This easy banoffee cake is a delightful take on the classic English dessert. A moist banana sheet cake bakes atop a simple graham cracker crust and is finished with a dulce de leche whipped cream. The combination of banana, toffee and a crunchy base makes it perfect for birthdays, holidays—or whenever you’re craving a comforting banana cake.
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Some summers ago I first encountered banoffee pie while visiting my parents. After trying it, I wanted to recreate those flavors in a cake—something quick, single-layer and reliably delicious. Over the years I’ve come to prefer simple sheet or snack cakes that come together fast but taste like you spent hours baking.
This banoffee cake is exactly that: straightforward to prepare, richly flavored, and likely to become a new favorite.
💗 why you will love this banana snack cake
- Easy recipe — one-layer sheet cake, no stacking or elaborate decorating needed.
- Moist and flavorful — buttermilk adds tenderness and keeps the banana cake moist.
- Layered flavors — a crumbly graham crust, soft banana cake, and a fluffy dulce de leche whipped cream create a delicious contrast.
🍰 what is banoffee made of?
Banoffee combines bananas, toffee and whipped cream on a biscuit base. The name comes from banana + toffee. In this cake version we use a graham cracker crust, banana cake and a dulce de leche whipped cream to mimic the classic components.
🛒 ingredients and substitutions
Scroll to the recipe card below for a printable ingredient list and full directions.
- Graham crackers — one sleeve (about 9 full sheets) ground to crumbs for the crust.
- Unsalted butter — melted for the crust; room temperature for the cake batter.
- Sugars — brown sugar (dark or light) and granulated sugar for the cake; confectioners’ sugar for the whipped cream.
- Eggs — 2 large, at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract — pure vanilla gives the best flavor.
- Baking soda — provides lift in the sheet cake.
- Kosher salt — balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
- All-purpose flour — for structure; measure carefully (use a scale or spoon-and-level).
- Buttermilk — keeps the cake tender; whole milk or kefir can substitute in a pinch.
- Bananas — very ripe is best; about ¾ cup mashed (roughly two small bananas).
- Dulce de leche — found near sweetened condensed milk; chill the container before using.
- Heavy whipping cream — cold, at least 36% fat for a stable whipped frosting.
🍌 how to make this easy banoffee cake
Chill the can of dulce de leche in the refrigerator at least two hours before making the whipped cream. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment.
For the crust, pulse graham crackers to fine crumbs in a food processor or crush them in a bag with a rolling pin. Mix with melted butter and press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Make the banana cake: cream room-temperature butter with brown and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes using a mixer.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated and fluffy; add vanilla with the first egg. Scrape the bowl between additions for even mixing.
Mix in baking soda and salt briefly. Then add flour and buttermilk alternately on low speed: half the flour, all the buttermilk, scrape the bowl, then the remaining flour.
When only a few streaks of flour remain, fold in the mashed bananas gently. Spread the batter over the graham crust and bake in the preheated oven.
Bake 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs. For extra moisture, place the hot pan in the freezer for 30–40 minutes to cool quickly and lock in moisture.
Pro baking tip: Freeze leftover buttermilk in half-cup portions and thaw to room temperature before using in recipes.
how to make toffee whipped cream frosting
Chill your heavy cream and dulce de leche. In a mixer bowl combine cold heavy whipping cream, dulce de leche, vanilla, kosher salt and confectioners’ sugar.
Mix on low for 1–2 minutes, then increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, about 4–5 minutes. The dulce de leche may separate at first but will incorporate as you whip.
Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest!
💬 frequently asked questions
what is the toffee layer traditionally made from?
Traditionally, the toffee layer is made by cooking a can of sweetened condensed milk until it becomes dulce de leche. For convenience and safety, this recipe uses store-bought dulce de leche.
where do I find dulce de leche?
Dulce de leche is usually stocked in the baking aisle near sweetened condensed milk. Many stores carry it in jars or cans, and it can also be purchased online.
👩🏻🍳 expert tips for this dessert cake
Use very ripe bananas — they add sweetness, moisture and intense banana flavor. Look for heavily speckled or nearly black skins.
Measure with a scale — weighing ingredients, especially flour, yields the best and most consistent results. If you don’t have a scale, use the spoon-and-level method for flour.
Room temperature ingredients — for best texture, bring butter, buttermilk and eggs to room temperature before mixing.
Don’t overmix — combine wet and dry ingredients until just incorporated to keep the cake tender.
After pouring the batter into the pan, drop the pan on the counter once or twice to release large air bubbles for a more even crumb.
Watch baking time — ovens vary. The cake is done when a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Allow the cake to cool completely before spreading the dulce de leche whipped cream to prevent it from melting.
Garnish with graham cracker crumbs or crushed Biscoff cookies if desired.
💡 variation ideas
Add an extra layer of dulce de leche over the cooled cake before frosting for more caramel flavor. You can also use homemade caramel instead of dulce de leche.
Swap the graham cracker base for Biscoff or speculoos cookies for a spiced cookie crust, or try shortbread crumbs for a richer base.
🫙 how to store
Store the frosted banoffee cake in the refrigerator because of the whipped cream frosting. The cake can sit at room temperature for a few hours, but refrigeration will keep it fresh for up to five days. For best flavor, bring refrigerated slices to room temperature for about 45 minutes before serving.
If you make this Easy Banoffee Cake, share a photo on Instagram and tag @twosugarbugs—I love seeing your versions of these recipes. Happy baking!
more easy dessert cakes
- Strawberry Snack Cake
- Vanilla Snack Cake
- Chocolate Malt Cake
If you try this recipe (or any from Two Sugar Bugs), please come back and leave a review and a star rating—I read every comment and appreciate your feedback!
📖 recipe
Easy Banoffee Cake
This easy banoffee cake is a twist on the classic English dessert. The sheet cake is a moist banana cake baked on top of a simple graham cracker crust and finished with a dulce de leche whipped cream.
Using weight (metric) measurements when available will improve accuracy and results.
20 minutes
50 minutes
1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
graham cracker crust
- 1 sleeve graham crackers (9 full sheets/140g)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (57g)
banana cake
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (76g)
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar (50g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (188g)
- ¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature (180mL)
- ¾ cup ripe bananas, mashed (170g/about 2 small bananas)
dulce de leche whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240mL)
- ¼ cup dulce de leche, cold (78g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar (30g)
Instructions
- Place the can of dulce de leche in the refrigerator at least two hours prior to using it.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- For the graham cracker crust: Crush the graham crackers to fine crumbs, mix with melted butter, and press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- For the banana cake: Beat the room-temperature butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until fluffy; add vanilla with the first egg and scrape the bowl before adding the second.
- Add baking soda and salt and mix briefly until combined.
- Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk on low speed: half the flour, all the buttermilk, scrape the bowl, then the remaining flour. Stop when a few streaks of flour remain and fold in the mashed bananas.
- Spread the batter over the graham crust and bake 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs.
- Place the hot pan in the freezer for 30–40 minutes to cool and lock in moisture.
- For the dulce de leche whipped cream: Combine the cold heavy cream, cold dulce de leche, vanilla, salt and confectioners’ sugar. Mix on low for 1–2 minutes, then increase to high and whip until stiff peaks form, about 4–5 minutes. The dulce de leche may look separated at first but will incorporate.
- Optionally spread ½ cup dulce de leche over the cooled cake, top with the whipped cream, slice and serve.
Notes
*Dark or light brown sugar both work. **Chill the can or jar of dulce de leche at least two hours before using; it can be refrigerated several days ahead.
If using salted butter, you can omit added kosher salt. Use whipping cream with a minimum of 36% fat for best results. The finished cake can sit at room temperature for several hours but should be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. For the best texture, bring refrigerated cake to room temperature about 45 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 314Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 181mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 4g
The nutrition information is an estimate and may vary based on brands and portion sizes.
Did you make this recipe?
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