Brown Butter Banana Cake

You can never have too many ideas for using up spotty bananas, and although classic banana bread is the obvious choice, wait until you try this Brown Butter Banana Cake that is just as easy to make with rich buttery flavor. This is a simple one bowl recipe that takes less than 20 minutes to prepare. It starts with brown butter that you'll make once and then use it for the cake batter and the frosting. There's a delicately spiced banana batter infused with nutty brown butter to add rich, nutty and caramel-like flavor that complements banana so well. You top it with the dreamiest cream cheese frosting that is gleaming with flecks of that liquid gold. Serve this up for brunch or dessert for your dinner guests, and it will delight everyone. If you love making banana recipes, try my BEST Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and my viral Brown Butter Banana Bread Coffee Cake.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Quick and easy to make - this delicious cake is just as easy as making banana bread with one bowl and few steps. You just need a little extra time to make brown butter, but it is entirely worth it!
• Rich nutty, buttery flavor - brown butter adds a level of complexity that is so incredibly morish. It makes this cake taste so buttery in the best possible way with nutty, caramel-like undertones.
• Spiced banana cake - just a hint of cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg adds warmth and fragrance to this cake that pairs so well with brown butter, and is definitely giving cozy Fall vibes.
• Moist texture - you will love how plush this cake is with a very soft and moist crumb. It stays moist even during refrigeration thanks to the high amount of yogurt in the batter.
• Not too sweet - the bananas are sweet enough that you don't need a lot of sugar to keep this cake moist and it has such a beautiful, rich flavor.
• Brown butter cream cheese frosting - this is the hero! This cream cheese frosting with flecks of delectable brown butter and vanilla bean will have you coming back for more.

INGREDIENTS FOR BROWN BUTTER BANANA CAKE

• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for a moist cakes. Do not pack it down when measuring or use a scale to get the right amount.
• Baking powder - you'll need baking powder to lift the batter and create an even crumb.
• Baking soda - baking soda reacts with the yogurt to lift the batter and also helps create a nice, even golden top.
• Spice - a hint of cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg adds lovely fragrance and cozy flavor that makes this cake especially perfect for Fall.
• Bananas - you'll need about 2-3 ripe bananas for this recipe. Mash them up and measure out 1 cup. For me, this is usually 2 large bananas. I don't recommend using frozen bananas for the best taste, but it will still work. See my tips below in the FAQ section to read why.
• Salted butter - butter is the star ingredient! You can use unsalted butter too, but I find that salted butter adds another level of richness, especially after you brown it. If you use unsalted butter for the batter, just increase the added salt by about ⅛ teaspoon.
• Brown sugar - light or dark brown sugar works great in this recipe. It adds a lovely hint of molasses flavor and also keeps it extra moist.
• Yogurt - brown butter desserts really benefit from an acidic ingredient to enhance it, otherwise they can just taste flat. Full fat yogurt adds richness, body and tanginess.
• Cream cheese - I top this cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting and I recommend using brick-style cream cheese that is soft once at room temperature.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE BROWN BUTTER BANANA CAKE

• STEP 1). First brown the butter. Reserve 3 tablespoons in a small bowl and the place it in the fridge to cool and set until firm, but pliable for the frosting. Let the remaining butter cool slightly and use this to incorporate into the batter as instructed below.
• STEP 2). Combine dry ingredients. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
• STEP 3). Mash bananas. Place mashed banana in a large mixing bowl. I find it easiest to mash bananas on a flat surface, such as a clean cutting board or flat plate rather than in the bowl. I mash them up with the back of a fork and you will need 240g of banana flesh which is about 2 large bananas.
• STEP 4). Combine wet ingredients. Add both types of sugar, eggs, slightly cooled browned butter, yogurt and vanilla and whisk until smooth, glossy and syrupy.
• STEP 5). Add dry ingredients all at once and fold them in until just combined. I like to start mixing with the whisk to help break up the flour clumps, then finish mixing with a spatula to fold it all together. You can also sift the flour first if it is lumpy.
• STEP 6). Bake. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out. Bake for 25-28 minutes until the top is evenly browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes, then invert the cake and set it on a wire rack to cool completely.
• STEP 7). Make the frosting. Place the soft cream cheese in a bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium-low speed until smooth. Add the cooled brown butter and mix until evenly incorporated. Mix in the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. Gradually add the powdered sugar in 2 or 3 additions and mix until smooth, creamy and fluffy. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and decorate with chopped pecans and banana slices.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Measure flour correctly. Adding too much flour to the batter can result in a dense loaf. Bananas contain carbohydrates that will contribute to some of the structure of the loaf itself, so the batter will be naturally wet. Resist the urge to add more flour.
• Use the right amount of bananas. Bananas come in all different sizes... generally small medium and large. This recipe uses 2 large sized bananas, and 1 large banana (flesh only) weighs about 120g. So, that means after you peel your banana it should weigh about 120 grams. For this recipe you will need 240g of banana flesh.
• Mash the bananas very well. Mash the bananas to a smooth consistency. This will ensure you extract all of the sugars and starch so they incorporate into the batter to make it moist and with an even crumb texture.

• Do not over-mix - banana bread is a rustic batter and doesn't need to be perfectly smooth to turn out wonderfully. Just gently fold the flour in until evenly incorporated so there aren't any large dry streaks, but no need to mix excessively. Over-mixing will lead to a drier, tougher crumb texture instead of soft and tender.
• Avoid frozen bananas if you can. I always prefer to make banana bread with very ripe spotty bananas and not frozen bananas. That is because freezing destroys the cell structure of the banana so that a lot of water leaches out once they thaw. This water is free water and can cause a dense gummy layer to form at the bottom of the baked loaf. Fresh bananas have their cell structures intact so that they can contribute better to the integrity of the loaf.

RECIPE FAQ

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Video

Brown Butter Banana Yogurt Cake

Christina Marsigliese

Wait until you try this Brown Butter Banana Cake that is just as easy as banana bread with rich, nutty buttery flavor. This is a simple one bowl recipe that takes less than 20 minutes to prepare with a delicately spiced banana batter topped with irresistible brown butter cream cheese frosting.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

  

Brown Butter Banana Cake Batter

• 1 ¼ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• grated nutmeg
• 1 cup (237ml) mashed banana, from about 2 large ripe bananas
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (55g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ¼ cup (60ml) salted butter, browned
• ½ cup (120ml) full fat plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 3 tablespoon (42g) salted butter, browned
• 5 ¼ oz (150g) cream cheese
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• ⅔ cup (80g) powdered confectioner's sugar

Topping:

• banana slices
• chopped toasted pecans

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch round pan with a round of parchment paper.
• First brown the butter. Follow the detailed instructions here on how to brown butter. Basically, you cook it over medium-low heat until it boils and all of the water evaporates. The milk solids will toast and change to delicious brown flecks through golden liquid butter. Reserve 3 tablespoons in a small bowl and the place it in the fridge to cool and set until firm, but pliable for the frosting. Let the remaining butter cool slightly and use this to incorporate into the batter as instructed below.
• Make the cake batter. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
• Place mashed banana in a large mixing bowl. I find it easiest to mash bananas on a flat surface, such as a clean cutting board or flat plate rather than in the bowl. I mash them up with the back of a fork and you will need 240g of banana flesh which is about 2 large bananas. Add both types of sugar, eggs, slightly cooled browned butter, yogurt and vanilla and whisk until smooth, glossy and syrupy. Add dry ingredients all at once and fold them in until just combined. I like to start mixing with the whisk to help break up the flour clumps, then finish mixing with a spatula to fold it all together. You can also sift the flour first if it is lumpy.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out. Bake for 25-28 minutes until the top is evenly browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes, then invert the cake and set it on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting. Place the soft cream cheese in a bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium-low speed until smooth. Add the cooled brown butter and mix until evenly incorporated. Mix in the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. Gradually add the powdered sugar in 2 or 3 additions and mix until smooth, creamy and fluffy. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and decorate with chopped pecans and banana slices.