How to Bake Banana Cake Using a Toaster Oven

It may seem a little unconventional but you can use your oven for just about all of your baking needs. You don’t even have to change your recipes to adjust for differences.

Learn how to bake banana cake using a toaster oven.

So when it comes to baking banana-infused cake or a banana bread recipe, your toast oven is a perfect kitchen appliance for the job.

With standard sizes of countertop ovens ranging from 15 to 22 inches wide and 8 to 12 inches tall, you can fit a wide range of cooking pan sizes to suit the size of your baking needs.

This recipe will have us using a 9 x 13-inch pan to make a moist, sweet banana cake.

Can Your Countertop Oven Bake Cakes?

Yes. Countertop ovens almost always have a baking temperature range of 200 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and can run as long as they are plugged in.

These versatile and somewhat portable machines are great for a wide range of uses. There are however a few drawbacks.

There are a few things to look out for when using countertop ovens to bake dishes that require an hour or more of cooking time. It’s not that your oven will explode but it can get incredibly hot and most small ovens will not have an extra layer to insulate efficiently.

Just to limit any possible hazardous conditions, make sure to elevate the oven with coasters or a rack if you can. Also, make sure that it is not too close to the wall or any possibly combustible materials.

Small form ovens are safe to use but taking precautions is always recommended just in case the improbable takes place.

They also use convectional technology to cook your recipes evenly just like a large oven.

Other Baked Goods

Countertop ovens are incredibly convenient for baking sweets like cookies, bread, and cakes. Their only limit is their size. That doesn’t mean you can’t make as much as you could in a large oven.

It just means it’ll take a couple of rounds of baking.

As a side note, you can use your countertop oven in conjunction with your traditional oven to increase your baking capacity. It won’t be long before you’re feeding the neighborhood.

Quick Details

Here’s some fast information for our recipe to help you plan your cook time around your daily schedule.

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Bake time: 1 hour

Additional time: 1 hour

Total time needed: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Amount of servings: 18

Yield: 1 – 9 x 13 inch pan

What You’ll Need

You’ll need some pretty basic baking utensils to get started. If you already have a tabletop oven, you’ll likely have everything else you need as well.

Before you get started, make sure that you have everything required. So take this list and check your drawers and cupboards. Feel free to organize them however you like as long as they are accessible.

Utensils

• Toaster oven
• 9 x 13 inch baking pan
• Four mixing bowls
• Mixing whisks or automatic mixer(recommended)
• Teaspoon and measuring cups
• Spatula to spread icing

The baking pan and oven are essential. The rest of the utensils can be makeshift. If you find yourself lacking whisks, you can just apply a little more force with a large spoon.

Get creative if you need to. Just about anything we have specialized tools for can be done with a stick and container of any kind if you know what you’re doing.

Aside from that, here are the groceries you’ll need to pick up:

Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter
• 2 1/8 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour(can be substituted with gluten free)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups mashed banana
• ½ cup softened butter
• 1(8 ounces) package of cream cheese
• 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

With any luck, you’ll be able to source this from your existing inventory. If not, it’s not an expensive adventure.

Might as well make sure to load up on a decent amount of each ingredient for your inevitable future baking endeavors.

Now that you’ve made sure you have everything, it’s time to get baking. Breathe deep and follow along.

You’ll come out in the end with a great dessert and a little extra confidence.

Directions

There are two sets of directions here. The first set details the process to mix and bake the cake portion. The second set details how to mix icing to go with it.

There’s a lot of bake and cool time, so I would wait until you place the cake in the freezer to begin making the icing.

Baking Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven temperature to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. If your oven needs to, be sure to switch to an always-on mode.

Step 2: Grease and flour the 9 x 13-inch pan.

Step 3: In one of your mixing bowls, mix mashed bananas with lemon juice for later.

Step 4: In another mixing bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt for later.

Step 5: Use a large mixing bowl to cream ¾ cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir while adding 2 teaspoons of vanilla.

Step 6: Mix aggressively while adding the flour mixture from step 4 alternately with the buttermilk.

Step 7: Stir in the banana mixture from step 3.

Step 8: Keep stirring until the batter is mixed evenly.

Step 9: It’s time to pour batter into your greased pan. Do your best to let the batter spread evenly.

Step 10: Take the loaf pan and place it into the oven. Let it bake for about an hour or until it passes the toothpick test*.

Step 11: Once the cake is baked thoroughly, remove it from the oven and place it directly in the freezer. Let it cool for 45 minutes to an hour. This is the secret to keeping the cake moist.

Frosting Directions:

Step 1: In a large whisking bowl, whip ½ cup butter and cream cheese until it is smooth.

Step 2: Mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir aggressively.

Step 3: Add confectioners’ sugar and mix thoroughly. Repeat this until the icing has the most desired consistency.

Step 4: Do your best to spread the frosting over the finished cake evenly.

Practice With Other Recipes

Now that you’ve been through the process and made a cake of your own, you’ll have the confidence you need to try other recipes and get the most you can out of your countertop oven.

Maybe you could use the leftover ingredients from the delicious cake you just made to make a loaf of banana bread instead. Or explore other options like cookies and cupcakes.