Salted Caramel Brown Butter Banana (Printer-friendly)
Moist banana cake with brown butter and homemade salted caramel topping
# What You Need:
→ Cake Batter
01 - 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
08 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - 3 large very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)
11 - 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
→ Salted Caramel Sauce
12 - 1 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1/4 cup water
14 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
15 - 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
16 - 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, to taste
→ Decoration (Optional)
17 - Fresh banana slices
18 - Extra salted caramel sauce
19 - Chopped toasted nuts
# How to Make It:
01 - Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams and golden-brown specks form on the bottom, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
02 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round or square cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
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, whisk the cooled brown butter with the granulated sugar and light brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, mashed bananas, and sour cream until fully incorporated.
05 - Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Gently fold everything together using a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and use a spatula to smooth the top into an even layer.
07 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - In a clean saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water. Stir over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring. Allow the syrup to cook undisturbed until it turns a deep amber color, about 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately add the cubed butter, which will bubble vigorously. Whisk until the butter melts, then slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking continuously. Simmer the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the flaky sea salt. Let the sauce cool slightly before using.
09 - Once the cake has cooled completely, pour the warm salted caramel sauce evenly over the top. Garnish with fresh banana slices, chopped toasted nuts, or an extra drizzle of caramel sauce as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Brown butter adds a deep, nutty complexity that regular butter simply cannot match in a banana cake.
- The homemade salted caramel sauce drips down the sides and makes every slice feel like a special occasion.
- Using very ripe bananas means you finally have a use for those forgotten ones sitting on your counter.
02 -
- Do not walk away from the caramel once the sugar starts to color because it can go from perfect amber to burnt in seconds.
- Use a light-colored saucepan for browning butter so you can actually see the color change happening at the bottom.
- The cake tastes even better the next day when the banana flavor has had time to deepen and the crumb has settled.
03 -
- Start checking the caramel at around six minutes and tilt the pan gently to judge the color rather than stirring it.
- Let the brown butter cool until it is just warm to the touch before adding the eggs so they do not scramble.