Brown Butter Banana Cake (Printable version)
Nutty brown butter banana cake topped with thick, tangy cream cheese frosting. Decadently moist.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Brown Butter Banana Cake
01 - 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter
02 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
03 - 1 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 tsp salt
06 - 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
09 - 1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Thick Cream Cheese Frosting
11 - 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
12 - 1/4 cup (60 g) unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 1/4 cups (280 g) powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
15 - Pinch of salt
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x9-inch cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
02 - Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, about 5–7 minutes. Transfer immediately to a bowl and let cool slightly.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
04 - In a large bowl, beat the browned butter and granulated sugar together until creamy and well combined.
05 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until fully incorporated.
06 - Fold in the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla extract, mixing until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
07 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
08 - Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
09 - Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10 - Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
11 - Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, beating until thick and creamy.
12 - Spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the cooled cake. Slice into squares and serve.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- Brown butter transforms ordinary banana cake into something that tastes like it took all day, even though it barely takes an hour.
- The cream cheese frosting is thick enough to stand a spoon in, and it balances the deep caramel notes of the cake perfectly.
02 -
- If the brown butter is too hot when you add the eggs, you will scramble them into the batter and end up with tiny rubbery bits throughout the cake.
- The cake actually tastes better on the second day, after the flavors have had time to settle and meld together in the fridge overnight.
03 -
- Swirl the brown butter gently instead of stirring vigorously, because agitating it too much can cause the milk solids to burn before the rest has had time to toast.
- Put the cream cheese and butter for the frosting in the mixer while the cake bakes, and by the time you need them they will be perfectly softened without any microwave cheating.