Banana traybake
Enjoy this delicious banana traybake recipe. A soft, moist, banana flavoured sponge topped with a cream cheese frosting. It’s perfect as an afternoon tea treat.
Banana traybake is a delicious banana flavoured sponge topped with a cream cheese frosting. It’s a lovely and moist one sheet cake full of banana flavour, and the cream cheese frosting adds some sharp and sweet contrast on top.
We’ve got a lot of bakes made with bananas – they’re a great way of using up over-ripe bananas. And this banana traybake is a great, easy alternative to your traditional banana bread.
How can kids help to make a banana traybake?
I like making traybakes with kids as they’re so simple and there’s generally no fussy decorating needed.
As with most bakes, your kids will be able to measure and mix everything together as well as mash up the bananas (which is a great job for little kids and even toddlers).
Once the banana traybake batter has been made, there’s then just the easy job of pouring it into your baking tin, baking it then adding some cream cheese frosting on top. It couldn’t be simpler.
How ripe should the bananas be?
Bananas become sweeter as they ripen which means baking things with them is the perfect way of using up over ripe or even brown bananas that you might think are beyond eating.
You can also freeze over ripe bananas to use in your bakes at a later date. If you want to do this, wrap the peeled banana in cling film and pop them in the freezer. When you want to use them take them out the freezer and let them defrost fully – they come out a bit soggy but are perfect for baking with.
What else can you use overripe bananas in?
We use bananas in our baking all the time, so we’ve got lots of other recipes you can use bananas with:
Easy banana bread
Banana oat cookies
Chocolate banana bread
Banana and chocolate chip slice
Chocolate and banana loaf
Caramel banana bread
Nutella and banana muffins
Banoffee cupcakes
Banana muffins
Cinnamon banana bread
Chocolate chip banana muffins
What can I use instead of self raising flour?
If you don’t have any self raising flour (which is common in the UK but less so elsewhere) you can swap it for an equal amount of plain or all purpose flour and add 2 extra tea spoons of baking powder.
What is baking spread?
Baking spread, (something like Stork for example), is a non dairy margarine that’s great for baking. It makes cupcakes and cakes lighter and fluffier than butter, which means it’s a great, cheaper alternative.
I still prefer the taste of butter in buttercream icing so I wouldn’t swap the butter for baking spread in that but it’s great for the traybake itself.
How long does a banana traybake keep?
This banana traybake should keep in an air tight container for a few days. If you want to keep if for longer you can freeze it without the frosting for up to three months.
To freeze it, wrap it well in cling film or glad wrap and put it in a freeze bag. Make sure you defrost it fully before you decorate it.
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this banana traybake
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Baking tin
Wire rack
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Ingredients
For the traybake
200g (1 cup) golden caster sugar
200g (7/8 cup) butter or baking spread
3 eggs
2-3 bananas
250g (2 cups) self raising flour *
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cream cheese frosting
125g (½ cup) butter, softened
250g (2 cups) icing sugar
125g (½ cup) cream cheese
To decorate
Chopped nuts, dried banana pieces, caramel
*If you don’t have self raising flour swap it for an equal amount of plain or all purpose flour and add an extra two teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt.
How to make a banana traybake
Preheat your oven to 170C / 150C Fan / 340F and grease and line a 23 x 30 cm (9 x 12 inch) high sided baking tin with baking or parchment paper.
We find the easiest way of lining a tin is to cut a strip of baking/parchment paper to fit in width ways, and then do the same the other way. If you leave some overhanging the edges this will make it easier to remove the cake once it’s baked.
Beat the butter and sugar together
Start by getting your kids to measure the butter or margarine out and the sugar and add them to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
If you’re using butter, it needs to be soft enough to be able to mix in. If it’s come straight from the fridge, cut it into a few small pieces and pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so. Long enough for it to soften, but not long enough for it to melt. If you’re using baking spread/margarine, you can add it straight in.
Beat the butter and sugar together using the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or wooden spoons, until it is light and fluffy.
Add the eggs
Get your kids to crack the eggs into a small bowl, (just in case any shell goes in), then add them, one at a time, to your mixing bowl, giving it a little mix in between each addition.
Your mixture will be a little bit sloppy once all the eggs have been added.
Add the bananas
Peel and mash the bananas before adding them to your mixing bowl. If you have very young children or even toddlers, this should be a nice easy job for them to help with.
Mix the bananas in until they are well combined, but don’t worry if there are a few lumps.
Add the flour, baking powder and cinnamon
Get your kids to weigh out the flour then add that to your mixing bowl. Add the baking powder and cinnamon, making sure your kids use their finger to level the tea spoon before they add them so they add just the right amount.
Give everything one final mix until the batter is nice and smooth, and there are no visible lumps of flour showing. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is combined.
Bake the banana traybake
Pour or spoon the banana cake batter into the prepared baking tin. Spread the batter to the edges and corners and make sure you level the top.
Bake the banana traybake in the middle of your oven for 35-40 minutes. It’s ready when it’s risen and turned a nice golden brown colour. You can double check it’s ready by inserting a skewer or sharp knife into the middle. It’s ready if the skewer comes out clean. If there is still bits of wet batter stuck to your skewer pop it back in the oven for a few more minutes.
Remove the traybake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for a few minutes before taking it out the tin and popping it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the cream cheese frosting
Start by adding the butter to a mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. It needs to be soft, so if yours isn’t cut it into a few pieces and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it.
Beat the butter using the k-paddle of your mixer or a hand held mixer until it is nice and soft.
Add the icing sugar, and continue beating it for five or so more minutes. This will ensure your frosting is nice and soft and fluffy.
Now, get your kids to measure out the cream cheese and add that to your bowl. Beat or stir it in until your frosting is nice and smooth.
Decorate your banana traybake
Once your cake is cooled, spread the frosting on top making sure you spread it to all the edges and corners.
Cut it into 15 or so pieces and decorate it with a few dried banana pieces, chopped nuts or even a drizzle of caramel.
Serve and enjoy.
Banana traybake
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Freestanding mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Baking tin
- Wire rack
Ingredients
For the traybake
- 200 g (1 cup) golden caster sugar
- 200 g (⅞ cup) butter or baking spread
- 3 eggs
- 2-3 bananas
- 250 g (2 cups) self raising flour *
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cream cheese frosting
- 125 g (½ cup) butter, softened
- 250 g (2 cups) icing sugar
- 125 g (½ cup) cream cheese
To decorate
- Chopped nuts, dried banana pieces, caramel
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 170C / 150C Fan / 340F and grease and line a 23 x 30 cm (9 x 12 inch) high sided baking tin with baking or parchment paper.
- We find the easiest way of lining a tin is to cut a strip of baking/parchment paper to fit in width ways, and then do the same the other way. If you leave some overhanging the edges this will make it easier to remove the cake once it's baked.
Beat the butter and sugar together
- Measure the butter or margarine out and the sugar and add them to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.If you're using butter, it needs to be soft enough to be able to mix in.
- Beat the butter and sugar together using the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or wooden spoons, until it is light and fluffy.
Add the eggs
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl, (just in case any shell goes in), then add them, one at a time, to your mixing bowl, giving it a little mix in between each addition.Your mixture will be a little bit sloppy once all the eggs have been added.
Add the bananas
- Peel and mash the bananas before adding them to your mixing bowl.Mix the bananas in until they are well combined, but don't worry if there are a few lumps.
Add the flour, baking powder and cinnamon
- Weigh out the flour then add that to your mixing bowl. Add the baking powder and cinnamon, making sure you use your finger to level the tea spoon before you add them so you add just the right amount.Give everything one final mix until the batter is nice and smooth, and there are no visible lumps of flour showing. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is combined.
Bake the banana traybake
- Pour or spoon the banana cake batter into the prepared baking tin. Spread the batter to the edges and corners and make sure you level the top.
- Bake the banana traybake in the middle of your oven for 35-40 minutes. It's ready when it's risen and turned a nice golden brown colour. You can double check it's ready by inserting a skewer or sharp knife into the middle. It's ready if the skewer comes out clean. If there is still bits of wet batter stuck to your skewer pop it back in the oven for a few more minutes.
- Remove the traybake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for a few minutes before taking it out the tin and popping it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the cream cheese frosting
- Start by adding the butter to a mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. It needs to be soft, so if yours isn't cut it into a few pieces and pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it.Beat the butter using the k-paddle of your mixer or a hand held mixer until it is nice and soft.
- Add the icing sugar, and continue beating it for five or so more minutes. This will ensure your frosting is nice and soft and fluffy.Now, measure out the cream cheese and add that to your bowl. Beat or stir it in until your frosting is nice and smooth.
Decorate your banana traybake
- Once your cake is cooled, spread the frosting on top and decorate it with a few dried banana pieces, chopped nuts or even a drizzle of caramel.
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This banana traybake looks delicious and so easy to make! I love that it’s a fun activity to do with my kids.
Fantastic,just discovered traybakes after years of making huge sponges and fruit cakes. Now it is just the two of us these tray bakes are perfect. Thank you.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying them. I love traybakes too!