An easy high altitude recipe for banana walnut bundt cake, drizzled with sweet vanilla bean icing and sprinkled with walnuts. The banana cake is dense and moist like banana bread, sweetened with brown sugar, studded with crunchy walnuts and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. If you’re a fan of banana bread, then you’ll love this banana nut bundt cake variation.
You might also love this bourbon banana pudding cake, banana bread coffee cake, and oatmeal with caramelized bourbon bananas and hazelnuts.
This site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links. This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services. All opinions expressed on this site are my own.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to Make. This banana walnut cake comes together quickly and easily, with no mixer needed to make the cake batter.
Stays Moist for Days. Just like my high altitude banana bread recipe, today’s banana bread cake stays moist for days! So you can enjoy the cake warm from the oven, or days later. My boys love this cake for breakfast or for an afternoon snack, with a glass of milk for them and hot coffee for me.
Perfected for High Altitude. I test all of my recipes at Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet, so other mountain bakers can be assured of perfect results.
Versatile. If you don’t like walnuts, try chopped pecans or even almonds instead. Or replace the nuts with chocolate chips, or leave them out entirely. Make it how you like it!
Uses Lots of Brown Bananas. You’ll need 5-6 ripe bananas for today’s recipe, so if you suddenly find yourself with too many brown bananas on your counter, mash them up and bake them into a cake that everyone will love.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Cake
- Bananas. Your bananas should be very ripe, sweet and soft, with lots of speckled spots on the peel.
- Sour Cream. Adds moisture and acidity for a soft, tender cake.
- Butter. Adds richness, flavor and moisture.
- Sugar. A combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- Eggs. Gives the cake structure and strength.
- All-Purpose Flour. Holds the batter together and gives the cake structure.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder. Leavening agents, so the cake rises as it bakes.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
- Spices. A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom adds warmth and flavor to this banana walnut bundt cake.
- Walnuts. Adds a nutty crunch and texture to the cake. Pecans work equally well.
Icing
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the icing.
- Milk. Thins the icing to a pourable consistency.
- Vanilla. Flavor.
- Walnuts. Sprinkled on top of the icing, the walnuts add crunch and look so pretty on top of the banana bundt cake.
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Generously spray your bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas.
- Whisk in the sour cream, melted butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients and the chopped walnuts to the wet ingredients, and stir with a spatula just until moistened.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the center rack for about 55-60 minutes, until the top is cracked and a cake tester or sharp knife comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then gently invert the pan onto a cooling rack. Lift the pan off the cake, and let the cake cool for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours before icing.
Icing
- In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth and thick. Spoon over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
- Decorate the cake with walnuts before the icing sets.
- Serve the cake slightly warm, or at room temperature.
Recipe Variations
- Other Add-Ins. Besides walnuts, you can use chopped pecans, almonds or even chocolate chips instead of the nuts, if you like banana chocolate chip cake.
- Cream Cheese Frosting. Instead of the vanilla icing, try a cream cheese frosting or buttercream, like on my sweet potato bundt cake.
- Powdered Sugar. Forego the icing entirely, and just dust your banana cake with powdered sugar before serving.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
What size bundt pan did you use?
I used the Nordic Ware Elegant Party Bundt Pan, which has a 10-cup capacity. The capacity was almost not enough for the batter, but it worked without any batter spilling over while baking. You can also use a standard 12-cup bundt pan for today’s recipe. Since banana bread develops a nice crust while baking, it will release perfectly from a variety of intricate bundt pans.
How should I store the leftovers?
Leftovers should be cooled completely, then stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze this cake?
You can also make the banana walnut bundt cake in advance, wrap it well in several layers of plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3-6 months. After thawing the cake to room temperature, you can add the icing.
You Might Also Like
Banana Cream Pie 
Banana Bread Coffee Cake Caramelized Banana Toffee Ice Cream Banana Pudding Cake
Favorite Products
Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
High Altitude Banana Walnut Bundt Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Bundt Pan 10-12 cup capacity (The "Elegant Party" bundt pan was used in today's recipe)
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ¼ cups mashed over-ripe bananas (about 5-6 medium sized bananas)
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 9 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ⅛ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped
Icing
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 ½ – 3 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Generously spray your bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Whisk in the sour cream, melted butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir with a spatula just until moistened. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the center rack for about 55-60 minutes, until the top is cracked and a cake tester or sharp knife comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then gently invert the pan onto a cooling rack. Lift the pan off the cake, and let the cake cool for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours before icing.
Icing
- In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth and thick. Spoon over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
- Decorate the cake with walnuts before the icing sets.
- Serve the cake slightly warm, or at room temperature.
Notes
- Leftovers should be cooled completely, then stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- You can also make the banana walnut cake in advance, wrap it well in several layers of plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3-6 months. After thawing the cake to room temperature, you can add the icing.
Hi Heather, I love your recipes. I don’t live in a high altitude state and was wondering if your recipes will still work for me.
Karyn, many of them will work well at most altitudes, but some will need a few minor adjustments. Please see my FAQs for some helpful links: https://curlygirlkitchen.com/baking-faqs/
I live in denver but made this cake while I was visiting family in San Diego and it turned out delicious at sea level as well! Highly recommend!!
I’m so glad to hear that! 🙂