Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grab your trusty 9×13-inch pan, grease it lightly with butter or non-stick spray, and set it aside. A well-prepped pan is essential to ensure your cake comes out easily.

Peel your ripe bananas and mash them in a bowl. I usually take the easy route and use my mixer, but the good old fork works just fine! Once you have a nice, smooth consistency, set the mashed bananas aside.

Take another bowl and whisk together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of salt. The key here is to make sure everything is evenly mixed. Set this flour mixture aside for later.

In your mixing bowl, preferably with a paddle attachment, cream ¾ cup of softened butter on high speed for about 1 minute until smooth and fluffy. Add in both 1 cup of granulated sugar and ½ cup of brown sugar. Beat these together on high speed for about two minutes. It should look light and creamy. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed!

Next, crack in 3 large eggs and pour in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Mix these in until combined. Then, gently fold in the mashed bananas with the mixer running.

With your mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the 1 and ½ cups of buttermilk and mixing just until everything is combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are perfectly okay! The batter should be thick but smooth.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan, spreading it out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.

Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for a bit. After about 45 minutes, I like to pop it in the refrigerator to cool completely. Trust me; this speeds things up!

While the cake is cooling, let’s make the cream cheese frosting! In a large bowl, beat together 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and ½ cup of softened butter on high speed until they are smooth and creamy. Then, add the 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low for about 30 seconds, then crank up the speed and mix for about 2 minutes. If you'd like it a bit thicker, add the extra ¼ cup of confectioners’ sugar.

Once the cake is completely cooled, spread that lovely frosting over the top. I recommend refrigerating it for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will help set the frosting and make cutting easier.