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    Home » Recipes » Cakes, Cupcakes & Frosting

    Banana Cake

    Published: February 24, 2021 · Updated: February 24, 2021 · By: Krissy · 6 Comments
    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This scratch made frosted Banana Cake with walnuts is different from other recipes. The single layer cake portion is moist, fluffy, and has just the right amount of sweetness. The brown butter vanilla bean cream cheese frosting takes it over the top! You're going to love this homemade dessert recipe.

    piece of homemade Frosted Banana Cake on plate

    Why this recipe works:

    • Best tasting: You'll find plenty of recipes out there for banana cake, but this recipe is different, dare I say much better, than all the rest. This recipe uses brown butter in both the cake and the frosting. Not only does that create soft and fluffy results, but the taste and flavor will knock your socks off.
    • Perfect cake to frosting ratio: The cake is thick and fluffy and there's just the right amount of frosting to add the added sweetness that the not-super-sweet cake needs.
    • Easy to make: Browning the butter is an extra step you might not be used to taking, but otherwise this is an easy to follow recipe that anyone can make.
    • Great use of ripe bananas: Not sure about you, but I love to look for different recipes other than banana bread to use up those ripe bananas!

    Ingredients needed to make this recipe:

    One of the reasons I love this recipe is I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand.

    Banana Cake ingredients:

    • Butter: I use unsalted but if you use salted butter you may want to reduce the salt in the recipe.
    • Walnuts: Raw organic walnuts give the best flavor and I chop them by hand if sold as walnut halves. These get toasted in the brown butter.
    • Sugar: This recipe uses both granulated and golden brown sugar.
    • Vanilla: I make my own homemade vanilla extract.
    • Sour cream: This makes the cake extra light and fluffy.
    • Eggs: Large and fresh is always best.
    • Bananas: Level of ripeness is up to availability. Mine were a bit more ripe than I usually bake with.
    • Flour: Just regular all-purpose flour.
    • Baking soda, baking powder, salt
    ingredients to make sour cream banana cake

    Frosting ingredients:

    • Butter: I use unsalted but you can use salted.
    • Cream cheese: Make sure it has softened to room temperature.
    • Vanilla bean: Split lengthwise. If you don't have one, you can add vanilla extract to the frosting when the sugar gets mixed in.
    • Confectioners sugar: No need to sift.
    ingredients to make brown butter vanilla bean cream cheese frosting

    How to make the banana cake:

    Full ingredient list and detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

    1. Brown butter: First step is to brown the butter on the stove with the walnuts. Your house will smell like heaven. Take care not to let it burn.
    2. Add sugar: Once the browned butter has cooled a bit, you will mix in the sugars and the vanilla.
    3. Wet ingredients: The sugar mixture gets added to the bowl of a stand mixer and the wet ingredients are mixed in.
    4. Dry ingredients: Add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix slow at first to combine and then whip using the paddle attachment to make it light and fluffy.
    5. Spread: Add batter to a greased baking dish.
    6. Bake: The banana cake needs to bake until it is golden brown on top and fully set.
    • brown butter with walnuts
      brown butter with walnuts
    • brown butter with sugar and walnuts
      add sugar and vanilla
    • mixing banana cake batter
      mix in wet ingredients
    • homemade cake batter with bananas and walnuts in bowl
      mix in dry ingredients
    • banana cake batter in pan
      spread batter into greased dish
    • golden brown baked banana cake in glass baking dish
      bake until golden brown and set

    How to make the frosting:

    While the cake is baking, you can make the brown butter cream cheese frosting.

    1. Brown butter: You will brown the butter just as you did with the banana cake recipe, however this time you will add a split vanilla bean.
    2. Beat: Once the butter has cooled to the touch, you will beat it until it is light and fluffy with the softened cream cheese. If you look closely, you can see the bits of golden brown butter along with the dark vanilla bean seeds.
    3. Add sugar: All of the powered sugar is added, slowly mixed in to incorporate, and then whipped until light and fluffy.
    • browned butter with vanilla bean
      browned butter with vanilla bean
    • brown butter whipped with cream cheese
      cream cheese and browned butter
    • cream cheese frosting on whisk attachment
      frosting after sugar added

    When to frost the cake:

    The frosting will be thick but spreadable. My preference is to wait until the cake has cooled to the touch but is still warm. The frosting will spread nicely at this point.

    • spreading frosting on a baked banana cake
      add frosting when cake is slightly warm
    • spread evenly and top with chopped walnuts

    Cooking tips for best results:

    • Baking times vary: Depending on your oven and the size baking dish you use, the baking time for the cake can vary drastically. If the banana cake is browned on top but not done in the middle, simply reduce the oven temperature, loosely tent with foil to prevent further browning, and continue cooking until done.
    • Brown butter: This is the key ingredient that really sets this recipe apart from all the other banana cakes. Brown butter is easy to make but you just need to watch it constantly, continuously stir it, and remove it from heat as soon as it's done.
    • Storage: Unless you're feeding a crowd, you're going to have leftovers. Just be sure to tightly wrap the cake to prevent it from drying out. It can stay out at room temperature for short periods of time. Longer storage should be refrigerated.
    top down shot of frosted banana cake with walnuts

    Other recipes for ripe bananas:

    Have some bananas sitting on the counter that are past the point of peeling and eating? Here are some other great recipe recommendations.

    • Sour Cream Banana Nut Bread
    • Banana Upside Down Cake
    • Banana Pancakes
    • Banana Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce
    • Brown Butter Banana Bars
    • Strawberry Banana Smoothie
    • Banana Cream Pie
    • Classic Banana Pudding
    • Air Fryer Banana Bread
    close up of frosted banana walnut cake

    If you’ve made this or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. I love hearing from my readers!

    You can also follow along on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes to satisfy any foodie craving!

    cut square of frosted banana cake on plate

    Banana Cake

    This scratch made frosted walnut Banana Cake is different from all the other recipes. Brown butter and just the right amount of sweetness!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Scale: 16 servings
    Recipe Created By: Krissy Allori

    Ingredients

    Banana Cake:

    • ¾ cup unsalted butter
    • ¾ cup walnuts (chopped, raw)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups sour cream
    • 3 large eggs (slightly beaten)
    • 2 cups bananas (ripe, mashed , about 3 large or 4 small)
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

    Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • 1 whole vanilla bean (split lengthwise (see notes for substitutions))
    • 8 ounces cream cheese (full fat, room temperature)
    • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
    • walnuts (optional - add crushed walnuts to the top of the frosted cake)

    Instructions

    To make the Banana Cake:

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 deep or a 10x15 inch pan (I use a glass dish).
    • In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add walnuts. Whisk frequently, scraping the bottom. As the butter foams, continue whisking and scraping to release any brown bits that may stick to the bottom. As the butter foams, you can slowly reduce the heat to avoid burning. Once the butter has sufficiently browned (not burned) and smells heavenly, remove from heat and allow to cool to the touch. ***Note: Browned butter can go from perfect to burnt quickly so be sure to keep your eye on it.
      brown butter with walnuts
    • Add granulated and brown sugars as well as the vanilla to the warm browned butter. Stir to combine.
      brown butter with sugar and walnuts
    • Add sugar mixture along with sour cream, eggs, and mashed banana to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for about a minute. Scrape sides and continue to mix on low for another 30 seconds.
      mixing banana cake batter
    • In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the wet. Start mixing on low speed just to combine and then flash on high speed for about 10 seconds to fully mix. Scrape sides and briefly mix again to combine.
      homemade cake batter with bananas and walnuts in bowl
    • Spread batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven until light brown on top and fully cooked thru when using a cake tester to determine if the batter is still wet. If using a 9x13 pan, batter will be quite full. Bake for about 35 minutes at which time the top should be browned. If, at that point, the cake jiggles when you move the pan or a cake tester comes out wet, loosely set a piece of foil on top to prevent browning and reduce oven temperature to 325°F and continue cooking until set, an additional 5-15 minutes. If you are using a 10x15 inch pan, the cake will be much thinner and will cook much faster, so remove from oven when browned and fully set. While cake is baking, prepare frosting.
      golden brown baked banana cake in glass baking dish

    How to make Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

    • Brown butter with split vanilla bean using the same method as above. Press down on vanilla bean with flat bottomed wooden spoon to get all the seeds to come out while it cooks. Remember to turn the heat down when the butter foams and keep it moving to prevent burning. When done, remove from heat and discard remaining pod. Cool until it is just warm to the touch.
      browned butter with vanilla bean
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat softened cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Add cooled vanilla brown butter and beat until light and fluffy, scraping the sides as needed.
      brown butter whipped with cream cheese
    • Add confectioner's sugar by the spoonful, fully mixing. Once all the sugar is added, frosting should be light and fluffy.
      cream cheese frosting on whisk attachment
    • Allow cake to cool until it is just warm to the touch before you frost and cut into individual servings.
      spreading frosting on a baked banana cake

    Notes

    • Baking times vary: Depending on your oven and the size baking dish you use, the baking time for the cake can vary drastically. If the banana cake is browned on top but not done in the middle, simply reduce the oven temperature, loosely tent with foil to prevent further browning, and continue cooking until done.
    • Brown butter: This is the key ingredient that really sets this recipe apart from all the other banana cakes. Brown butter is easy to make but you just need to watch it constantly, continuously stir it, and remove it from heat as soon as it's done.
    • Storage: Unless you're feeding a crowd, you're going to have leftovers. Just be sure to tightly wrap the cake to prevent it from drying out. It can stay out at room temperature for short periods of time. Longer storage should be refrigerated.

    NUTRITION INFORMATION

    Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 832IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emily

      March 09, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      Just made this cake and it’s to die for! I learned a new skill, how to brown butter. What a difference it makes in the flavor of the cake and frosting! So delicious! I have a new go to banana recipe now!!

      Reply
    2. Toni

      March 02, 2021 at 9:01 am

      5 stars
      This is really good!! Such a perfect banana cake recipe! Thanks for sharing! I loved it!

      Reply
    3. Maria

      March 02, 2021 at 7:30 am

      5 stars
      This banana cake looks dense and moist and oh so yummy! Will give this recipe a try ASAP!

      Reply
    4. Angela

      March 02, 2021 at 7:29 am

      5 stars
      A wonderfully moist and flavorful cake. Your step by step pictures are great.

      Reply
    5. Claudia Lamascolo

      March 02, 2021 at 6:59 am

      5 stars
      I love banana in cakes they are so moist and this looks fantastic!

      Reply
    6. Pam Brand

      March 02, 2021 at 6:46 am

      5 stars
      Well, I love bananas and I love cake, but where you really got me is with brown butter!

      Reply

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