Brown Butter Banana Cake (Printable View)
Moist banana cake with nutty brown butter and thick cream cheese frosting for any occasion.
# Ingredient List:
→ Brown Butter Banana Cake
01 - 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter
02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
08 - 2 large eggs, brought to room temperature
09 - 2 teaspoons 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 (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
15 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
17 - Pinch of salt
# How to Make It:
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 watch for the milk solids to turn golden brown and release a 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 with granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until smooth and 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 combined.
06 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the crumb tender.
07 - Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Transfer pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely before frosting.
09 - Beat softened cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until creamy and lump-free. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Continue beating until the frosting is thick, fluffy, and spreadable.
10 - Spread frosting generously and evenly over the cooled cake. For cleaner slices, chill briefly before cutting into squares.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- Brown butter transforms ordinary banana cake into something people will genuinely ask you about by name.
- The cream cheese frosting is thick enough to stand up to slicing but still melts on your tongue.
- It freezes beautifully, so you can stash half a pan for a rainy Tuesday when you need cake.
02 -
- Brown butter goes from perfect to burnt in roughly thirty seconds, so stay at the stove and do not walk away to check your phone.
- Frosting a warm cake is the most common way to ruin this recipe, and patience here is the entire game.
03 -
- Use a light colored saucepan for browning butter so you can actually see the color change instead of guessing against a dark surface.
- Sifting powdered sugar seems fussy but it is the single thing that separates lumpy frosting from silky frosting.