✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
This copycat Sara Lee banana cake is soft, moist and full of real banana flavor, topped with a thick swirl of creamy frosting. It's a one-pan snack cake and the best use I know for those spotty bananas.
How Do You Make Sara Lee Banana Cake at Home? (Quick Answer)
Cream 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar, then beat in 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream, vanilla and 1 cup mashed ripe banana. Fold in 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bake in a lined 8-inch square pan at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely and spread with a thick cream cheese frosting.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Use bananas with lots of brown spots. They're sweeter and more fragrant, and that's where the deep banana flavor of the store-bought cake comes from.
Why You'll Love This Banana Cake
- Super moist sour cream keeps it soft for days.
- That thick frosting creamy, tangy and generous, the best part.
- One pan no layers to stack or level.
- Uses ripe bananas no more spotty bananas going to waste.
- Freezes well just like the freezer-aisle original.
What Was Sara Lee Banana Cake?
Sara Lee's banana cake was a soft, sweet banana snack cake with a generous layer of creamy white frosting, sold frozen and eaten straight from the box or after a short thaw. It wasn't on Sara Lee's US dessert lineup when I last checked, so a homemade version is the easiest way to get that taste back.
My test for any copycat is simple: does it taste like the memory, can a home cook make it reliably, and is there a shortcut? The shortcut here is sour cream. It keeps the crumb tender and moist without any fuss.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Very ripe bananas: heavily spotted, even mostly brown. They mash easily and taste the most like banana.
- Sour cream: for moisture and a soft crumb. Plain full-fat Greek yogurt works in a pinch.
- Butter and sugar: creamed together so the cake rises evenly.
- Baking soda: reacts with the banana and sour cream for lift and a golden color.
- Cream cheese and powdered sugar: the frosting. Use a full-fat block for the thickest result.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Measure the banana. Bananas vary a lot in size. One cup of mash is the amount that keeps the cake moist without making it gummy.
- Don't overmix after the flour. Fold just until the streaks disappear. Overmixing gives you tunnels and a tough crumb.
- Cool it completely. Frosting on a warm cake melts and slides off. If you're in a hurry, chill the cake in its pan for 20 minutes.
- Frozen bananas work. Thaw them in a bowl and use the liquid that comes out too; it's pure banana flavor.
- Lucy's swirl. Lucy is in charge of the frosting here. She uses the back of a spoon to make big swoopy waves, and it looks just like the boxed cake.
- Want banana frosting? Beat 2 tablespoons of very ripe mashed banana into the frosting and add a little extra powdered sugar to keep it thick.
Sara Lee Banana Cake
9
squares20
minutes35
minutes470
kcal1
hour55
minutesA copycat version of the Sara Lee banana cake: a soft, moist sour cream banana cake baked in an 8-inch square pan and spread with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Serves 9.
Ingredients
- For the Banana Cake
1 cup very ripe bananas, mashed (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- For the Frosting
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch fine salt
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square pan with a parchment sling. Mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small lumps.
- Beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until light, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the sour cream, vanilla and mashed banana.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together and fold them into the banana mixture with a spatula, just until no dry flour remains.
- Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until fluffy.
- Spread the frosting thickly over the cooled cake, swirling it with the back of a spoon, then cut into 9 squares.
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Banana Cake vs Banana Bread
Banana cake is lighter, sweeter and more tender, with butter creamed with sugar and a thick frosting on top. Banana bread is denser and less sweet and is baked in a loaf pan. If that's what you're after, try my Starbucks banana bread or the quick Bisquick banana bread.
More Sara Lee Copycats
For more freezer-aisle favorites made from scratch, try my copycat Sara Lee cheesecake and my Sara Lee pound cake, a plain, buttery loaf. And if you've still got ripe bananas, my Magnolia Bakery banana pudding is waiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sara Lee still make banana cake?
When I last checked, a banana cake wasn't part of Sara Lee's current US dessert lineup, which is why so many people look for a copycat. Stock varies by store and region, so it's worth a look in the freezer aisle.
What frosting is on Sara Lee banana cake?
It's a thick, sweet, creamy white frosting. I use a cream cheese frosting because its slight tang balances the sweet banana cake, and it's the closest match to how I remember it.
Why is my banana cake dense?
Usually too much banana, overmixing after the flour goes in, or bananas that weren't ripe enough. Measure the mash and fold gently.
Can I make it in a 9×13 pan?
Yes. Double the cake and frosting and bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
How do I store frosted banana cake?
Because of the cream cheese frosting, keep it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let squares sit out for 15 minutes before eating.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Freeze the frosted cake uncovered until firm, then wrap it well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
