drooling yet? Yeah,

I am ready for another piece.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

This post has been updated from the original July 2010 version. Last updated July 29, 2024 for better images and editorial improvements.

✍🏻 A note from Marye...

I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.

Have you noticed that bananas are not considered upscale? I mean not that many five star desserts start out with a banana. Nope. It is the after-school milk and cake crowd that loves these things. And so do I.

O.k.. seriously. What is not to like about a banana? They are primo comfort food for almost everyone. You bite into  creamy, sweet yumminess and in return? You get a ton of potassium. Gotta love bananas.

In fact, you may find this hard to believe BUT my family once ate a whole case of bananas in two days....and lived to tell the tale. If you love bananas even half as much as we do you are going to adore this banana walnut cake.

Banana cake is an old fashioned cake. It isn't fancy, or difficult but it is really, really good. I promise. Good enough for cozy family dinners or dessert to impress the mother-in-law. C'mon... you know you want some of this....

If you love banana flavor as much as I do give this old fashioned banana pudding a try, too.