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Brown Butter Banana Cake with Chocolate Caramel Frosting. Quick to mix up, fun to serve, and SO DELICIOUS! It’s the perfect simple 2-layer cake to bake up this weekend. With over-ripe bananas, salted butter, and a good amount of sweet salted caramel chocolate frosting, this is sure to become your favorite banana cake!
This might just be a new go-to layer cake for me. It’s my banana bread recipe, all done up and baked into a simple layer cake with the most delicious whipped cream chocolate and caramel frosting. By the time I was done testing this cake, I was overly excited to share it. But I decided to wait until this romantic day to share it! It’s the perfect sweet chocolate cake to share on Valentine’s Day!
Of course, this is a great year-round cake, too. Holiday or no holiday, this will be loved!
For a lot of us, choosing to make a recipe with bananas can be inspired by a glance at the counter and seeing that your bananas are slowly turning shades of black.
How many times have you been here? The usual thought is to bake banana bread, but this cake is way more fun. And the addition of nutty brown butter, plus sweet, salted caramel chocolate frosting, makes it even more delicious!
It’s been so long since I shared a layer cake recipe. Somehow, I got into the habit of making sheet cakes or loaf cakes. I soon started to avoid layer cakes because they tend to be more time-intensive. But this cake is not that. Aside from stacking and layering the two layers of thick banana cake, this is as easy as any banana bread recipe.
I know you will love it!!
Let’s Jump Into The Details
Ingredients – for the cake
- medium overly ripe bananas
- browned salted butter
- eggs
- honey
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- baking powder
- ground cinnamon
- chocolate shavings – these are for decorating
- dried rose petals – also for decorating
Ingredients – for the frosting
- maple syrup
- heavy cream
- semi-sweet or dark chocolate
- vanilla extract
- sea salt
Steps
Step 1: Mix the cake batter
For this cake, you’ll need overly ripe bananas. These will give you the sweetest, softest banana cake!
Mix the mashed-up bananas with 2 sticks of salted, browned butter. To quickly brown the butter, set a pot over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted. Simple.
To the mashed bananas and the butter, eggs, honey, and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Be sure the batter is mixed well.
Step 2: bake
Now divide the batter between 2 buttered cake pans. Bake for around 30 minutes until just set. Let the 2 cakes cool before you frost them!
Step 3: the frosting
Start with the caramel. This is my no-fail, no-fuss caramel. To make it, you just need to boil maple syrup and heavy cream.
First, boil the maple until it’s very bubbly on top, around 5 minutes. Then add the cream and boil for about 10 minutes. The longer you boil the caramel, the thicker it will become.
Then, add chopped chocolate, vanilla, and sea salt. Let the mix cool.
Once the chocolate caramel is set, use an electric mixer to whip the caramel into a light, creamy whipped frosting/ganache.
Step 4: frost
All that’s left is to frost the layers. I didn’t do anything fancy at all. I layered the cakes with the frosting, then topped with chocolate shavings and a few rose petals to finish!
When it comes to chocolate cake, I like to keep the decorating to a minimum. Let that chocolate stand out!
Looking for other desserts? Here are my favorites:
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Baked Blueberry Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts
Lastly, if you make this Brown Butter Banana Cake with Chocolate Caramel Frosting, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Brown Butter Banana Cake with Chocolate Caramel Frosting
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 461 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 sticks salted butter
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- chocolate shavings, for topping
frosting
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup heavy creamy
- 2 bars (3.2 ounce) semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- flaked sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter two (8-inch) round cake pans and line with parchment paper.2. Add the butter to a pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, brown butter, eggs, honey, and vanilla until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes until the center is just set. Remove and let cool. Then run a knife around the edges of the pan. Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.4. To make the frosting, bring the maple syrup to a boil in a medium pot set over high heat. Boil for 5 minutes until thickened, then reduce the heat to medium-high and add the cream. Cook another 5 to 8 minutes until the mix thickens to a caramel-like sauce. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate, vanilla, and salt. Chill in the fridge/freezer until cold. Use an electric mixer and whip for 2-5 minutes until lighter in color and creamy. 5. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with frosting. Repeat with the remaining layer. Frost the cake sides. Top as desired with chocolate savings. Slice and enjoy!
This post was originally published on February 14, 2025
Everything tastes good, but my frosting is a goopy mess. My top layer keeps sliding off the cake and the “frosting” runs over the sides instead of staying put. Followed the recipe exactly, but it didn’t quite whip up the way it sounds like it should have. It’s more of a caramel sauce than a frosting. I recommend testing the recipe yourself before making for a gathering!
Hey Kate,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! I’m wondering if the frosting just needed to be whipped a bit longer. xx
Come to Alabama!
I wish I could make a stop everywhere:) Thanks Sarah!
How much salt for the frosting recipe?
Hi Pamela,
It’s flaked sea salt to use on the top if you want, so it’s to your liking. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Looking forward to trying this out! What size are the pans?
Hi Diana,
You are going to use two 8-inch round cake pans. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This looks yummy! Am thinking the frosting can be used for any cake or brownies. Have been wanting a good layer for trifle – using this frosting recipe as the pudding layer and real whipped cream on top. Let me know what you think.
Hey Sarah,
Sure, sounds like a great idea! Please let me know if you try the recipe, I hope it turns out well for you! xT
Hi Tieghan!
The cake was lovely! I made this for a combined Valentines Day/Birthday party and it was a huge hit. I followed your recipe for the cake, but (admittedly) used a store bought chocolate buttercream frosting because I had it on hand and needed to save time with the party prep. So I can’t comment on the frosting. Thanks for another great recipe! ❤️
Hey Aline,
Yay! Love to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend:) x
Since boiling at a higher altitude like where you live can take longer, what temperature should we boil the syrup and cream to just so we make sure we aren’t cooking it too much or too little?
Hey Alyssa! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
I don’t have a temperature for you. You just want to eyeball it. When the caramel starts to thicken, remove it from the heat. It should take around 10 minutes once you add the cream.
Hope this is helpful! Enjoy the cake! And happy Sunday!!!
Can you also cupcake directions please. I would love to try it as cupcakes and don’t want to over bake them. This recipe sounds amazing.
Hey Jacki,
Sure, I would bake at 350F for 22-25 minutes if you want to try cupcakes. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Excellent cake!
Thanks so much, Blaine!! Happy Valentine’s Day! xT
Can I make and frost this cake the day before I serve it?
Hi Ari,
Sure, that would be just fine for you to do. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Wow! That looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it. 😋
Thanks so much, Bridgette! Have the best weekend! xT
I’m sorry. I only have chocolate chips. It says 2 bars (3.2 oz). Probably a stupid question… Is that 2 3.2 oz bars? Or 3.2 oz total semi sweet chocolate
Hi Blaine,
So I used 2 bars, each bar was 3.2oz. I hope this makes more sense! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
Great! Thanks! I’ll let you know in couple of hours 🙂
Cake looks delicious. One request, for future recipes, could you please use measurements for the butter instead of sticks? I live in Canada and butter is sold by blocks. Cups or grams would be very helpful. Thank you.
Hi Lola,
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback. One stick of butter is equal to 1/2 cup or 113 grams. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
can you make it a sheet cake??
Hey Jean,
Totally, you can bake in a 9×13 baking pan. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xxT
How long would you bake it for?!
I would do 20-25 minutes:)
How much butter is two sticks?
And by heavy cream you mean liquid cream? Can I get away with 3 bananas instead of 4?
Hi Kimberly,
1 stick of butter is equal to 1/2 cup or 113 grams. Yes, heavy cream as in the liquid. If your bananas are large you can use 3, otherwise I would stick with 4. Please let me know if you have any other questions:) xT
I would just say, I wish there were a picture of the actual cake without being covered in icing, so you could see what a cut piece looks like. However it does sound yummy nonetheless, but this seems an odd omission.
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Lisa! Please let me know if you give this cake a try! Happy Friday! xxT
I agree!