*This page may contain affiliate links

This cinnamon banana cake is a cross between cinnamon rolls and banana cake. With a cinnamon swirl and a sweet glaze, it’s easy to make and irresistibly good.

Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Banana Cake

This cinnamon banana cake is the ultimate cozy dessert. It’s like the perfect combination of gooey cinnamon rolls and moist banana cake, making it an instant favourite.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know how much I adore this recipe. Packed with warm cinnamon and ripe banana flavor, it’s a dessert that always impresses and leaves your kitchen smelling amazing.

What Makes This Recipe Special?

This cake is incredibly moist and packed with flavour, thanks to the ripe bananas and buttery cinnamon swirl. The glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness, tying everything together beautifully.

It’s simple to make and bakes perfectly in a standard 8×10-inch tin, making it ideal for gatherings, holidays, or just to enjoy at home.

Equipment You’ll Need

To make this recipe, you’ll need:

• 8×10-inch baking tin – For even baking and the perfect slice size.
• Mixing bowls – One small for the cinnamon swirl. one large for the cake batter, and one small for the glaze.
• Spatula – To fold the batter and ensure everything is well combined.
• Butter knife – To swirl the cinnamon mix through the cake batter
• Toothpick – For checking if the cake is done.

Tips for Making the Perfect Cinnamon Banana Cake

1. Use Ripe Bananas: The riper the bananas, the better. Spotty or overripe bananas add natural sweetness and moisture to the cake.
2. Don’t Overbake: The cinnamon swirl will still be wet when it comes out of the oven, don’t let this fool you into thinking the cake isn’t done. Poke a toothpick into the ‘cake part’ only to make sure there’s no wet batter left, the toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs.

Ingredients for Cinnamon Banana Cake

For the Cinnamon Swirl:

• 150 g light brown sugar (¾ cup packed)
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 120 g unsalted butter, melted (½ cup)

For the Cake:

• 360 g plain flour (3 cups all-purpose flour)
• 200 g caster sugar (1 cup granulated sugar)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 300 ml whole milk, room temperature (1 ¼ cups)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature
• 110 g unsalted butter, melted (½ cup)
• 3 large ripe bananas, mashed

And for the Glaze:

• 200 g icing sugar (1 ½ cups powdered sugar)
• 50 ml milk (3 tbsp)

How to Make Cinnamon Banana Cake

Step 1: Prepare the Cinnamon Swirl

First, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven)/350°F.

In a small bowl, mix together the light brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir until well combined, then set aside.

Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, caster sugar, and baking powder with a balloon whisk/hand whisk. Make sure everything is evenly distributed before moving on to the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Add the Wet Ingredients

Add in the beaten eggs, milk, and vanilla extract, whisk these in gently until smooth. Then pour in the melted butter and stir until smooth. Add the mashed bananas and fold these in until they’re distributed evenly throughout.

Step 5: Pour it into your tin

Line an 8×10-inch tin with baking paper, then pour in the cake batter and spread it out evenly. Drop blobs of the cinnamon swirl mixture evenly over the batter, then use a knife to swirl it through gently.

Step 6: Bake the Cake

Bake the cake for 40–45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out with just a few moist crumbs (see the tips above so you don’t overbake the cake).

Step 7: Prepare the Glaze

While the cake bakes, whisk together the icing sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk for a thinner glaze or more icing sugar for a thicker one.

Step 8: Cool and Glaze the Cake

While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze over the cooled cake, letting it seep through the cracks and down into the cake. Let it cool for about 20 minutes, then serve. I like to eat this cake slightly warm, but it also tastes amazing cold.

This Recipe is Perfect for Autumn and Winter

The warm flavors of cinnamon and banana make this cake just perfect for the colder months. It’s perfect for cozy afternoons, family gatherings, or even as a Thanksgiving or even Christmas dessert.

Because it’s so easy to make, it’s also a great recipe for when you’re short on time but still want to impress.

Tips for Success

1. Check for Doneness: The cinnamon swirl will still be wet when it comes out of the oven, don’t let this fool you into thinking the cake isn’t done. Insert a toothpick into the ‘cake part’ only to make sure there’s no wet batter left, the toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs.
2. Customize the Glaze: Add a pinch of cinnamon or a splash of vanilla extract to the glaze for an extra layer of flavour.

Serving Suggestions

Best served slightly warm, but also tastes amazing cold.

Feel free to garnish with chopped nuts such as pecans, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or thin banana slices before serving.

Why You’ll Keep Coming Back to This Recipe

This cinnamon banana cake is the perfect balance of sweetness, spice, and comfort. Its soft texture and rich flavour make it a dessert you’ll crave time and time again.

Whether you’re baking for your family, hosting friends, or just enjoying it yourself, this cake is guaranteed to be a hit.

Other Recipes to Try

If you loved this recipe, you’ll enjoy these other favorites from Fitwaffle Kitchen:

1. Cinnamon Apple Cake: A similar cake but with sweet apple chunks instead of banana.
2. Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread: A unique take on classic banana bread packed with sweet cinnamon.

Both are easy to make and perfect for satisfying your cinnamon dessert cravings!

Watch My Step-by-Step Video

For a complete guide to making this Cinnamon Banana Cake, check out my video tutorial on the Fitwaffle Kitchen YouTube channel. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @fitwafflekitchen and TikTok @fitwaffle for more delicious recipes

Cinnamon Banana Cake

This cinnamon banana cake is moist, flavourful, warm and comforting!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Banana cake, cake, Cinnamon

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 20

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Swirl:

• 150 g light brown sugar ¾ cup packed
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 120 g unsalted butter melted (½ cup)

For the Cake:

• 360 g plain flour 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 200 g caster sugar 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 300 ml whole milk room temperature (1 ¼ cups)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten, room temperature
• 110 g unsalted butter melted (½ cup)
• 3 large ripe bananas mashed

For the Glaze:

• 200 g icing sugar 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 50 ml milk 3 tbsp

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Cinnamon Swirl

• First, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven)/350°F.
• In a small bowl, mix together the light brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir until well combined, then set aside.

Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, caster sugar, and baking powder with a balloon whisk/hand whisk. Make sure everything is evenly distributed before moving on to the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Add the Wet Ingredients

• Add in the beaten eggs, milk, and vanilla extract, whisk these in gently until smooth. Then pour in the melted butter and stir until smooth. Add the mashed bananas and fold these in until they're distributed evenly throughout.

Step 5: Pour it into your tin

• Line an 8x10-inch tin with baking paper, then pour in the cake batter and spread it out evenly. Drop blobs of the cinnamon swirl mixture evenly over the batter, then use a knife to swirl it through gently.

Step 6: Bake the Cake

• Bake the cake for 40–45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out with just a few moist crumbs (see the tips above so you don't overbake the cake).

Step 7: Prepare the Glaze

• While the cake bakes, whisk together the icing sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk for a thinner glaze or more icing sugar for a thicker one.

Step 8: Cool and Glaze the Cake

• While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze over the cooled cake, letting it seep through the cracks and down into the cake. Let it cool for about 20 minutes, then serve. I like to eat this cake slightly warm, but it also tastes amazing cold.

Video

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fitwaffle Kitchen | Eloise (@fitwafflekitchen)