Banana Cake With Brown Butter Frosting

Layers of light & fluffy banana cake are stacked with a silky brown butter frosting for a fabulous dessert that will use up those overripe bananas sitting on the counter. The flavor combo of banana bread & nutty brown butter is a match made in heaven!

A slice of banana cake on a white dessert plate in front of the rest of the cake on a cake stand. - 2

When I was developing a banana layer cake I knew I wanted it to be more than just dense layers of banana bread with cream cheese frosting . Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I was looking for a cake with the soft, velvety texture of my favorite vanilla cake and a frosting pairing that would make this cake feel extra special.

This cake definitely exceeded my expectations and is perfect for birthdays, holidays, and dinner parties where you want something comforting and familiar but elevated to the next level. If you have ever had brown butter frosting before and thought, “this is good but doesn’t taste all that different from regular vanilla buttercream,” well I have a solution for that which makes for an even bigger, bolder flavor experience that brown butter afficionados will love.

My brown butter frosting is based off a version from Bon Appetit that calls for dry milk powder for even more flavor. You’ll find it at any grocery store in the baking aisle and it increases the amount of milk powders responsible for imparting that signature nutty flavor that is so coveted in brown butter baked goods.

Sounds good? Then let’s get baking!

What You’ll Need

This is a brief overview of the ingredients you’ll want to gather to make this cake. For precise amounts and instructions, keep scrolling to the printable recipe card below.

Overripe Bananas – The brown spotted bananas that nobody wants to eat are perfect for baking because the natural sugars have developed so they are extra sweet and soft.
All-purpose Flour – Cake flour is a little too light for the extra weight and moisture of the bananas. I always use unbleached all-purpose flour here for best results.
Salted Butter – For both the cake and the frosting. If using unsalted butter, add an additional ¼ teaspoon of salt for each ½ cup stick of butter.
Sour Cream – Adds richness, depth, and moisture to the cake batter, while also tenderizing the crumb.
Eggs – Use room temperature eggs so they mix evenly with the other ingredients.
Sugar – You’ll want granulated sugar for the cake and powdered sugar for the frosting.
Other Baking Ingredients – You’ll also need baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt, which add lift and enhance flavor.
Nonfat Dry Milk Powder – These are concentrated milk solids (the part of butter that is responsible for the signature brown butter nutty flavor) and it gets toasted with some of the butter until it is a deep golden brown for the frosting base.
Heavy Cream – To add enough moisture and a silky, spreadable finish to the frosting.

Step-by-Step Overview

Mash bananas. Start by mashing and measuring your bananas to get 1 ½ cups. That’s usually about 3 medium bananas for me but if your bananas are smaller you might need 4.
Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter with the sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy and light. Then add the mashed bananas and beat again to combine.

Mashing overripe bananas on a plate with a fork and a brown banana next to it. - 4

Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. It’s okay if the batter is a little lumpy from banana bits as long as there aren’t any huge chunks of banana left in the mixture.
Add dry ingredients. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.

Adding egg and vanilla extract to banana cake batter. - 5

Stir in sour cream. Be sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. The batter will be fairly thick. Evenly divide the batter between three 8-inch cake pans that have been prepared with a circle of parchment paper lining the bottom of each pan and sprayed with baking spray.
Bake. Bake the cake layers in a preheated 350°F (177°C) oven for 22-26 minutes until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake. Cool completely before assembly.

Adding sour cream to banana cake batter. - 6

Brown milk powder & butter. To brown the butter for the frosting, start by heating ¼ cup of the butter in a small pan over medium-low heat just until it is melted. Once it starts to look a little foamy, add the dry milk powder, cooking and stirring constantly until the butter and milk powder turn a toasty brown color and take on a nutty fragrance, about 4-5 minutes. The mixture will be crumbly and clump instead of being smooth (see pictures for reference). Remove the mixture from the heat and immediately stir in the cold heavy cream until smooth and combined. Let cool to room temperature (usually only about 30 minutes thanks to the cold cream).

Melted butter and dry milk powder in a saucepan. - 7

Make the frosting. Use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer to beat the remaining 1 cup of softened butter, salt, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy and smooth. Add half of the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar along with the cooled browned butter mixture and beat again until creamy, smooth, and light.

I have air pockets in my frosting. What can I do to fix this?

Buttercream frosting can very fluffy from all the mixing but you can knock some of the air out by stirring the frosting by hand with a sturdy rubber spatula for a few minutes and even pressing it against the sides o f the bowl. This will help make the frosting even smoother and silkier and will prevent air pockets if you are going for a smooth look for your cake.

Adding brown butter mixture to frosting in a large mixing bowl. - 8

Assemble. I opted for a clean, rustic look for this cake and simply added a generous amount of frosting between each layer, followed by a thick layer around the sides and on top. Then I pressed some dried banana chips around the bottom edge to create a decorative border that hints at the flavor inside the cake. If you want to get fancy, you could 1.5x the batch of frosting and pipe swirls of frosting on top and decorate with even more banana chips.

A frosted banana cake with dried banana chips for decoration and bananas nearby. - 9

Absolutely. Cream cheese frosting is one of the most popular options for banana cake, but my favorite chocolate buttercream frosting , salted caramel frosting , or Swiss meringue buttercream would all be great choices with this cake flavor. If you are thinking outside the box, I think this cake flavor would pair well with coconut pecan frosting (think German chocolate cake but with banana cake layers instead – yum!) or do a strawberry frosting for that strawberry banana vibe.

If your cake is doming too much on top, try to give your cold ingredients (butter, sour cream, eggs) plenty of time to come up to room temperature. Also be sure to preheat your oven fully. A slight dome can be dealt with by leveling your cake layers before assembling so they stack flat. I have a cake leveling tool that I like but a long serrated knife works just as well.

If your bananas are still underripe (no spots) but you need them for baking, you can quickly soften and sweeten them by roasting. Just preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C), place the whole, unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet, and roast for about 10 minutes until the skins turn dark brown or black. Once cooled enough to handle, peel and mash them—they’ll be softer, sweeter, and ready to use.

Yes, you can make the cake layers a day ahead and wrap them in plastic wrap once cooled, then assemble the next day. Or freeze them for up to 2 months. The frosting can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen for up to 2 months as well. To use, thaw completely in the fridge overnight, then let sit out of the fridge until it comes to room temperature. Beat well with an electric mixer until smooth and spreadable again before assembling.

Yes, this cake freezes really well. You can freeze the entire cake, or individual slices, which is my preference. Lay the slices on a baking sheet and flash freeze for 1 hour, then wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer-safe container for longer storage. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw on the counter before enjoying.

A banana layer cake on a cake stand. - 10

Tips for Success

Thoroughly mash the bananas. You don’t want large chunks of banana in this cake as it can give it a gummy texture and doesn’t look very nice.
Use room temperature ingredients. It makes a big difference in your bake and actually helps the cake taste more moist!
Don’t overmix once you add the flour. Overmixing flour develops gluten which can make for dense or dry cakes. You want to mix just until combined.
Measure your bananas after mashing. I get that it is tempting to just use as many bananas as you have, but that’s a good way for this cake to turn out heavy and dense.

Substitutions and Variations

Bananas: You pretty much have to have bananas for a banana cake but if you are a little bit shy on bananas you can replace some of the mashed bananas with applesauce and/or additional sour cream.
Sour cream: Greek yogurt makes a great substitute or you could use buttermilk instead.
Add chopped nuts or chocolate chips: These are classic banana bread additions and would be delicious in this cake as well.

A close up image of a three layer banana cake. - 11

More Cake Recipes

Southern Hummingbird Cake
Homemade Carrot Cake
Snickerdoodle Cake
Italian Cream Cake