Grease two eight inch round pans thoroughly with butter and dust lightly with flour or use parchment paper circles on the base, this helps every slice release neatly
Mix Dry Ingredients:
Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl by hand for at least thirty seconds, making sure there are no streaks of leaveners
Cream Butter and Sugar:
Beat the room temperature butter with the sugar in a large bowl until it looks pale and fluffy, this step whips in air and is key for a soft crumb, scrape the bowl every minute or so
Add Eggs, Vanilla, and Bananas:
Crack the eggs in one at a time, beating after each just till the yellow disappears, then add vanilla followed by mashed bananas, mixing until smooth, the mixture may look a bit curdled but this is normal
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients with Buttermilk:
Add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the banana batter in batches, start and end with flour, alternate to keep the batter smooth and to avoid overworking gluten, stir gently just until combined
Bake:
Divide the batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing the tops so they bake up flat, place cakes in the center of your oven, bake at three hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit for around twenty five to thirty minutes, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center, it should come out dry or with a few moist crumbs
Cool:
Let the cakes cool in pans for ten minutes, then run a butter knife around the edge before turning out onto a wire rack, cool completely before frosting so the icing does not melt
Make Cream Cheese Frosting:
Beat together softened cream cheese and butter until completely smooth, then gradually add powdered sugar mixing on low to avoid a sugar cloud, add vanilla and a sprinkle of salt once most of the sugar is in, once all is blended whip a couple minutes more until light and fluffy
Frost the Cake:
Place one cooled cake layer on your serving plate, spread a generous layer of frosting, then gently position the second cake layer on top, cover the top and sides with remaining frosting, use a spatula or piping bag to create swirls or swoops as you like, decorate with banana slices or nuts for extra flair
