Feel like you’ve tried every kind of banana bread in existence? How about a banana pistachio cake? Packed with pistachio nuts and smothered in a delicious white chocolate cream cheese frosting, this is a banana loaf with attitude!
In search of the best banana cake
Banana bread… the cake that we all love to eat. And the cake that most of us feel confident making.
We like it because it works. It’s delicious. It’s easy to make. And it uses up the almost mouldy bananas that we all have regularly lurking in our fruit bowl.
I have my fair share of delicious banana cake recipes here on Scrummy Lane already:
- You can make this really easy mini air fryer banana bread in the oven… or the air fryer! It’s faster to make than regular banana bread, and reduces the temptation of having lots of cake hanging around all week. Can’t even wait that long? You need this gluten free banana mug cake in your life!
- This banana sheet cake with peanut butter fudge frosting is great for parties!
- Pineapple, coconut and banana cake (aka Hummingbird cake!)
- This banana, chocolate chip and peanut butter cake is a cake I created to try to copy something I’d tried in a cafe. It’s incredible!
- Last but not least… for some banana breakfast magic, you have to try both these caramelised banana pancakes, and these incredible healthy banana waffles.
So why make THIS banana bread?
- It’s a unique take on a classic. Studded with pistachios and slathered in a delicious white chocolate cream cheese frosting, it’s a little bit special, don’t you think?
- It looks pretty darn delicious, right, with all those green and pink tinged pistachios on top.
- Thanks to both almond flour and yoghurt in the mixture, the loaf is moist but not at all heavy.
- The frosting recipe makes enough for two cakes so you can freeze some for your next cake. Or use it to ice cupcakes, a layer cake, or brownies.
- I originally made this recipe with gluten free flour, so it’s easy to adapt if you need your loaf to be gluten free.
How to make a banana pistachio cake
There’s a simple formula for making this cake:
Step 1: Cream together the butter and sugar either with a handheld whisk or in a food processor.
Step 2: Whisk in the eggs.
Step 3: Add the other ‘wet’ ingredients i.e. the banana and yoghurt.
Step 4: Add the ‘dry’ ingredients i.e. the flour mixture and ground nuts, then fold in the pistachios.
Step 5: Bake!
Step 6: Let cool. Make the frosting. Slather it all over the cake. Sprinkle with more yummy pistachios. Eat.
Pretty easy, right?
Ingredients for the white chocolate cream cheese frosting
This is a quick and easy 4 ingredient icing for banana cake – or any other kind of cake. All you need is:
- cream cheese
- butter
- white chocolate
- icing sugar / powdered sugar
As I’ve already mentioned, the recipe makes enough for two cakes so you can freeze the leftover frosting for another time.
Recipe variations
When I first made the frosting for this banana pistachio loaf, I could only find white chocolate with crispy rice bits in it at the supermarket. Surprisingly, it was delicious! Try it!
You could also try using milk or dark chocolate for the frosting.
You could use a different kind of nut instead of pistachios. How about hazelnuts, walnuts, flaked almonds or macadamia nuts? I think macadamia nuts would work especially well with the white chocolate frosting.
More easy morning or afternoon tea cake recipes
This frosted banana bread is the sort of cake you would make if you had friends coming over for a cup of coffee or tea.
Here are some other options from Scrummy Lane:
- Gingerbread muffins with salted caramel icing
- Sticky blueberry lemon curd cake
- Nutella swirl loaf cake (with hazelnuts)
- Easy Italian apple cake
- Really easy lemon mascarpone cake
- Or see all my cakes here
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Banana pistachio cake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting
Equipment (affiliate links)
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)
For the loaf
- 8 tablespoons butter chopped into pieces (1 stick)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup ripe bananas (2-3)
- 4 tablespoons of Greek yoghurt
- 1 cup plain flour (substitute with gluten free flour if you like)
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- a large pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup pistachio nuts
For the frosting
- 3½ ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3½ ounces white chocolate
- 1 cup plus a tablespoon of powdered/icing sugar
Instructions
For the loaf
- Pre-heat the oven to 355F/180C and line a regular-sized loaf tin (approx. 23 x 13 x 7 cm) with baking paper.
- Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer or in a food processor, then add the eggs with the motor still running one at a time until well mixed in.
- Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and add the banana and Greek yoghurt. Mix well.
- Sift in the flour, almond meal, salt and baking soda and mix until just combined. Then fold in the pistachio nuts.
- Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin and bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a skewer or knife inserted into the loaf comes out clean. (Cover loosely with some kitchen foil after about 30 minutes to stop the loaf browning too much)
- Leave to cool.
For the frosting
- Whip the cream cheese and butter together, then melt the chocolate in 30-second spurts in the microwave (or in a bowl over simmering water). Let the chocolate cool slightly, then whisk into the cream cheese and butter mixture as well.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix really well.
- When the loaf is completely cool, use about half of the frosting to frost your loaf (you can freeze the rest). Decorate with the reserved pistachio nuts. Enjoy!
Pat Everett says
This is the best banana cake I have ever made. We don’t have a sweet tooth in our family, so we didn’t make the frosting and reduced the sugar in the cake, but it was still delicious. I added a few more pecans and a handful of dark chop chips, it is a very versatile recipe. I also used whole meal spelt flour. Living in the UK I really appreciated the conversion option and so glad I found you, can’t wait to try some more recipes
Helen says
Hello Pat! What lovely feedback – thank you so much! It’s helpful to know the substitutions you made worked so well and also that you appreciate the UK conversions. I don’t know whether you have an air fryer at all but I also have another very popular recipe for an air fryer version of banana bread. I’ve had good feedback on that too! 🙂
Ann says
Hi, have you tried making this without the frosting? How did it turn up? 🙂
Helen says
Hello, Ann! Glad you like the recipe! I actually haven’t tried making this without the frosting, but I don’t see why you couldn’t. I suppose it would taste a bit like regular banana bread, which I make all the time. Give it a go and let me know!
Ann says
Hi Helen, I made it with the frosting in the end, it tasted amazing! Thank you 😉
Helen says
Oh, really happy to hear it, Ann! I still have half of mine in the freezer – you’ve reminded me to fish it out! Thanks so much for popping back and giving me some feedback – really appreciate that! 🙂
Dini @ The Flavor Bender says
That looks gorgeous!! I can’t wait to try this recipe Helen! I would have NEVER guessed you weren’t a baker from THIS insanely gorgeous banana bread! 😀
Once you get into baking, you may find you will need a separate area to store your NEVER ending baking tray collection! :p
Helen says
Hi, Dini! Thank you so much for the compliment. I’ve never made so many cakes since I started my blog, but to be honest I’m still more of a cook. Still, it’s good to have a few personal cake classics up your sleeve!
Shiran @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Helen, this loaf look gorgeous! The white chocolate cream cheese sounds delicious!
Helen says
Thank you, Shiran! I take every opportunity to put white chocolate in my baking!
Thanks so much for passing by as well. So great to ‘meet’ you! 🙂
Helen says
Thank you so much, Shiran! I take every opportunity to put white chocolate in my cakes! Thanks so much for passing by and taking a look at the blog as well. 🙂
Eva says
Ce gâteau pareil extra! J’ai envie de manger un bon morceau!!
Helen says
Merci beaucoup, Eva! Moi aussi j’ai envie de manger un bon morceau avec mon cafe … mais malheureusement c’est tout fini!
Aimee / WallflowerGirl.co.uk says
This is amazing Helen! So beautiful and gluten-free too… love the recipe! I’ve pinned it to remind me to try it someday 🙂
Helen says
Hey, thanks, Aimee! It gives me a real thrill to know people are actually interesting in making my recipes … haha! Thanks for the pin! 🙂
Cindy @ Pick Fresh foods says
Yum, Helen this looks delicious! Beautiful photographs too. Those pistachios looks amazing! I love their color.
Helen says
Thank you, Cindy! 🙂
Trisha says
Such a beautiful combination of colours in the photo. Banana loaf is such a classic – love your reinvention! x
Helen says
Thank you, Trisha! So glad you liked it! 🙂