This recipe for Vanilla Bean Banana Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing is a delicious cross between banana bread and a vanilla cake. It’s the perfect way to use up overripe bananas.
Who doesn’t love a bundt cake recipe? I love making them because they are so simple to make. No messing around with layers and frosting. Bundt cake is so simple to easy to bake and decorate.
This recipe is no exception. It’s super moist, full of beautiful flavors, and slathered with cream cheese icing. What more could you want?
Banana bread and banana cake have always been one of my favorite things (just search my site for banana and you’ll find six different recipes), so anytime I have overripe bananas sitting around I put them to good use. If you love this recipe, why not try some of my other bundt cake recipes, such as Caramel Apple Bundt Cake and the delectable Brown Sugar Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze. Bundt is Best! That’s a promise.
This time I had some vanilla pods I wanted to use and I thought the flavor would go really well with banana.
If you haven’t used vanilla pods before, they are really easy to use and the flavor is far superior to extract.
Here’s what you do. Start by slicing them lengthwise. 
Then run the knife down the inside of the pod to scrape the vanilla beans out of the pod. It’s really simple.
I used half a pod for this recipe which is equal to 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (although beans have a much deeper flavor). You can buy them here on Amazon (#paidlink).
For the cake recipe, I stayed similar to my Banana Spice Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting recipe which I used condensed milk. Since it was such a success, I knew I’d be doing it again.
Let me tell you it turned out amazing! Once you try it and taste the rich vanilla and banana flavors, you’ll want to have slice after slice!
The texture of this cake is moist and dense (almost like a pound cake). Which to me is what I think a bundt cake should be. Its structure works great for this recipe and should stay moist for days.
So what are you waiting for? Go put those overripe bananas in your fruit bowl to good use! You are going to love this combo of banana, vanilla, and cream cheese icing. It’s a match made in heaven!
More Amazing Banana Recipes
- Award Winning Banana Bread
- Caramel Banana Cake
- Banoffee Pie
- Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- Mini Banana Bread
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Let's Make Vanilla Bean Banana Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 very ripe bananas
- ¾ cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ vanilla pods beans scraped out and pod discarded
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
For the icing:
- 1 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup cream cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla pod beans scraped out and pod discarded
- 2-4 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Grease an 8-inch bundt pan
- Place the condensed milk and bananas in a mid-sized microwave-safe bowl.
- Place the bowl in the microwave on high for 45 seconds.
- Mash the warm bananas well into the condensed milk. Add the vanilla bean. Mix to combine and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Beat in the banana mixture until combined.
- Beat in both eggs adding them one at a time until combined.
- Mix in the salt and baking powder until combined
- Mix in the flour until combined
- Add the batter to the cake pan.
- bake for 30-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Leave to cool 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.
For the Icing:
- Make sure cream cheese and butter are at room temperature or the icing will be lumpy. Blend the cream cheese and butter in a medium mixing bowl until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar 1⁄2 cup at a time, blending after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the icing is the desired consistency and can be poured (I like mine quite thick).
- Pour the icing over the cooled cake and decorate with sprinkles.
Ruby says
Wow, the vanilla bean makes such a difference, so worth it, thank you for sharing this, it’s going to be a regular in my house
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad you liked it Ruby, I do love a vanilla bean recipe, the flavor is just perfect 🙂
Tina C. says
I have now made this cake twice and it is the new family favorite. My niece has requested it for her graduation party, which there will be 50-75 people! Any suggestions to convert this into like a double layer 11 inch round cake. I think I’m going to have to make 2 of those! But this cake is amazing!
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling says
I really love the combination of vanilla bean & banana in this!