Brown Butter Banana Cake (Printable)
Moist banana cake with nutty brown butter and tangy cream cheese frosting, perfect for dessert.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Brown Butter Banana Cake
01 - 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter
02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
09 - 1/2 cup sour cream
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Thick Cream Cheese Frosting
11 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
12 - 1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - Pinch of salt
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal.
02 - Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the butter foams, turns a deep golden brown, and releases a nutty aroma, about 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately transfer to a heatproof bowl and let cool slightly.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the browned butter and granulated sugar together until creamy and well incorporated.
05 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.
06 - Fold in the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla extract, mixing until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
07 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet batter, folding gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix to keep the cake tender.
08 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack before frosting.
10 - Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, beating until the frosting is thick, creamy, and spreadable.
11 - Spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the completely cooled cake. Slice into squares and serve.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Brown butter adds a toffee-like richness that makes people close their eyes on the first bite and ask what is in this.
- The cream cheese frosting is thick enough to stand up to slicing but still tangy enough to balance all that sweetness.
- It uses everyday ingredients you probably have right now, especially those browning bananas on your counter.
02 -
- Brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in about 15 seconds, so stay at the stove and never walk away while it is cooking.
- If you frost the cake while it is even slightly warm, the frosting will slide right off and you will be sad.
- Mixing the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined keeps the crumb tender and cakey rather than tough.
03 -
- Sour cream is the reason this cake stays moist for days, so do not be tempted to skip or substitute it.
- When browning butter, pour it out of the saucepan immediately once it reaches that amber color because the residual heat will keep cooking it otherwise.