I recently tried Banoffee pie for the first time and immediately knew I had to make a banoffee cake!!

Banoffee pie comes from England. Traditionally, it’s made with bananas, cream, and toffee.

The crust can either be a buttery biscuit base, or a mixture of crushed cookies and butter. Some variations even add in coffee or chocolate.

To stay true to these flavors, I made this cake with tender banana cake layers, a rich toffee filling, fresh banana slices, and whipped vanilla buttercream.

It’s such a fun cake flavor year-round, but I especially love it in the summer! I think the bananas make me think of sunshine and warm weather 🙂

Why is it Better to Use Overripe Bananas to Make Banana Cake?

Most banana cake recipes insist on using only the ripest bananas, including this one. But why are overripe bananas better to bake with??

There are actually several reason! The first is that as a banana ripens, more of its starch is converted into sugar. This creates sweeter, more tender baked goods.

Another benefit of baking with super ripe bananas is that they’re super easy to mash up. This ensures your banana cake layers have a uniform, even texture without any unexpected chunks of banana.

Overripe bananas are also more aromatic and give baked goods a more intense banana flavor than yellow bananas.

The final and best reason (in my opinion) is that it uses up overripe fruit that would otherwise go to waste!

With all that in mind, this recipe will still turn out if you use yellow bananas. It just won’t have as intense of a banana flavor!

Baking Hack: How to Quickly Ripen Bananas

If you only have yellow bananas and want that intense banana flavor, don’t worry!

You can easily turn yellow bananas brown in a matter of minutes. Preheat your oven to 300 F / 150 C and place your unpeeled bananas on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake them for about 15 minutes, or until the banana skin is uniformly dark in color.

Let them cool on that pan for 10 minutes, then carefully peel and mash them.

I use this hack all the time for banana bread and it works like a charm.

Substitutions and Swaps

While I love this banoffee cake recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand!

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:

• Sweetened Condensed Milk – The toffee filling is a crucial part of this cake! If you can’t find any, try purchasing premade toffee/dulce de leche online or at the store.
• Overripe Bananas – If you don’t have overripe bananas on hand, bake your bananas at 300 F for about 15 minutes or until the skins of the bananas are black.
• Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice really enhances the banana flavor in this recipe and prevents the mashed bananas from browning. It can be left out if needed though!
• All-Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a cup for cup gluten free flour blend in its place if needed.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter, on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Baking Powder / Baking Soda – This recipe uses both leavening agents, and both are important to help this recipe rise correctly! Make sure both types of leavening agents are properly measured and haven’t expired.
• Buttermilk – You can also use whole milk, full-fat yogurt, sour cream or alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Eggs – If you don’t have eggs on hand or can’t eat eggs, you can try using flaxseed eggs.

Banoffee Cake Decoration

Now onto my favorite part of any cake, the decoration! I chose to use the leftover toffee and spread a thin ring of toffee around the base of the cake.

Then I drug the toffee up the side of a cake with a large offset spatula.

As I did this, I focused on keeping the angle of each frosting drag the same. This helps give the cake a cohesive look.

I also ended up going around the cake twice, to really blend together all my toffee swoops.

I decorated the top of the cake with a ring of freshly slice bananas and a drizzle of warm toffee.

If you don’t plan to eat this cake immediately, wait to add the bananas to the top of the cake or use banana chips.

Tips for Making the Best Banoffee Cake:

• Properly measure your flour (fluff, then spoon into the cup measure and level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. Make sure each pan has the same amount of batter so that cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
• Bang the cake pans on the counter before putting them in the oven. This brings any air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.
• Level the room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
• Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!

Making This Banoffee Cake in Different Sizes

I used 8″ cake pans to make this cake, but this recipe can be used to make different sized cakes. You can also half or double the ingredients to make a half or double batch!

You can make four 7″ or 6″ cake layers with one batch of batter. Bake the cake layers at 350 F / 175 C for 29-33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

One batch of batter can also be used to make one 9×13-inch sheet cake. Bake it at 350 F / 175 C for 40-50 minutes and use flower nails or heating cores to help the cake bake evenly.

You can also use this recipe to make a Bundt cake! Bake time can vary based on the size and type of pan you use and can take anywhere from 45-75 minutes. I recommend using a toothpick to test for doneness and checking on it every 5-10 minutes once it’s been in the oven for 45 minutes.

The final variation of this recipe is cupcakes!! This recipe makes about 36 regular sized cupcakes. Fill 3/4 full and bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Making This Banoffee Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

To speed up this process, make the toffee filling a day in advance!! An unopened can will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Make the cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make the whipped frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just be sure to give it a good mix once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to 3 days. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious!

I don’t recommend freezing this cake, it gives the bananas a strange texture.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this banoffee cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Also don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use the #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media!