Banana Spice Cake

If you love a yummy spice cake and you’re also a fan of banana bread, this is the perfect simple treat for you. It comes together quickly and starts with a box of yellow cake mix. 

Any White or Yellow Cake Mix can Become a Spice Cake!

It’s true! 

There’s no need to rush to the store to buy a box of spice cake mix. You can turn a white or yellow cake into a spice cake by adding: 

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (which has a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and clove)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (the predominate flavor in spice cake). 

When I made mine I also use butter in place of oil and milk in place of water. That way I end up with a rich cake. 

And, of course, I tossed in over-ripe bananas and walnuts. Because. . .why not? Every good banana bread or cake is loaded with the good stuff. 

Is it Banana Bread or Banana Cake? 

Because this one starts with cake mix it’s not as heavy (dense) as my Old-Fashioned Banana Bread with Mayonnaise or my Classic Banana Bread with Walnuts.

It’s got a cake-like texture but is much richer (and has a slightly heavier crumb) than a simple box of cake mix. 

And while this is a super moist cake, it really is more cake than bread.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m always using boxed cake mixes to make other things. This isn’t even the first time I’ve used bananas in a cake mix. (I did that in my Easy Banana Berry Cake, which was delicious!) 

This time, however, I needed something hearty, something that felt like fall. And spice cake just seemed like the perfect thing to warm my heart. 

Banana Spice Cake Ingredients 

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post with a full list of ingredients but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need to make this delicious Spice Cake. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand. If not, they’re readily available at your local grocery store. 

• boxed yellow or white cake mix
• large eggs
• whole milk
• melted butter
• overripe bananas
• chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• pumpkin pie spice
• ground cinnamon
• vanilla extract (optional, not pictured)

(Full disclosure: I used apple pie spice in mine because I’m allergic to ginger. It has a similar profile to the pumpkin pie spice but without the risk of throwing me into an allergic reaction.) 

How to Make Banana Spice Cake

You’re going to be so surprised and delighted at how quickly and easily this one comes together, y’all. I didn’t even use my stand mixer or an electric mixer. I just mixed it up in a bowl with a whisk and a silicone spatula. 

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. You’re going to want this one to bake low and slow. 

Break the bananas into small pieces or mash them, (your choice). 

Prep a bundt pan with non-stick baking spray. (I use Baker’s Joy.) 

Melt the butter. Set it aside. 

Crack the eggs and place them in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until they break down. If you prefer to use a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.

Add milk and spices. Mix well. 

Add melted butter. 

Stir in the bananas. Mix well.

Now stir in the cake mix and chopped nuts into the wet ingredients. (This is when I switched to the silicone spatula.) 

Mix well. If you want to add vanilla extract, this is the time.

Pour cake batter into prepared pan. 

Place in preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Remove pan from oven and place on wire cooling rack. 

After a half an hour, flip the pan and allow the cake to release naturally onto the wire rack. 

Continue to cool on the rack. 

If you like, you can add a loose glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar. (I opted for powered sugar because I was in a hurry.) 

Slice, serve and enjoy!

I like to slather softened butter on mine while it’s still warm. Yum!

You can store this cake at room temperature in an airtight container if you like, but banana products are often tastier cold, so I always refrigerate mine. 

They will stay good in the fridge up to four days. And can I just add: This is one of those recipes that’s even better the next day!

You can freeze this cake. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap (or place in a freezer bag). 

What to Expect from this Delicious Banana Spice Cake

First of all, it’s always fun to convert a simple box of cake mix into something more exciting. And now that you know you can make a yellow cake into a spice cake, the possibilities are endless. 

In this case, you will not be disappointed. The cake is lovely and moist. It’s got the perfect crumb—not too damp and definitely not dry. The low, slow cooking process makes it just right. 

I particularly loved the warm spices merged with the mashed bananas. (I’m a fan of all-things-bananas.) My favorite part, though, was the walnuts. I toyed with the idea of adding pecans but had lots of walnuts on hand. They were the perfect addition. They added just the right “bite” to this otherwise lush cake. 

I would describe this as a fluffy cake with moist crumb, packed fully of banana flavor with the warm spices of autumn. (How’s that for a description?)

I give this one high rankings, y’all. Mostly I’m tickled to have another recipe that starts with a box of cake mix. (If you could see all of the boxed cake mixes I keep on hand, you would understand! I need to pare down.) 

Variations on this Easy Spiced Banana Cake Recipe

I’m so glad I made this one exactly this way, but you might not like the idea of adding, say, nuts to the mix. Here are some things you might consider: 

Mini chocolate chips: You can toss them in flour first, then add to the batter just before the final mix. 

Coconut: I have a yummy strawberry coconut banana bread that’s out of this world. I think this cake would be delicious with coconut, too. 

Pistachios or macadamia nuts: If you’re not a fan of walnuts or pecans, why not try toasted pistachios or macadamia nuts? They would give this cake a rich island flavor. 

Caramel topping: You could always drizzle caramel topping on this cake once you’re ready to serve. You can purchase a delicious sea salt caramel or make yours from sweetened condensed milk, as I do. 

Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting: I think a simple cream cheese frosting would be delicious on top of this banana cake!

Brown sugar: If you like, you can add a couple tablespoons of brown sugar to this recipe. You can even drizzle brown sugar and finely chopped nuts together between layers of batter.

Brown Butter: If you love the rich flavor of brown butter, you’ll love this suggestion: Swap out a half cup of browned butter in place of regular. Just make sure it’s cooled before adding to the batter.

Sheet cake: Make a traditional sheet cake by baking this in a 9×13-inch pan.

Loaf Pan: You can certainly bake this batter in a loaf pan. It will probably have to bake a bit longer. Be careful not to over-till the pan.

Other Banana Favorites from Out of the Box Baking

• Caramel Banana Cake: This decadent and moist banana cake is out of this world!
• Starter Discard Banana Bread: Have some leftover sourdough starter? Great! Use it to make a delicious banana bread from scratch! 
• Caramel Pecan Banana bread: This one starts with a box of cake mix and comes together in a jiffy!
• Cranberry Banana Bread: Just in time for the holidays!
• Easy Banana Dump Cake: Simple and delicious!

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious banana spice cake recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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