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Carrot Banana Cake

Carrot banana cake with warm cinnamon-nutmeg spice and mashed banana for a moist crumb, baked until a toothpick comes out clean. Finished with thick, swirled cream cheese frosting and a simple topper of shredded carrot and banana slices.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 2 bananas ripe, mashed
  • 1 cup shredded carrots about 2 medium
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp ginger
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup walnuts, chopped optional
Cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 cup butter softened
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 2 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the cake layers
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 8-inch round pans (or a 9x13 dish) so the cake releases cleanly.
  2. Whisk vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract together until smooth, then stir in mashed bananas and shredded carrots.
  3. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt until just combined, then fold in walnuts.
  4. Divide batter between pans and bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Frost and serve
  1. Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy.
  2. Cool the cakes completely before frosting generously with thick swirls.

Notes

Pro tip: Don’t overmix after adding the dry ingredients—fold just until no streaks remain to keep the crumb tender. Store frosted cake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days (best texture on day 2). Freeze unfrosted layers wrapped airtight for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and frost. For a lighter option, you can use low-fat cream cheese and light butter for the frosting while keeping the same technique.