Brown Butter Banana Cake (Printable)
Nutty brown butter banana cake topped with thick, creamy cream cheese frosting.
# What You'll Need:
→ 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, 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
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
02 - Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously as it begins to foam, watching carefully until it turns a golden amber color and releases a nutty, toasted aroma, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and allow to 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 well incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract, mashed bananas, sour cream, and whole milk until smooth.
05 - Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently until just combined. Take care not to overmix, as this can produce a dense, tough crumb.
06 - Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
07 - Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Do not begin frosting until the cake has reached room temperature.
08 - Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until creamy and free of lumps. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Continue beating on medium-high speed until the frosting is thick, fluffy, and spreadable.
09 - Spread the frosting generously and evenly over the completely cooled cake. For cleaner slices, chill the frosted cake in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting into squares.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Brown butter transforms a simple banana cake into something that tastes like it came from a boutique bakery.
- The cream cheese frosting is thick enough to stand tall on the slice and balances the sweetness perfectly.
02 -
- If the browned butter is too hot when you add the eggs, you will end up with scrambled bits in your batter, so let it cool for about ten minutes first.
- The cake must be completely cool before frosting, because even slightly warm cake will melt the cream cheese into a sad, runny puddle.
03 -
- Use a light colored saucepan to brown the butter so you can actually see the color change and catch it before it burns.
- Undermixing the final batter is always better than overmixing, so err on the side of a few flour streaks that will disappear in the oven.