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Banana Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

By Kelsey

5 from 2 votes

on Feb 25, 2025

Delicious Banana Cake with Brown Butter Frosting: Moist, flavorful banana cake with rich, nutty brown butter frosting.

Ingredient List

• Sugar– this recipe was developed using white sugar, if you want to use another sugar feel free
• Butter– unsalted butter is the preferred butter to use for baking
• Egg– make sure the eggs are room temp
• Vanilla– measure with the heart
• Buttermilk– any milk can be used in a pinch
• Banana– make sure to mash with a fork throughly
• Flour
• Salt
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Cinnamon
• Powder Sugar
• Vanilla Paste– you can find vanilla paste in your baking aisle at the grocery store

Step By Step

1. Mix butter and sugar: Put the sugar and softened butter in a big bowl. Use an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) to beat them together for a few minutes until they look light and fluffy
2. Add the wet stuff: Crack the egg into the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and mashed bananas. Beat everything together until it’s well mixed.
3. Mix the dry stuff: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir them together with a whisk or fork.
4. Combine everything: Add half of the dry ingredients to the banana mixture. Then, pour in half of the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix! Now, do it again: add the rest of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk. Mix until just combined.
5. Bake the cake: Put parchment paper in a round cake pan. This will keep the cake from sticking. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake it in the oven at for 45-50 minutes. To see if it’s done, stick a toothpick in the middle. If it comes out clean, it’s ready!
6. Cool down: Let the cake cool completely in the pan before you put the frosting on.
7. Brown the butter: Put the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. It will melt and then start to foam. Keep stirring! The foam will go away, and you’ll see little brown bits at the bottom of the pan. That’s browned butter! Be careful not to burn it. Take it off the heat as soon as you see the brown bits.
8. Make the icing: Pour the browned butter into a bowl. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste (or extract). Stir it all together until it’s smooth and creamy.
9. Frost the cake: Once the cake is completely cool, pour the icing over the top. Spread it around evenly.
10. Add caramel (optional): If you want, drizzle some caramel sauce over the frosting.

Pro Tip

• Brown bananas are considered better for cooking, especially in baking, because as they ripen, their starches convert to sugar, making them significantly sweeter and adding a more intense banana flavor to your baked goods, while also providing a softer, easier-to-mash texture;essentially, the browning indicates a higher sugar content ideal for desserts like banana bread

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5 from 2 votes

Banana Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

Moist, flavorful banana cake with rich, nutty brown butter frosting.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 12

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Ingredients 

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For the Cake:

• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ cup buttermilk
• ▢ 2 very ripe bananas, mashed (the browner, the better!)
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Frosting:

• ▢ ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
• ▢ Caramel sauce, optional, for drizzling

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Instructions 

Make the Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix butter and sugar: Put the sugar and softened butter in a big bowl. Use an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) to beat them together for a few minutes until they look light and fluffy.
• Add the wet stuff: Crack the egg into the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and mashed bananas. Beat everything together until it’s well mixed.
• Mix the dry stuff: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir them together with a whisk or fork.
• Combine everything: Add half of the dry ingredients to the banana mixture. Then, pour in half of the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix! Now, do it again: add the rest of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk. Mix until just combined.
• Bake the cake: Put parchment paper in a round cake pan. This will keep the cake from sticking. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake it in the oven at for 45-50 minutes. To see if it's done, stick a toothpick in the middle. If it comes out clean, it's ready!
• Cool down: Let the cake cool completely in the pan before you put the frosting on.

Make the Frosting:

• Brown the butter: Put the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. It will melt and then start to foam. Keep stirring! The foam will go away, and you’ll see little brown bits at the bottom of the pan. That’s browned butter! Be careful not to burn it. Take it off the heat as soon as you see the brown bits.
• Make the icing: Pour the browned butter into a bowl. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste (or extract). Stir it all together until it’s smooth and creamy.

Put it all together:

• Frost the cake: Once the cake is completely cool, pour the icing over the top. Spread it around evenly.
• Add caramel (optional): If you want, drizzle some caramel sauce over the frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 387kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 197mg, Potassium: 118mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 40g, Vitamin A: 522IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 1mg

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