Brown Butter Banana Sheet Cake

This brown butter banana sheet cake is a sweet banana cake topped with a brown butter cream cheese frosting. It's just like a banana bread in bar form topped with a frosting you can't resist, and so quick to make!

This brown butter banana sheet cake is going to be your new favorite way to use up those brown bananas. The sheet cake is so quick and easy to mix together and the brown butter frosting is so flavorful and the perfect compliment to the banana flavor.

For more ways to use up brown bananas try my banana chocolate chip protein muffins, chocolate chip banana cookies or my banana cream pie with graham cracker crust.

• Butter: I like to use salted butter, but unsalted is great too. You will brown the butter for the frosting, but you can also brown the butter for the cake too. If you want to brown the butter for the cake also, add 2 extra tablespoons of butter to account for the loss of moisture from browning.
• Sugars: You will use both granulated and brown sugar in this cake.
• Bananas: The browner the bananas the sweeter the cake!
• Eggs: Make sure your eggs are room temperature before mixing into the batter.
• Buttermilk: I always try and use a full fat buttermilk if I can find it because it will help the cake be more moist.
• Cream Cheese: Make sure that your cream cheese is soft or it won't blend completely smooth and you'll have little lumps.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Step 1: Start by browning the butter for the frosting. You'll take ½ cup (1 stick) of butter, and melt in a medium saucepan, continuing to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, pour into a cup or bowl and allow to cool. You can put it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to speed it up.

2. Step 2: In a large bowl mash brown bananas. Add in melted butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla and mix together until well blended and lighter in color.

3. Step 3: Slowly mix in baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and half the flour. Next you'll mix in the buttermilk followed by the remaining flour.

4. Step 4: Pour batter evenly into sheet pan.

5. Step 5: Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are a light golden brown and pulling away from the rim of the pan. Allow to cool.

6. Step 6: Cream together browned butter and cream cheese until completely smooth.

7. Step 7: Add vanilla, powdered sugar, salt and heavy cream and mix together until completely smooth. You can add a bit more powdered sugar or cream until desired consistency is achieved.

8. Step 8: Frost the top of the cooled cake. Slice and enjoy!

FAQ

Storing & Freezing

This brown butter banana sheet cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days while remaining fresh. You can also store it in the fridge if you prefer to serve it cold.

This cake freezes well for up to 3 months. Cut into slices and store in a tupperware. When ready to serve, thaw and allow to come to room temperature again.

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Brown Butter Banana Sheet Cake

Brooke Homec

This brown butter banana sheet cake is a sweet banana cake topped with a brown butter cream cheese frosting. It's just like a banana bread in bar form topped with a frosting you can't resist, and so quick to make!

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

cooling time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Calories 307 kcal

Bake ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

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Banana Cake:

• ▢ 2 cups (300 g) mashed brown bananas 4 large bananas
• ▢ ¾ cup (170.25 g) butter melted
• ▢ 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup (165 g) brown sugar
• ▢ 3 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 3 cups (420 g) all purpose flour
• ▢ 1½ cups (360 g) buttermilk room temperature

Brown Butter Frosting:

• ▢ ½ cup (113.5 g) butter browned
• ▢ 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) salt
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) heavy cream or milk

Instructions

 

• Start by browning the butter for the frosting. You'll take ½ cup (1 stick) of butter, and melt in a medium saucepan, continuing to cook past the point of boiling. You will do this over medium heat, past the point of the butter foaming, until it turns a nice golden brown, and has a nutty smell. Make sure you are stirring and watching it, because it will turn from perfectly brown to burnt fairly quickly. Once finished browning, pour into a cup or bowl and allow to cool. You can put it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to speed it up.

To make the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a half sheet pan (13x18) with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl mash brown bananas. Add in melted butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla and mix together until well blended and lighter in color.
• Slowly mix in baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and half the flour. Next you'll mix in the buttermilk followed by the remaining flour.
• Pour batter evenly into sheet pan.
• Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are a light golden brown and pulling away from the rim of the pan. Allow to cool.

To make the frosting:

• Cream together browned butter and cream cheese until completely smooth.
• Add vanilla, powdered sugar, salt and heavy cream and mix together until completely smooth. You can add a bit more powdered sugar or cream until desired consistency is achieved.
• Frost the top of the cooled cake. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Cakes will have the best results if made with room temperature ingredients. I like to pull my butter, eggs, cream cheese and buttermilk out of the fridge an hour or two before I start baking.

I have given both cups and grams as measurements. Grams will be more precise, especially when measuring flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, no problem! Just lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup to insure its not packed in there. Light and fluffy is the key.

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 297mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 482IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!