Brown Butter Banana Cake (Printable version)
Moist banana cake with nutty brown butter and thick cream cheese frosting — a decadent dessert.
# What you need:
→ Brown Butter Banana Cake
01 - ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter
02 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
03 - 1½ tsp baking powder
04 - 1 tsp baking soda
05 - ½ tsp salt
06 - 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
07 - ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
08 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
10 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1¼ cups)
11 - ½ cup (120 ml) sour cream
12 - ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
→ Thick Cream Cheese Frosting
13 - 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
14 - ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
15 - 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
17 - Pinch of salt
# How To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides for easy removal.
02 - Melt unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously as it begins to foam, watching carefully until it turns a golden amber color and releases a fragrant nutty aroma, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and let cool slightly.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter with granulated sugar and packed light brown sugar. Beat until well incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract, mashed bananas, sour cream, and whole milk until smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can produce a dense, tough crumb.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer. Bake on the center rack for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs.
07 - Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Do not begin frosting until the cake reaches room temperature, as residual heat will melt the frosting.
08 - Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat softened cream cheese and softened butter together on medium speed until creamy and free of lumps. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Continue beating on medium-high speed until the frosting is thick, fluffy, and holds its shape.
09 - Spread frosting generously and evenly over the completely cooled cake using an offset spatula. For cleaner slices, chill the frosted cake briefly in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes before cutting into squares.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The brown butter adds a nutty, caramel like depth that regular butter simply cannot replicate, and once you taste it you will understand why people keep asking for the recipe.
- This cake stays incredibly moist for days thanks to the sour cream and bananas working together, making it a dream make ahead dessert for gatherings.
02 -
- Watch the butter like a hawk while browning because it goes from perfectly golden to burnt in mere seconds, and burnt butter tastes bitter rather than nutty.
- The cake must be completely cool before frosting, and I mean completely, because even a little residual warmth will turn your beautiful thick frosting into a slippery puddle.
03 -
- Freeze your overripe bananas whole in their peels whenever you have extras, then thaw them in a bowl overnight in the fridge and snip the end off to squeeze out perfectly mashed banana with zero effort.
- A small offset spatula dipped in warm water creates the smoothest, most professional looking swirls on top of the frosting without tearing the cake underneath.