A moist and delicious Banana Cake baked to perfection and then frosted with a Browned Butter Maple Frosting. One bite of this intensely banana flavored cake will have you swooning. This recipe is the best recipe you can make with overripe bananas!
If you're looking for a new birthday cake to celebrate with, or just looking for a new cake recipe to try, then you have no need to look any further. Especially if you are a fan of banana cake! This moist and delicious cake is baked up in a 9 x 13 cake pan and topped with a sweet and buttery frosting made with browned butter and maple syrup. A cake that you will be remembered for and asked to make time and time again!
A Banana Cake your family is going to love!
I have made this particular banana cake recipe for years now. I recently made it again to serve to my family for our weekly dinner get together. Now my growing granddaughter loves to eat and it shouldn't be any surprise to me that she was going to love this cake. But as I watched her literally inhale two pieces the other night, I knew this recipe would be a winner for all generations to come!
The banana flavor in this cake is really intense. The browned butter maple frosting has that delicious nutty flavor with the flecks of browned butter spattered through the frosting. I feel that the browned butter and maple syrup combinations really brings out the best of both flavors. And, that is what makes this cake super special and so incredibly tasty!
Tips for making this recipe
This recipe is pretty close to being a no-fail recipe! The only thing that might make you fail would be if you did take it out of the oven before it was completely cooked. However, after making this recipe over and over throughout the years, I have some tips for you to follow to ensure this recipe works for you every single time!
- Make sure when the flour is being measured that you don't scoop into the flour bin to get the flour. Lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup then level it off with the edge of the spoon. Do not tap the cup to pack flour in.
- Mash the bananas thoroughly. Then, when its time to add the rest of the wet ingredients, use an electric mixer to blend them together well.
- It is ok to add all of the wet to dry ingredients at once. However, be sure to beat the batter at a low speed until it is incorporated.
What you should know about Baking a Cake
You can be the best baker out there, and let me tell you, it is still possible to mess up a baked item. I have done it before more than once with a banana recipe.
If you have ever made a loaf of banana bread or a banana cake recipe, to have it come out very dense and almost like it's not cooked, then you likely have done something wrong.
I have made several recipes where I do everything exactly the same (or so I thought) and had drastically different results. However, what I have learned over the years is if you are in a hurry, and you beat that cake batter on a high speed, your overworking the gluten in the flour. And that my friends, is what will make your cake dense, heavy and seem like it's not cooked.
Make this Banana Cake your way
While I think this banana cake is absolutely perfect the way it is, there are a few things you can do to change it up a little and make it your own!
- Chop up a few walnuts and stir them into the cake batter. Then decorate the top of the cake with whole walnuts instead of pecans.
- Make this a sheet cake recipe instead. Pour the batter into a sheet pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Then bake for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.
- If you make this banana cake into a sheet cake, then make the frosting a little thinner by adding another tablespoon of half and half. That way, you can easily spread it out over the top of the cooled cake.
- If you want a deeper darker flavor in the cake, substitute half of the granulated sugar for brown sugar.
- Stir a few chocolate chips into the batter for a little hit of chocolate throughout the cake.
- Skip the frosting entirely and top a slice of cake with homemade whipped cream!
More Banana Recipes you may enjoy
As you would find by doing a search on my website, we love banana recipes. One of Grumpy's favorite recipes is for Classic Banana Bread, and he wants chopped walnuts in his banana bread!
For years and years, I made my kids this Invisible Banana French Toast. They always loved the name of it and would giggle whenever I would say I was making it. And, speaking of breakfast, of my newer favorite cereal recipes is this Chunky Monkey Noatmeal!
I make cookies with Bananas too! My very favorite banana cookie is this Banana Rum Coconut Raisin Cookie. Maybe it's the rum, maybe it's the banana. Or, maybe it's just the rum and banana combined! However, its a soft and delicious cookie that is a nice change of pace.
If you need a cake for a special occasion, something that seems a little fancy or just something for the holiday brunch, this Banana Praline Coffee Cake is amazing! The topping is so incredibly delicious you might have to slap hands away someone trying to sneak a taste of the topping from the top of the cake!
*If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating*
Banana Cake with Browned Butter Maple Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2-¼ cups flour
- 1-½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup mashed bananas about 3 medium
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup butter melted
For the Browned Butter Maple Frosting
- 2-½ cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter browned
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2-½ tablespoons half and half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a medium, bowl mash bananas, add melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.
- Pour liquid over flour mixture and mix with a hand mixer until well blended.
- Pour in a 9x13 glass baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely.
- To make frosting,
- brown butter in a heavy saucepan. Over medium-high heat, melt butter.
- Watch the butter carefully and let it bubble. It will begin to show brown bits in the bottom of the pan. You will start to smell the aroma of the nutty buttery goodness.
- Once it has browned, immediately remove from heat. Pour butter over 2 cups of confectioner's sugar.
- Add maple syrup and the lesser amount of half and half.
- Adjust with remaining sugar and half and half as needed to make frosting of a spreadable consistency. Frost cooled cake. Garnish with toasted whole pecans. Makes 20 servings.
Peter M
Shelby, that looks freakin' yummy...nice & thick to boot!
Lana @ Never Enough Thyme
Oh, wow, this cake sounds so delicious! Love the combination of flavors you used. I think it would be perfect with a nice hot cup of coffee.
honeyb
It does look delish! You can get whole wheat pastry flour from a website called http://www.honeyvillegrain.com (I got a 50 lb. bag from them!)--no matter how much you order, even by weight, shipping is always $4.49! (Just thought I'd pass that on, I have a hard time finding things like that around here.)
I will be trying this cake!
bellini
Diabetes does create a bit more of a challenge but is easily managed. Looks like you are on the right track Shelby for the new year for both of you. Glad you enjoyed your cruise, although I can't imagine not being able to have all that was spread before me...wink.
Leslie
Yikes....Diabetes is nothing to mess with. The cakes looks delis...anything with browned butter has my name written all over it.
vanillasugarblog
Shelby that looks so damn good girl!
Look at the bright side of the diabetes--it's so very treatable with diet. I've seen so many people literally get rid of diabetes just with diet alone!
Delishhh
Another great idea for bananas - love it!
Bunny
The cake looks yummy! Most of the women in my family are diabetics, Im not but my sisters and mother are and so was my grandmother.
teresa
such a gorgeous treat!
Barbara Bakes
Sorry he's got diabetes, but I know you're up to the challenge and I'll look forward to all the great recipes you'll come up with in the new year. This cake looks like a fabulous start.
Lisar
I made this cake today and it is as good as it looks.
claudia @Whats cookin
So sorry to hear about Grumpy. Hard to get use to, when mom found out, it was impossible for her not to cheat, she would even hide cookies. Then I learned how to use splenda as you have then went to Stevia much better.I only adapted her most favorite which were biscotti and apple pie. Came out great no issue whatsoever in the texture, however getting her to eat smaller portions was impossible. The good news is she controled it by diet the rest of her life just fine.. I wish you both all the best in this new way to cook, it will be beneficial for you both in the long run! Happy New Year and happy new beginning of healthy cooking... let me know if there is anything i can do to help anytime.. xo Claudia
Di
I'm not a big banana person, but that frosting sounds fabulous!
RecipeGirl
This looks absolutely delicious. I'm loving that Brown Butter frosting!!!
Beth Michelle
I love the look of that frosting on that deliciously moist banana cake!!! Looks wonderful
Curt
Sorry to hear about Grumpy being diagnosed diabetic. It's a good thing he has people who love him to take good care of him.
Nice banana cake recipe! That should be a great start!
Jersey Girl Cooks
Sorry to hear about Grumpy. Watching his diet will make all the difference. Love this cake and it is great that the sugar is lowered. My next door neighbor has diabetes and this will be a good cake to make when they come over.
Margaret
I was going to make banana bread today, but after seeing this recipe I'm going to make this cake instead. It looks delicious!
Carrie R
This cake looks delicious! You wouldn't even know by looking at that this is a lower sugar version of a sweet treat. 🙂
Patsy K
This looks so perfect for fall! Love it!
Michele @ Flavor Mosaic
This cake looks amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Dana
Your recipe calls for 1/2 tablespoon baking powder.....is this a misprint?
Cannot wait to try this recipe, but will wait for your response. Thank you. Dana
Shelby
Hi Dana, yes it is correct. I hope you enjoy! This is one of our favorites!