Ultra-Moist Banana Bundt Cake with Greek Yogurt

Bananas are a staple in my house and they are one of the best selling fruits in the US, so I know that I am not the only one out there that ends up with a lot of overripe bananas in the kitchen from time to time. Sometimes I tell myself that I’ll just buy fewer bananas, but the truth is that I love baking with bananas and don’t mind giving myself the opportunity to bake with them regularly. Banana bread and muffins are easy ways to go, but sometimes I want to have my bananas for dessert instead of for brunch. This Ultra-Moist Banana Bundt Cake is a versatile recipe that is a great way to use up a few bananas in a delicious and easy to make dessert.

The cake is very moist and tender, with a dense and almost pound cake-like texture to it. The secret to its moistness comes in two parts. First, there is a lot of banana in the batter. Second, the cake uses Greek yogurt where other cakes might use milk or buttermilk. The yogurt, like the mashed banana, keeps moisture in the cake and it adds a subtle tang to it that highlights the sweetness of the bananas and makes the cake taste just a little bit fresher. Banana is definitely the star in this cake and, although cinnamon and nutmeg are commonly used with banana, I didn’t add any spices to the cake to cover up the flavor of the fruit. I did, however, add in a generous amount of vanilla extract and that is the perfect match in this cake.

The cake will stay fresh for several days after baking when it is stored in an airtight container, so you can bake it in advance for a party, or you can bake one for yourself and nibble it over the course of a week. It is good when served plain, but a little drizzle of vanilla icing or cream cheese frosting will really dress it up and add in a little extra sweetness. To take it over the top, use a slice as a base for an ice cream sundae with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream and chopped, toasted nuts.

Ultra-Moist Banana Bundt Cake with Greek Yogurt
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (approx 3 large)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter with sugar until well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by the vegetable oil and vanilla extract.
Stir one third of the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, followed by the yogurt. Stir in another third of the flour mixture, followed by the mashed banana. Stir in remaining flour mixture and mix until no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Serves 12-14.