Brown Butter Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Caramel Swirl

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Whats not to love, with flavors like nutty brown butter, ripe banana, tangy cream cheese and salty sweet caramel. This Brown Butter Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting and Salted Caramel Swirl is sure to be a new family favorite. The banana cake is super moist and tender, while the cream cheese frosting is so smooth and silky it just melts in your mouth and that salted caramel swirl adds just the right amount of sweetness, all combined together to create the perfect bite.

My family goes through quite a number of bananas each week. Whether it be for smoothies, as a topping for yogurt or cereal or just as an on the go snack, there is usually always a couple of bananas on the counter ready to eat. Every now and then there are a couple of bananas that get overlooked and develop more brown spots then my family likes, although this is when they are at there sweetest. When this happens I will sometimes peel them and freeze them for future smoothies or a healthier version of ice cream, ( frozen bananas in a blender with some vanilla extract and unsweetened cocoa powder makes the perfect dairy free treat ).

Already having plenty of bananas in the freezer, I decided to add them to a recipe instead. Normally I would just make a simple banana bread, but this time I really wanted something different. Something to really wow my family. Well, mission accomplished. They loved it. I mean between the nutty brown butter, the ripe bananas, the tangy cream cheese and that salty sweet caramel it was the perfect combination of flavors and textures that anyone would love. So if you have a couple of bananas hanging around that are a little past there prime, give this recipe a try, it will be sure to please.

Tips For Making This Cake:

  • Ripe Bananas: This is the perfect way to make use of those extra ripe bananas, you know the ones with all the brown spots that no one seems to want. Little do they know, when these spots are present, the bananas are at their sweetest.
  • Room Temperature Ingredients: It is very important to have all your ingredients at room temperature. This will allow everything to blend together smoothly and evenly.
  • Brown Butter: This the perfect way to add a ton of flavor to any recipe. Browning the butter gives it a deeper, richer flavor without adding more ingredients. After browning your butter, you will want to pour it into a glass bowl, brown bits and all all allow it to cool slightly before adding it to your recipe.
  • Salted Caramel: You can use store bought salted caramel for this cake but since it is so easy to make, I do suggest making your own.

Ingredients Needed To Make Brown Butter Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Caramel Swirl

For The Cake:

  • Bananas: The star of the show. You will want your bananas extra ripe. The ones with the brown spots are best. Just peel and mash them with a fork or pastry cutter.
  • Butter: I always opt for unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt in my recipes. For this recipe I chose to brown my butter. It is the perfect way to add a ton of flavor without adding a lot of extra ingredients.
  • Sugar: Granulated works best. This is for added sweetness and texture.
  • Eggs: This is the binder. It is best to have them at room temperature so that they blend together easily.
  • Vanilla Extract: I alway try to opt for Pure Vanilla Extract rather than Imatation Vanilla extract due to the intense vanilla flavor.
  • Milk: Full fat or 2% is best.
  • Greek Yogurt: I like to use a full fat or low fat plain greek yogurt.
  • Four: All purpose works best.
  • Baking Soda: This is the leavening agent. This will give your cake rise.
  • Ground Cinnamon: This will add a bit of warmth to your cake and pairs very well with bananas.
  • Salt: A pinch of salt added to sweet recipes will enhance the flavors in that recipe.
  • Cream Cheese: I like to use a full fat cream cheese. It is very important that it is brought to room temperature before using. This will allow it to blend easily with the other ingredients.
  • Sugar: When making frosting you will want to use confectionery sugar or powdered sugar.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream: This will help create a smooth rich caramel:

Steps For Making This Cake:

How To Make Brown Butter:

  1. Place butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat and cook until butter completely melts and starts to bubble. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until liquid turns golden in color and brown bits start to form at the bottom of the pan. Pour into a glass bowl, brown bits and all, they will add a ton of flavor. Allow to cool slightly before using.
Brown Butter Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Caramel Swirl
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Brown Butter Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Caramel Swirl

Recipe by BrendaCourse: DessertDifficulty: Medium

With flavors like nutty brown butter, ripe bananas, tangy cream cheese and salty sweet caramel, this Brown Butter Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting & Salted Caramel Swirl, is sure to become a family favorite.

Ingredients

  • For The Cake:

  • 2 Cups all purpose flour

  • 1 1/4 Teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 Teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, browned ( recipe above )

  • 3 Very ripe medium bananas, peeled and mashed

  • 1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar

  • 2 Eggs

  • 2 Teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1 Cup whole or 2% milk

  • 1/4 Cup plain full fat greek yogurt

  • For The Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1 8oz. Package of cream cheese at room temperature

  • 1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

  • 4 Cups powdered sugar

  • 1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • For The Salted Caramel:

  • 1 Cup granulated sugar

  • 2 ) Tablespoons water

  • 1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream

  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 Teaspoon salt

Directions

  • For The Cake:
  • Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a casserole dish ( I used a 7” x 11” ) with baking spray and set to the side.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until combined, then set to the side.
  • To a separate large mixing bowl, add the brown butter, mashed banana and sugar and mix with a hand mixer until combined. Add the eggs on at a time, mixing after each addition. Add in the pure vanilla extract, milk and plain greek yogurt and mix until completely combined. Pour in the flour mixture and mix to incorporate.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and place in the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
  • For The Salted Caramel:
  • Place granulated sugar and water in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook until sugar starts to dissolve and comes to a boil. Allow sugar to boil, without stirring for 8 to 10 minutes or until it turns golden.
  • Once the sugar becomes slightly golden in color, remove it from the heat and immediately pour in the cream. It will start to bubble, but just use a wooden spoon to stir it together. Once it is all combined, stir in the butter until completely melted and mixed through.
  • Add salt and stir to combine. At this point you can take a small taste, (careful not to burn yourself with the hot caramel) to see if it needs a bit more salt.
  • Let caramel completely cool before using. Any remaining caramel can be stored in a glass jar with a lid for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
  • For The Frosting:
  • While your cake and caramel are cooling, you can prepare your frosting. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend together the room temperature cream cheese and butter until completely incorporated.
  • Turn the blender off and add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing on low after each addition.
  • Add the vanilla extract and continue mixing until smooth and creamy.
  • To Assemble:
  • Spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cooled banana cake. Drizzle the top with the cooled salted caramel, then using an offset spatula or a butter knife, swirl the caramel into the frosting. Cut into slices and serve with an extra drizzle of salted caramel on top.
  • Enjoy.