Salted Caramel Brown Butter Banana Cake (Printable)
Moist banana cake with brown butter and salted caramel sauce for a rich, indulgent dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake Batter
01 - ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ teaspoon salt
06 - ½ cup granulated sugar
07 - ½ cup packed light brown sugar
08 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - 3 large very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1¼ cups)
11 - ½ cup full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
→ Salted Caramel Sauce
12 - 1 cup granulated sugar
13 - ¼ cup water
14 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
15 - ½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
16 - 1 to 1½ teaspoons flaky sea salt, to taste
→ Decoration (Optional)
17 - Banana slices
18 - Extra caramel sauce
19 - Chopped toasted nuts
# Directions:
01 - Melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until foaming subsides and golden brown specks form on the bottom, about 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round or square cake pan with parchment paper.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, mashed bananas, and sour cream until fully incorporated.
05 - Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - In a clean saucepan, combine sugar and water. Stir over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring. Allow the syrup to cook undisturbed until it turns a deep amber color, about 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately add the cubed butter — it will bubble vigorously. Whisk until the butter melts, then slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking continuously. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the sea salt. Let cool slightly before using.
09 - Once the cake has cooled completely, pour the warm salted caramel sauce evenly over the top. Garnish with banana slices, chopped toasted nuts, and additional caramel as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The brown butter adds a toasty depth that regular butter simply cannot touch, and once you try it you will look for excuses to use it everywhere.
- That salted caramel pooling over the top turns a simple banana cake into something people will genuinely beg you to bring again.
02 -
- Watch the caramel like a hawk because it goes from perfectly amber to burnt in what feels like a single blink, and a dark caramel tastes bitter rather than rich.
- Let the cake cool completely before adding the caramel or it will melt right off the sides and pool uselessly around the base.
03 -
- A pinch of cinnamon added to the dry ingredients gives the cake a gentle warmth that makes people close their eyes when they take the first bite.
- Serve each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side because the cold melting against the warm caramel is genuinely transcendent.