Strawberry Banana Layer Cake Recipe

Strawberry Banana Cake is the light, fruity cake you’ve been craving. A tender vanilla layer cake is filled and frosted with a whipped cream–cream cheese frosting folded with ripe bananas and fresh strawberries for a bright, melt-in-your-mouth finish.

If you have ripe bananas on the counter, this strawberry-banana layer cake is a fresh and delicious way to use them. It’s lighter and more crowd-pleasing than banana bread and makes a lovely summer or Easter dessert for family gatherings.

🍌 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Balanced strawberry flavor without overpowering the cake
• Super moist vanilla cake layers
• Simple, pantry-friendly ingredients
• Whipped cream–cream cheese frosting you could enjoy on its own
• Great for picnics, parties, or special occasions
• Easy enough for confident home bakers

🍓 Ingredients Needed

Ingredients for Cake

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups cake flour (or homemade cake flour: 1 cup all-purpose minus 2 tbsp, plus 2 tbsp cornstarch)
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Ingredients for Whipped Cream–Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1½ cups very cold whipping cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (optional; preserves a whiter frosting)
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups diced strawberries (reserve about 1 cup for topping)

🍰 How To Make

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment for easier removal.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes. Scrape the bowl as needed.
3. Add eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
4. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
5. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the butter-egg mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
7. Bake on the center oven rack for 25–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes on a wire rack, then remove from pans.
8. For the frosting: beat the very cold whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
9. In a separate bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the mashed bananas and 1 cup diced strawberries. Reserve the remaining strawberries for decorating the top.
10. Place one cake layer on a serving plate, pipe or spread a generous layer of frosting on top, and scatter half of the reserved strawberries across the layer. Top with the second cake layer, frost the top, and arrange the remaining strawberries. Chill before serving to set the frosting.

Detailed measurements and complete step-by-step directions are included above. Use a knife if you don’t have a piping tip—spreading the frosting works perfectly well.

👩‍🍳 Storage

This cake must be refrigerated until you are ready to serve because of the whipped frosting and fresh fruit. Keep it in an airtight container or covered on a cake stand. If transporting to an event, keep the cake on ice or in a cooler to stay cold. The cake is best within 1–2 days; the layers and fresh fruit tend to dry or soften after that.

📌 Expert Tips

• Do not overbake the layers; check a few minutes before the lower end of the bake window so they stay moist.
• Use room-temperature eggs, yolks, butter, and buttermilk so the batter emulsifies smoothly and bakes evenly.
• Add eggs and yolks one at a time so they incorporate properly and the batter stays stable.
• Keep the whipping cream very cold for the best, quickest volume when whipping to stiff peaks.

👩‍🍳 Recipe FAQs

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