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Banana Bourbon Bundt Cake

Sweet ripe bananas, brown sugar, and bourbon come together in this incredibly moist Banana Bourbon Bundt Cake. Bourbon adds subtle caramel, vanilla, and oak notes while a silky dark chocolate ganache turns this easy banana cake into a decadent dessert worthy of fall dinners and holiday entertaining
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Ingredients

Banana Bourbon Bundt Cake

  • 2¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1¼ cups (250 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 medium very ripe bananas mashed, about 1¼ cups
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) bourbon

Dark Chocolate Ganache

  • 4 ounces (113 g) bittersweet or dark chocolate finely chopped
  • ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee optional
  • Pinch of salt

Optional Garnish

  • Chopped toasted pecans
  • Chocolate shavings

Instructions

Make the Banana Bourbon Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Thoroughly grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray, making sure to coat all the grooves.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed for about 3 to 4 minutes, until lighter and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla.
  • Add the mashed bananas and mix just until incorporated. The batter may look slightly curdled at this point, which is completely fine.
  • In a measuring cup, stir together the buttermilk and bourbon.
  • Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in two additions. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined after each addition.
  • Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully invert it onto the rack and let it cool completely before adding the ganache.

Make the Dark Chocolate Ganache

  • Place the chopped chocolate, instant espresso powder if using, and salt in a heatproof bowl.
  • Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Don’t let it boil.
  • Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it stand undisturbed for about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Stir gently until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy.
  • Let the ganache cool for several minutes until slightly thickened but still pourable.
  • Drizzle the ganache over the completely cooled Bundt cake, allowing it to run naturally down the sides. Finish with toasted pecans or chocolate shavings, if desired.

Notes

  • Use seriously ripe bananas. Brown-spotted bananas give you much better flavor and sweetness than firm yellow bananas. If you’re thinking, “These look too ugly to eat,” congratulations, you’ve reached cake territory.
  • Measure the mashed banana if possible. Banana sizes vary wildly. About 1¼ cups mashed banana is the target so the cake stays moist without becoming heavy or gummy.
  • Don’t increase the bourbon just because there’s more in the bottle. 😂 One-third cup gives us plenty of bourbon character without adding excessive liquid or overpowering the banana.
  • Room-temperature ingredients help. Butter, eggs, and buttermilk combine more evenly and create a smoother batter.
  • Don’t overmix after adding the flour. Mix only until the flour disappears. Too much mixing can make a Bundt cake unnecessarily tough.
  • Instant coffee is optional. A teaspoon in the ganache deepens the dark chocolate flavor without turning this into mocha cake.
  • Want even more bourbon flavor? Rather than dumping more into the batter, add 1 tablespoon bourbon to the finished warm ganache. This gives you a more noticeable bourbon aroma without compromising the structure of the cake.
  • Pecans would be fantastic here. Toasted pecans add crunch and reinforce the caramel and oak notes from the bourbon. I’d use them as a garnish rather than putting them into the cake so that beautiful soft crumb stays the star.
  • Let the cake cool before adding ganache. Warm cake + ganache = chocolate landslide.