Brown Butter Banana Cake (Printable Version)
Moist banana cake with nutty brown butter and thick cream cheese frosting, perfect for celebrations.
# Ingredient List:
→ Brown Butter Banana Cake
01 - 3/4 cup (1 1/2 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, 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 ounces 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:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides for easy removal.
02 - Place the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously as it melts, foams, and eventually develops a golden brown color with a nutty aroma, approximately 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. Set aside.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, mashed bananas, sour cream, and whole milk until smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack before frosting.
08 - Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until creamy and smooth. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Continue beating until the frosting is thick and fluffy.
09 - Spread the frosting generously and evenly over the completely cooled cake. For cleaner slices, chill the frosted cake briefly before cutting into squares.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Brown butter adds a rich, nutty complexity that regular butter simply cannot match, and it takes barely five extra minutes.
- The sour cream keeps the crumb incredibly tender while the frosting is piled on thick enough to feel indulgent without being cloying.
02 -
- Watch the butter like a hawk while browning because it goes from perfectly nutty to irreparably burnt in a matter of seconds, and the pan keeps cooking it even after you remove it from heat.
- Never frost a warm cake because the cream cheese will melt and slide right off into a puddle of disappointment no matter how thick you made it.
03 -
- If your bananas are not quite ripe enough, put them in a 175 degree C (350 degree F) oven for about fifteen minutes until the skins blacken and the insides turn to liquid sweetness.
- Beat the frosting on medium high speed for at least three full minutes to incorporate enough air for that impossibly fluffy, pipeable consistency.