Brown Butter Banana Cake (Printable)
Moist banana cake with nutty brown butter and thick cream cheese frosting — a decadent celebration-worthy dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Brown Butter Banana Cake
01 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter
02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
04 - 1 tsp baking soda
05 - 1/2 tsp salt
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
08 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
10 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)
11 - 1/2 cup sour cream
12 - 1/4 cup whole milk
→ Thick Cream Cheese Frosting
13 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
14 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
17 - Pinch of salt
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides for easy removal.
02 - Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously as it foams and develops a golden brown color with a fragrant nutty aroma, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat until well incorporated.
05 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract, mashed bananas, sour cream, and whole milk until the mixture is smooth.
06 - Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir until just combined — avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack before applying frosting.
09 - Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until creamy and smooth. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Continue beating until the frosting is thick and fluffy.
10 - Spread the frosting generously over the cooled cake in an even layer. Chill briefly for cleaner slicing if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Brown butter transforms a simple banana cake into something that tastes like it came from a fancy bakery with almost no extra effort.
- The cream cheese frosting is thick enough to stand up to slicing but still melts into the warm crumb in the most satisfying way.
- It uses everyday ingredients you probably have sitting around right now, especially those bananas nobody wanted to eat.
02 -
- Brown butter goes from perfect to burnt in seconds, so stay at the stove and pull it the moment you see golden flecks and smell nuts.
- Frosting a cake that is even slightly warm will cause the cream cheese to slide right off into a puddle of disappointment.
03 -
- Freeze your overripe bananas whole in their peels whenever you have them, then thaw them overnight in a bowl for easy baking whenever the mood strikes.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter for the frosting at least two full minutes before adding sugar, because this extra whipping time is what makes it impossibly light despite being thick.