Brown Butter Banana Cake (Printer-friendly)
Moist banana cake with nutty brown butter and thick cream cheese frosting, perfect for celebrations.
# 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 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
07 - 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
08 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
10 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)
11 - 1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
12 - 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
→ Thick Cream Cheese Frosting
13 - 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
14 - 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
15 - 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
17 - Pinch of salt
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 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 foams and begins to develop golden brown flecks and a nutty aroma, approximately 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together 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 light brown sugar. Beat until smooth and well incorporated.
05 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in pure vanilla extract, mashed bananas, sour cream, and whole milk until the mixture is uniform.
06 - Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined—avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
07 - Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
08 - Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely before frosting.
09 - Beat softened cream cheese and softened unsalted butter together until creamy and lump-free. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Continue beating until the frosting is thick and fluffy.
10 - Spread the frosting generously and evenly over the cooled cake. For cleaner slices, chill briefly before cutting into squares.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The brown butter adds a deep, toasty complexity that regular butter simply cannot replicate.
- This cake stays incredibly moist for days thanks to the sour cream and ripe bananas working together.
- The cream cheese frosting is thick enough to hold its shape but smooth enough to spread like a dream.
02 -
- The butter can go from perfectly browned to burnt in under thirty seconds, so stay at the stove and keep stirring.
- Trying to frost a warm cake will melt the cream cheese into a runny mess, patience is everything here.
03 -
- Tap the pan gently on the counter before baking to release trapped air bubbles that cause uneven baking.
- If your cream cheese is not fully softened, the frosting will have stubborn lumps, so plan ahead and let it sit out for at least an hour.