Brown Butter Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting takes your basic banana cake to a whole new level! Made in a 9 x 13 baking pan, you are going to actually look forward to overripe bananas.

brown butter banana bread with cream cheese frosting on a white plate with a fork.

One taste and you’ll agree that this is the best banana cake you’ve ever had! The secret: adding browned butter instead of plain. Plus, the light and flavorful cinnamon cream cheese frosting makes the cake the perfect coffee time snack to have on hand.

For more delicious and easy cake recipes, don’t miss this Olive Oil Bundt Cake or Italian Sponge Cake recipe. And, for another fun use for ripe bananas, check out these Peanut Butter Banana Blondies!

Why this Cake is the Best!

This Brown Butter Banana Cake is a great recipe to have on hand whether you are a beginning cook or a seasoned pro! It comes together quick and so easy to make.

This simple to make recipe is hands down the best way to use those overripe bananas, which, if you’re like me, you always seem to have! And, it’s super easy to make in a 9 x 13 baking pan, rather than making a layer cake.

I like to make this cake because it come’s together fast and can be made in one bowl. Plus, since you are browning the butter, no need to wait for it to come to room temperature.

This cake is super flavorful thanks to the browned butter. This simple act of cooking the butter gives the cake a deep and rich flavor that can’t be beat!

Brown Butter Banana Cake with cream cheese frosting on a white plate.

The simple cream cheese frosting is a great way to finish of the cake. Made with just a few ingredients, this frosting adds an irresistible flavor.

So, if you have leftover ripe bananas, be sure to give this Brown Butter Banana Cake a try. It’s sure to be a new favorite!

Ingredients and Substitutions

overhead photo of ingredients needed for recipe including sugar and eggs.
  • All purpose flour
  • Brown sugar
  • Baking soda
  • Sour cream: you can substitute Greek yogurt here
  • Vanilla extract
  • Eggs: use large eggs
  • Ripe bananas: two should yield about a cup of mashed banana
  • Powdered sugar
  • Cream cheese: make sure it’s room temperature

How to Make Brown Butter Banana Cake

You can make Brown Butter Banana Cake in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, or you can use two round cake pans if you’d like. Line baking pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

process shots showing how to make recipe including browning the ingredients and spreading into baking pan.

Step 1: brown the butter

To brown the butter, place a stick of butter in a small frying pan or pot over medium heat. Let the butter slowly melt while gently moving the pan. You will know its done when the butter is a light brown color with little flakes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 2: prepare the batter

In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, brown sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and cooled butter. Then, use a mixer to mix until well combined. To the bowl, add in the baking soda, flour, and salt. Mix until just combined.

Step 3: bake

Next, spread the batter into a 9 x 13 inch lined baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Place on cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 4: make the frosting

Lastly, once the cake is cooled you can prepare the frosting. In a bowl, use a handheld mixer to combine the cream cheese and butter. Then, add in the powdered sugar, milk, and cinnamon and mix until well combined. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.

slice of brown butter banana cake on a white plate.

Recipe Tips

  • Be careful not to cook the butter on too high of heat so that it burns rather than browns. Do medium heat until it gets to a golden brown color.
  • About two large ripe bananas will yield a cup of mashed banana.
  • You can make this into a layer cake by dividing the batter equally into two round baking pans. Be sure to adjust the cooking time and test for doneness using a toothpick.
  • Be sure the cake is completely cooled before adding the frosting.
  • Make sure you are using room temperature cream cheese and butter when making the frosting.
  • Store leftover Brown Butter Banana Cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. You can also freeze for up to a month.
Brown Butter Banana Cake on a plate with a fork.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to make brown butter?

To make the brown butter, simply melt the stick of butter in a small frying pan or small pot over medium heat. The butter will start to slowly melt then brown. Gently tilt the pan so that the melted butter moves around. No need to whisk or stir the butter; just tilt the pan until a light golden brown color is achieved.

What does browning butter do?

Using brown butter in a recipe will add a richness and depth of flavor. It’s an easy and quick way to add a slightly nutter and rich flavor to baked goods without a lot of extra work.

How to add flavor to banana cake?

You can add flavor to your banana cake by using a brown butter instead of room temperature, and topping it with this a cream cheese frosting like this Brown Butter Banana Cake recipe.

More Banana Recipes!

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or review in the comments section further down the page.

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Brown Butter Banana Cake

Brown Butter Banana Cake

This delicious cake gets its richness from browning the butter before adding it into the batter. Topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, it's the perfect crowd pleasing treat.
5 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 301kcal
Cost: 14

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter (one stick)
  • 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 bananas)
  • 1 ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (270 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup butter, softened (half a stick)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
  • Melt one stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until browned, about 6 minutes; set aside to cool.
  • In a large bowl, mash bananas then beat in brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and melted browned butter.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; fold into banana mixture.
  • Pour into baking dish and bake just until toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
  • Frosting: Cream together the cream cheese and butter until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix until combined. Spread over the cooled cake.

Video

Notes

  • Be careful not to cook the butter on too high of heat so that it burns rather than browns. Do medium heat until it gets to a golden brown color.
  • About two large ripe bananas will yield a cup of mashed banana.
  • You can make this into a layer cake by dividing the batter equally into two round baking pans. Be sure to adjust the cooking time and test for doneness using a toothpick.
  • Be sure the cake is completely cooled before adding the frosting.
  • Make sure you are using room temperature cream cheese and butter when making the frosting.
  • Store leftover Brown Butter Banana Cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. You can also freeze for up to a month.

Nutrition

Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 438IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
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Recipe Rating




10 Comments

  1. Hi.
    If I want to reduce the sweetness, by how much can I reduce the sugar quantity without making the cake dry?
    Thank you

  2. 5 stars
    Hi Angela, I just tried this recipe, and it turned out really yummy! I subbed the sour cream for coconut Greek yogurt and because the yogurt was sweetened, I reduced the sugar from 1 1/4 cups to 1 1/8 cups. I didn’t have enough brown sugar so ended up doing 1/2 light brown and 1/2 white granulated. Added 1 tsp of cinnamon in the dry mixture. Baked for 30 min and it was done! It’s just a bit drier than I would’ve liked, but I think I could’ve taken it out of the oven earlier. Hubby and I have enough sweets so didn’t add the frosting 🙂 Thanks for the recipe! We’re both happy with the result.

  3. Brown butter is LIFE 😛!! It is amazing what a slight change to one ingredient can do to elevate the flavors in something. It certainly is a great combination with bananas

  4. 5 stars
    I love banana desserts especially cakes and bread. The cinnamon cream cheese frosting sounds amazing. Pinning right now!

  5. Oh my, you’ve combined two of the best things together – brown butter and banana cake! Can’t wait to try it out! Thanks, Angela!