Brown Butter Banana Cake (Printable)
Moist banana cake with nutty brown butter and thick tangy cream cheese frosting — pure indulgence.
# What You 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 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 mixing bowl and let cool slightly.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a large bowl, beat the browned butter and granulated sugar together until creamy and thoroughly combined.
05 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated.
06 - Fold in the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Mix until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
07 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet batter, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the crumb tender.
08 - Pour the batter into the prepared cake 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 applying frosting.
10 - 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. Continue beating until the frosting is thick, creamy, and spreadable.
11 - Spread the cream cheese frosting generously and evenly over the cooled cake. Slice into squares and serve.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Brown butter adds a deep, toasty depth that regular butter simply cannot match in banana cake.
- The cream cheese frosting is thick enough to stand up to the moist crumb without sliding off or making a mess.
02 -
- Undercooking the brown butter is far better than burning it, so pull it from the heat the moment you see golden flecks at the bottom of the pan.
- The cake must cool completely before frosting, and I learned this the hard way when my first attempt resulted in a beautiful frosting river running right off the sides.
03 -
- Swirl the butter constantly while browning and never walk away from the pan, because the window between perfectly nutty and completely burnt is only a matter of seconds.
- For the thickest, most luscious frosting, chill the bowl and beaters for ten minutes before whipping everything together on a cold morning.