Banana Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Slice of banana garnished on top of a piece of banana cake that's topped with brown butter cream cheese frosting and a bite missing from it.

Banana Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

This banana cake is tender, moist, and full of real banana flavor—like the best banana bread you’ve ever had, only softer and somehow more irresistible. The brown butter cream cheese frosting takes it to another level: rich, nutty, and lightly tangy.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Banana Cake, Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 541kcal

Ingredients

For The Banana Cake

¾ cup butter (145g), browned
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (12ml)
½ cup brown sugar (112g),packed
1 cup white sugar (200g)
1 ¾ cups bananas ( 390g), about 4 overripe bananas, mashed
3 large eggs (150g)
1 ¼ cups milk (305ml)
2 tablespoon lemon juice (28ml) or 1 ½ cups buttermilk (345ml)
3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda (6.3g)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt (1.5g)

For The Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

12 oz cream cheese (340g), at room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter (113g), browned and cooled
2 teaspoon vanilla extract (10ml)
3 ½ to 4 cups powdered sugar (395-450g)
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Banana Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) pan or two 8x8-inch (20x20 cm) pans.
Brown the Butter: In a saucepan, melt 1 ½ cups (340g) of butter over medium heat. Stir as it froths, becoming golden with brown specks at the bottom. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Measure ¾ cup (145g) of the browned butter for the cake, as browned butter loses about 10% of its volume.
¾ cup butter
Prepare Buttermilk Substitute: Combine milk and lemon juice in a measuring cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes to curdle (or use 1 ½ cups/345ml of buttermilk).
1 ¼ cups milk, 2 tbsp lemon juice
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Combine Wet Ingredients: Mash the bananas with a fork in a large mixing bowl, then add the brown sugar, white sugar, and eggs. Mix until smooth.
½ cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, 1 ¾ cups bananas, 3 large eggs
Incorporate Butter and Milk: Stir the vanilla into the cooled brown butter. Drizzle it into the banana mixture while mixing. Then, drizzle in the curdled milk and mix until well combined.
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until smooth.
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). Place in the oven, then immediately lower the temperature to 300°F (149°C). Bake for 60-70 minutes (for a 9x13-inch pan) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.

Baking Times

9x13-inch pan: 45-55 minutes at 350°F (180°C) or 60-70 minutes at 300°F (149°C)
Two 8x8-inch pans: about 35 minutes at 350°F (180°C)
Tip: Baking at 300°F (149°C) encourages a flat, even surface on your cake, while 350°F (180°C) results in a quicker bake with a slightly domed top.

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, cream the cooled brown butter with the room-temperature cream cheese until fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
12 oz cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp salt
Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing a bit at a time until you reach a spreadable consistency.
3 ½ to 4 cups powdered sugar
Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Oven Variance: Every oven is different! Always check the cake 10 minutes early using the toothpick test, and continue baking until the toothpick comes out clean. Baking time may vary by 20-30 minutes depending on your oven and altitude.

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