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Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Banana Walnut Layer Cake with Maple Frosting

Tender, moist brown-sugar banana layers with a warm cinnamon note and toasted walnuts, stacked and covered in a silky, tangy maple cream cheese frosting.

Banana Walnut Layer Cake with Maple Frosting

Ingredients

  • 3½ medium400 gBananavery ripe, mashed
  • 2⅓ cups300 gAll-purpose flour
  • 1¼ tsp6 gBaking soda
  • ¾ tsp4 gBaking powder
  • ½ tsp3 gSalt
  • 1⅛ tsp3 gGround cinnamon
  • 1 cup230 gUnsalted buttersoftened, divided
  • 1 cup packed200 gBrown sugarpacked
  • 2 large100 gEggsroom temperature
  • ⅔ cup (160 ml)160 gButtermilk, low-fatroom temperature
  • 2 tsp8 gVanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup chopped80 gWalnutstoasted and chopped, divided
  • 1 cup225 gCream cheesesoftened
  • 2 cups240 gPowdered sugarsifted
  • 2 tbsp40 gMaple syrup

Steps

  1. Set the butter and cream cheese out to soften about 1 hour ahead. Divide the butter in half: one half for the cake, the other half for the frosting. Divide the toasted walnuts in half: one half for the batter, the other half for the top.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the cake half of the butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and the mashed banana.
  5. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, mixing just until combined. Fold in the batter half of the walnuts.
  6. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool the layers in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn them out and cool completely on the rack, about 1 hour.
  8. For the frosting, beat the frosting half of the butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar a little at a time, then the maple syrup, until fluffy.
  9. Set one cake layer on a plate and spread about one third of the frosting over it. Top with the second layer and cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
  10. Scatter the remaining half of the walnuts over the top. Chill 20 minutes to set, then cut into 12 slices. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Tree nuts, Gluten.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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