Brown Butter Banana Cake (Printable)
A moist banana cake with nutty brown butter and tangy cream cheese frosting—pure comfort in every bite.
# 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 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 teaspoon 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 teaspoon 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 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - Pinch of salt
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9-inch cake pan and line the bottom 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 cooled browned butter with the granulated sugar until creamy and well combined.
05 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until fully incorporated.
06 - Stir in the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla extract, mixing until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
07 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet batter, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
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 until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, beating until the frosting is thick and creamy.
11 - Spread the frosting generously over the cooled cake. Slice into squares and serve.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Browning the butter adds a deep, toasty complexity that regular banana cake never achieves, and your guests will keep asking what your secret is.
- The cream cheese frosting is thick enough to stand up on a spoon, tangy enough to balance all that richness, and spread in generous clouds over every inch of this cake.
02 -
- I once forgot about the butter on the stove while answering a phone call and came back to a pan full of black smoke, so stay at the stove the entire time and keep your spatula moving.
- Refrigerating leftovers extends the life of this cake to about four days, and honestly the cold slices taste even better the next morning with coffee.
03 -
- Patience is the real secret here, because brown butter needs your full attention and the cake needs to cool completely before it meets the frosting.
- Sifting the powdered sugar is the small step that separates velvety frosting from something gritty, and it only takes an extra thirty seconds.