Banana Cake with Cream Cheese or Brown Butter Frosting {You Pick!}

A square slice of banana cake, with a cream cheese frosting, sitting on a piece of brown parchment next to a couple of disposable bamboo forks.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese or Brown Butter Frosting {You Pick!}

5 from 8 votes

Recipe adapted from Brooke Stone

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 2

Ingredients

Banana Cake

¾ cup salted butter softened to room temperature
2 cups + 2 tablespoons white sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour very lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 ½ cups mashed banana about 3 medium bananas

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 8- ounce packages cream cheese light works fine, although it will yield a slightly softer frosting at almost room temperature
½ cup salted butter at almost room temperature
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract or both

Brown Butter Frosting

½ cup butter salted
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ heavy cream plus more if necessary, just enough to reach desired consistency

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Banana Cake

Grease a 9×13″ baking pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375℉.
In a small bowl, mix banana and lemon juice. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix flour and baking soda.
In large bowl, mix butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Add ½ flour mixture, followed by ½ the buttermilk. Mix until just incorporated, then repeat with remaining flour mixture and buttermilk. Add bananas. Do not overmix.
Pour into prepared 9×13 pan, and bake for 35-50 minutes (mine was perfect right at 38, but my oven bakes fast), or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, then frost with cream cheese frosting or brown butter frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Whip together the cream cheese, butter, and extract until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and whip until smooth and fully incorporated. Refrigerate any leftovers (or anything you’ve frosted that doesn’t get eaten immediately).

Brown Butter Frosting

While the cake is cooling, place ½ cup of salted butter into a small saucepan and heat over medium, stirring frequently, until it starts to bubble. When it begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low. Don't go anywhere–things can go south quickly.
Once the butter becomes very frothy, you'll start to notice a caramel-like smell–that means the butter is browning. When the butter is brown (and before it burns), remove it from heat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, the powdered sugar, and the melted butter and mix on high speed with a stand or electric mixer. Add additional heavy cream in order to reach the desired consistency.
When the cake is completely cool, spread the frosting over the cake and cut into squares.

Notes

If frosted with cream cheese frosting, you'll want to cover the cake tightly with plastic and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
If frosted with brown butter frosting you could leave this cake out, covered, at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice (1/12 of cake, with cream cheese frosting), Calories: 637kcal, Carbohydrates: 87g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 119mg, Sodium: 412mg, Potassium: 231mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 60g, Vitamin A: 1035IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 76mg, Iron: 2mg

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Banana Cake with Cream Cheese or Brown Butter Frosting

Calories: 637kcal

Cost: $6

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