Banana Blueberry Cake
This delicious cake is just bursting with fruit flavors, nothing could be simpler than this Banana Blueberry Cake.
I love skillet cakes, and this one is no exception.
The combination of bananas and blueberries are engulfed in this soft, delicate cake.
And the frosting made of silky cream cheese compliments it but isn’t too sweet… making this desert a win-win. Anytime!
Much like my Buttermilk Cake with Blackberry Glaze, this humble cake is baked in a cast iron skillet and decorated with fresh fruit – adding an elegant yet rustic element that reminds you that all desserts don’t need to be over the top fancy,
they can be simple and easy and totally homemade! Don’t stress if you aren’t the biggest baker, this cake takes some of the stress out of baking…
you can serve it right int he skillet, no fancy decorating, no wondering if the pieces you cut will flop over as serve them, the cake flavor is amazing and everyone will love it even if you set the skillet on the take with a bunch of forks for everyone to dig in with!
I’m going to walk you through this tasty treat step by step, so even if this is your first cake, you’ll be sure to nail it – Let’s get baking!
To begin you’ll need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prep your cast iron skillet with baking spray. If you don’t have 12″ cast iron skillet, then two 8″ round cake pans or a 13×9 dish will be a great substitute.
Using a mixer, beat your butter on medium speed, then add in the sugar and continue to mix until fluffy and light.
Add in your eggs, one at a time to ensure they are fully incorporated.
Once those are added, mix in the banana.
Now gradually add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. It is important you go a little slow as you don’t want a flour cloud on your hands! Reduce the speed of the mixer to help avoid this, then increase the speed a little when adding it.
As you begin to blend in the flour mix, pour in the milk, continuing to mix on a low speed.
As it combines, raise the speed to medium for about 15 seconds so it’s all smooth and well blended, there should be no lumps.
This next part we will do by hand. Blueberries are delicate and to avoid bursting them, using a spatula we will stir them in by hand, so they don’t become a mess and break into pieces.
Finally, pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake your cake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan if using a cast iron skillet or a 13×9. If using 8″ round cake pans, allow to cool on cooling racks for 15 minutes and then gently remove them and allow them to finish cooling (you’ll want to double the frosting if you want to fill the cake with frosting as well).
While the cake is cooling, we will mix up the frosting.
This creamy delicious frosting is a true winner here… it’s made with CREAM CHEESE,
isn’t cream cheese amazing!
Find some more of my favorite recipes using cream cheese here, here, here, and here! OMG so yummy.
For this next step, in the bowl of a mixer, beat the room temperature cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Next, on a lower speed, add in the powdered sugar and heavy cream. Once the powdered sugar is combined you can then increase the speed to medium and then to high, it’ll whip up smooth and silky.
Now spread your frosting on your completely cooled cake and top with blueberries and a couple of basil leaves as decoration.
And Serve!
Baker’s Note:
Once you’ve finished eating all the cake you heart desires, remove the remainder of the cake from your cast iron skillet and wrap and store the cake in the fridge. Storing food in cast iron can cause the food to interact with the pan, as well as the moisture rust the pan.
Inquiring minds would like to know:
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes, you can, although fresh is my preferred berry. Frozen blueberries tend to leach out a whole lotta color, do not thaw the blueberries, put them in the batter frozen, and you’ll still want to use a spatula and mix by hand, otherwise, your entire batter will turn blue!
Are there vegan substitutes I could use to replace the eggs, butter, cream/milk, and cream cheese?
I haven’t tried it myself, but hear great options on the following items:
- Eggs – Bob’s Mill egg replacer is an egg alternative
- Heavy Cream – Silk makes an excellent heavy whipping cream – so good in fact, you may not notice the difference.
- Cream Cheese – Miyoko’s is a substitute, there are others like Tofutti, but this one is creamier.
- Butter – Country Crock makes a couple of different plant-based butter options. And they work just as well in baked products.
If you don’t have cream cheese and need a great option check out my faux cream cheese frosting HERE.
Could I substitute the blueberries with strawberries or another berry?
Absolutely! And I have some amazing varieties of skillet cakes here!
Banana Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 bananas nice and soft, or microwave for a few seconds to easily mash
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
cream cheese frosting
- 2 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
Toppings
- 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
- small basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Prepare a 12" cast iron skillet or similar with a baking spray or 2 8" round cake pans or a 13x9 pan for easy release.
- In the bowl of, a mixer beat the butter, then add in the sugar and mix it until it's light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs one at a time mixing well after each egg is added.
- Mix in the banana.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt,.
- As you begin to blend that in pour in the milk as you're mixing on low to medium speed.
- As it combines raise the speed to medium for about 15 seconds so it's all smooth and well blended.
- Stir in the blueberries by hand so they don't become a mess and break all into pieces.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cake is cooling mix up the frosting.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth in the bowl of a mixer.
- Add in the powdered sugar and heavy cream, start on low until the powdered sugar is combined so it doesn't make a mess, then increase the speed to medium and then to high, it'll whip up smooth and silky.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and top with additional blueberries and some basil leaves is desired.
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