Salted Caramel Brown Butter Cake (Printable Version)
Moist brown-butter banana cake topped with silky salted caramel and sea salt flakes. Serves 10–12.
# Ingredient List:
→ Brown Butter Banana Cake
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter
02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 1 1/2 cups ripe mashed bananas (about 3–4 bananas)
10 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 cup sour cream
→ Salted Caramel Sauce
12 - 1 cup granulated sugar
13 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
14 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
15 - 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
→ Caramel Frosting (optional)
16 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 2 cups powdered sugar
18 - 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce
19 - 2–3 tablespoons milk, as needed
# How to Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a small saucepan, melt 1 cup butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until foamy and brown flecks appear with a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
04 - In a large bowl, mix cooled brown butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in mashed bananas and vanilla extract.
05 - Fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Add sour cream and mix gently.
06 - Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
07 - Heat sugar in a dry saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and amber-colored. Whisk in butter until melted, then slowly add heavy cream while stirring. Mixture will bubble. Stir in sea salt. Let cool to room temperature.
08 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and 1/2 cup cooled caramel sauce. Add milk as needed to achieve smooth, spreadable consistency.
09 - When cake is completely cool, top with caramel frosting or drizzle generously with salted caramel sauce. Garnish with additional sea salt flakes if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The brown butter infuses every crumb with rich, nutty depth you can't get from regular butter—trust me, people always wonder what the secret is.
- Between the moist banana base and that generous layer of salted caramel, even strict dessert skeptics have gone back for seconds.
02 -
- Leaving caramel unattended, even for a minute, taught me that kitchen distractions are its arch-enemy—it crystallizes or burns in a blink.
- The first time I rushed the cooling time, my cake slid apart when I tried to frost it; patience makes all the difference, especially for picture-perfect layers.
03 -
- Measure sugars precisely, as too much brown sugar can sink the crumb and make the cake overly dense.
- Warming the caramel sauce for 10 seconds before drizzling ensures perfect, glossy ribbons every time.