This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
If you’ve ever wished banana bread were just a little softer, richer, and more cake-like, this Banana Chocolate Chip Cake is exactly what you’re looking for. It’s incredibly moist with a tender, bakery-style crumb, packed with ripe banana flavor, and loaded with melty chocolate chips in every bite.
What makes this recipe stand out is how perfectly balanced it is — the bananas keep the cake soft and flavorful, the buttermilk gives it a light, tender texture (not dense like banana bread), and tossing the chocolate chips in flour keeps them evenly distributed instead of sinking. And that brown butter frosting? It adds a deep, nutty richness that takes this from a simple snack cake to something truly special.
If you love baking with bananas, you’ll also want to try my Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding for a creamy, nostalgic favorite, or my chocolate chip muffins for another easy, crowd-pleasing treat. And if you’re in the mood for even more bakery-style desserts, be sure to browse my full Cake Recipes collection.
✨ BEFORE YOU BEGIN
✨ Use very ripe bananas. The darker and more spotted they are, the sweeter and more flavorful your cake will be. Underripe bananas won’t give you the same rich banana flavor or moisture.
✨ Line your cake pans. This is a very moist, tender cake, and it can stick easily. Parchment on the bottom makes removal foolproof.
✨ Don’t skip the chocolate chip coating step. Tossing them in flour helps keep them evenly distributed instead of sinking to the bottom.
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake Ingredients + Key Notes
Bananas: Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots for the best flavor and moisture.
Buttermilk: Adds a light, tender crumb and keeps the cake from feeling dense like banana bread.
Chocolate Chips: Tossing them in a bit of flour helps prevent sinking and keeps them evenly distributed.
Butter: Using real butter (not oil) gives this cake a rich, bakery-style flavor.
Brown Butter: Cooking butter until the milk solids turn golden brown creates a deep, nutty flavor that takes the frosting to the next level. Watch closely—it can go from perfect to burnt quickly
How to Make Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Make the Cake
Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment, then butter and flour the pans.
Coat the chocolate chips. Toss the chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of the measured flour. This helps keep them from sinking.
Mix dry ingredients. Whisk together the remaining flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Mix wet ingredients. In another bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla.
Cream butter and sugar. Beat the butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Combine. Add the flour mixture and banana mixture in alternating additions, mixing just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15–20 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Brown Butter Frosting
Brown the butter. Cook the butter in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown and nutty, about 8–10 minutes. Let it cool slightly.
Mix the frosting. Add the powdered sugar to a mixing bowl. Pour in the brown butter and vanilla and mix on low to combine.
Adjust the texture. Add 3 tablespoons of cream, then more as needed until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Beat until light and creamy.
Assemble
Frost the cake. Place one cake layer on a plate, frost the top, then add the second layer and frost the top and sides. Press mini chocolate chips onto the sides, if desired.
Chill if desired. This cake is even better after an overnight chill. Let it come back to room temperature before serving.
⭐ Pro Tips
⭐ Let the brown butter cool before frosting. If it’s too warm, the frosting will be too loose. Slightly cooled butter creates a thicker, spreadable consistency.
⭐ This cake is even better the next day. Letting it rest overnight in the fridge gives the flavors time to deepen and meld together.
⭐ Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until combined to keep the crumb soft and tender.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- Using underripe bananas → bland flavor and less moisture
- Overmixing the batter → dense, heavy texture
- Overbaking → dry cake
- Skipping the flour toss on chocolate chips → sinking
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
Storing
Store the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Because of the brown butter frosting and high moisture from the bananas, refrigeration keeps the texture fresh and stable.
Bring to room temperature before serving
Let the cake sit out for about 30–45 minutes before serving so the crumb softens and the frosting becomes smooth and creamy again.
Freezing
You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to 2 months. Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.
Make-ahead tip
This cake is actually better the next day. Chilling it overnight allows the flavors to deepen and the texture to become even more tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
♦ Is this more like banana bread or banana cake?
This is definitely a cake. It has a softer, lighter crumb than banana bread, with a more tender texture that’s perfect for layering and frosting.
♦ Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes! Just thaw them completely and drain off any excess liquid before mashing. Very ripe bananas (fresh or frozen) give the best flavor.
♦ Why is my banana cake dense?
The most common causes are overmixing the batter or using underripe bananas. Mix just until combined, and make sure your bananas are very ripe with lots of brown spots.
♦ Do I have to use the brown butter frosting?
No—you can use cream cheese frosting or a simple vanilla buttercream instead. That said, the brown butter frosting adds a rich, nutty flavor that really sets this cake apart.
♦ Why didn’t my chocolate chips stay evenly distributed?
If the chocolate chips sink, it’s usually because they weren’t tossed in flour first. That small step helps them stay suspended throughout the batter.
♦ Is this like KFC chocolate chip cake?
It’s similar in that it’s very moist and rich, but this version has a deeper banana flavor and a more homemade, bakery-style texture.
💗 If you have any other questions as you’re baking, feel free to ask—I’m always happy to help!
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – A classic, ultra-moist banana cake with tangy cream cheese frosting.
- Banana Pudding Cake – All the nostalgic flavors of banana pudding in a soft, layered cake.
- Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake – A soft, buttery cake loaded with chocolate chips in every bite.
- Banana Pound Cake – A rich, buttery banana cake with a tight, tender crumb and deep banana flavor in every slice.
- Texas Sheet Cake – A rich, chocolatey sheet cake with a fudgy frosting poured right over the top.
Tried This Recipe?
💗 If you enjoyed this recipe, please take a moment to leave a star rating and a quick comment — I love hearing from you!
Tip for mobile readers: scroll just a bit to tap the stars — thank you!
📬 Don’t forget to subscribe to my FREE newsletter for more easy, family-friendly recipes delivered straight to your inbox!
Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today — happy cooking, friends! ❤️ Kathleen
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake With Brown Butter Frosting
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
Frosting:
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4-4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-6 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Make Cake:
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (177ºC). Line the bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
- Prep the chocolate chips. Measure the 2 1/4 cups flour for the cake, then remove 2 tablespoons and toss it with the chocolate chips (2 cups). Set aside.
- Mix dry. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, baking soda (3/4 teaspoon), baking powder (1 teaspoon), and salt (1/2 teaspoon).
- Mix wet. In another bowl, stir together the mashed bananas (1 1/2 cups), buttermilk (1/4 cup), and vanilla (2 teaspoons).
- Cream. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter (2 sticks) and sugar (1 1/2 cups) together for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs (2) one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Combine. Add the flour mixture and banana mixture in alternating additions, mixing just until combined. The batter will be thick—this is exactly what you want.
- Fold. Fold in the chocolate chips just until evenly distributed and any flour remaining in the bowl just until evenly distributed.
- Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15–20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make Frosting:
- Brown butter. Cook the butter (12 tablespoons) in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 8–10 minutes. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn. Let cool slightly.
- Mix. Add the powdered sugar (4-4 1/2 cups) to a mixing bowl. Pour in the brown butter and vanilla (2 teaspoons) and mix on low until combined.
- Adjust. Add 3 tablespoons of cream, then more as needed until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Beat until light and creamy.
Assemble
- Frost. Place one cake layer on a plate, frost the top, then add the second layer and frost the top and sides. Press mini chocolate chips onto the sides, if desired.
- Chill (optional). Refrigerate overnight for the best flavor, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Let the brown butter cool before frosting. If it’s too warm, the frosting will be too loose. Slightly cooled butter creates a thicker, spreadable consistency.
- This cake is even better the next day. Letting it rest overnight in the fridge gives the flavors time to deepen and meld together.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until combined to keep the crumb soft and tender.
2 of my favorite cake in 1!
So am I, Helen! Enjoy 🙂
I made this cake this afternoon and have never made brown butter frosting. Your pictured cake has white frosting but mine is a light brown/tan color. Why the difference?
Hi Christine. I think the difference is likely the lighting I shot the photos of the cake in. My frosting was not bright white but the light was pretty bright.
Can I use normal milk instead of butter milk ?
No, the cake will not be as moist.