Banana Walnut Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

This banana walnut cake is perfectly moist, full of flavor (thanks brown butter!), filled with texture from the toasted walnuts, and the perfect recipe for using ripe bananas. I use brown butter in the batter and in the frosting on top, and it’s so good. The notes of caramel pair perfectly with the banana and the tang of the cream cheese keeps it from being overly sweet.

A slice of moist walnut cake on a white plate, topped with creamy frosting. A fork with a piece of cake is placed beside it, set on a marble countertop.
A slice of moist banana bread with visible walnuts on a decorative white plate. A fork is placed beside the slice, and the bread has a light golden crust with a fluffy interior. The background is a light marble surface.

Recipe Snapshot

  • The best texture: The cake stays moist for days.
  • Uses ripe bananas: It’s a great way to use up two large ripe bananas.
  • Freezer-friendly: This cake freezes beautifully, so you can enjoy it anytime.
  • Customizable frosting: While the brown butter cream cheese frosting is incredible, you can switch it up with chocolate frosting, classic cream cheese, or any favorite topping!

The Brown Butter

Brown butter is a simple but really effective way to bring extra depth to recipes. You toast the milk solids in butter which brings out a rich caramelly flavor.

  • How to make brown butter:
    • Place your butter in a light-colored pan so you can see the color change. Heat it gently over medium heat.
    • Stir often as it melts, foams, and then begins to turn golden. You’ll see tiny brown flecks forming on the bottom of the pan.
    • Once it smells caramalized and is amber-colored, remove it from the heat and pour it into a heat-proof bowl then let cool down.
    • If you leave the brown butter in the hot pan, the residual heat can continue to cook the butter and could burn the milk solids.
Toasted brown butter

Method

  1. Make the brown butter and pour it into a large heat proof bowl to cool until it’s just lukewarm.
  2. Mash the bananas until smooth and add to the cooled butter. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Close-up of mashed bananas with a silver fork. The bananas are creamy and slightly textured, indicating they have been thoroughly mashed. The fork is positioned diagonally across the mixture, partially submerged.
A person whisking a bowl of thick, yellow batter with visible chunks, suggesting ingredients like bananas or nuts. The batter is held in a clear mixing bowl, and the mixture has a smooth yet slightly textured consistency.
  1. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  2. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix to keep the cake tender.
  3. Gently stir in toasted walnuts.
A close-up of a cast iron pan filled with lightly toasted walnut halves and pieces against a black background. The nuts have a golden-brown hue, indicating they are roasted.
Close-up of a creamy batter mixed with chunks of walnuts. The texture appears smooth with the nuts adding a crunchy texture, suggesting a preparation for baking.
  1. Pour the batter into a prepared cake pan and bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting

  1. Begin by browning the butter as you did for the cake batter. Let the browned butter cool, then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill until it becomes firm but it can still be pressed with a finger and leave an indent. It shouldn’t be overly cold and solid or it will be difficult to whip.
  2. Once the butter is ready, beat it until creamy, then beat again with cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and milk and mix until the frosting is fluffy and well combined.
A spoon scoops out remnants of a yellow cake-like dessert with caramelized brown crust from a metal mixing bowl. The dessert appears crumbly and moist, with a glossy texture, suggesting its freshly baked or scooped from a baking dish.
Close-up of a mixing bowl with creamy batter and chunks of cream cheese being mixed with beaters. The mixture is light brown and the cream cheese is white, creating a contrast in texture and color.
  1. Once the cake is fully cooled, spread the frosting generously over the top.
A round cake with creamy frosting topped with walnuts sits on a white cake stand. In the background, there is a blurred view of yellow flowers and green leaves.
A slice of moist banana cake with walnut pieces, topped with cream cheese frosting, sits on a white plate. A fork is placed beside the cake, ready for a bite.

Variations

  1. Chocolate chips: You can replace the walnuts (some or all) with dark chocolate chips for a chocolatey twist.
  2. Spices: I love it without spices so the banana and brown butter shine through, but the cake does pair well with spice. You can add a teaspoon of cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg to the batter.

Storing Instructions

  • Room temperature: Unfrosted cake stays fresh for 2 days in an airtight container. Refrigerate the frosted cake.
  • Refrigerate: Store frosted cake for up to 5 days in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
  • Freeze: Wrap unfrosted cake for up to 3 months or frosted cake for 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

More recipes

A close-up of a single slice of banana walnut cake with frosting on top, served on a white plate. The cake appears moist and topped with small nut pieces, with a fork resting beside it. The background is soft and blurred.

Banana Walnut Cake

Elien Lewis
This banana walnut cake is perfectly moist, full of flavor (thanks brown butter!), filled with texture from the toasted walnuts, and the perfect recipe for using ripe bananas. I use brown butter in the batter and in the frosting on top, and it’s so good. The notes of caramel pair perfectly with the banana and the tang of the cream cheese keeps it from being overly sweet.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
1 hour
Course Cakes
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 552 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 130 g walnut halves
  • 145 g unsalted butter
  • 280 g bananas ripe
  • 150 g soft brown sugar
  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • 190 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 120 g greek yogurt or use buttermilk or sour cream
  • 60 g milk at room temperature

Frosting

  • 75 g unsalted butter
  • 115 g full-fat block style cream cheese room temperature
  • 180 g powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cream or milk as needed

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line an 8-inch round, 3-inch deep cake pan with parchment paper.
  • Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring frequently until fragrant. Remove from the pan and let them cool completely before using.
  • In a light-colored pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir frequently as it foams and begins to brown, with nutty-smelling milk solids forming at the bottom. Once browned, pour into a heatproof bowl and let it cool until lukewarm.
  • Mash the bananas and add to the cooled butter. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix gently with the milk until just combined. Fold in the toasted walnuts.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  • Once baked, let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan then run a butter knife along the edge to release it from the sides of the pan, and carefully invert it onto a cooling rack to remove the pan.

Frosting

  • While the cake is baking, make the brown butter for the frosting. In a light-colored pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir frequently as it foams and begins to brown, with nutty-smelling milk solids forming at the bottom. Once browned, pour into a heatproof bowl and let it cool for 15 minutes, then place in the fridge to cool further until it's firmed up, but if you press a finger in it should feel like softened room temperature butter.
  • With an electric mixer, whisk the butter until creamy. Add cream cheese and whisk again until smooth.
  • Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk or cream and start on low speed to combine, then turn up the speed and whip until creamy.
  • Once the cake has completely cooled, spread on the frosting and garnish with extra walnut pieces.

Notes

Storing Instructions

  • Room temperature: Unfrosted cake stays fresh for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Refrigerate the frosted cake.
  • Refrigerate: Store frosted cake for up to 5 days in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
  • Freeze: Wrap unfrosted cake for up to 3 months or frosted cake for 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 552kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 8gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 370mgPotassium: 259mgFiber: 2gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 789IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 2mg
Keyword banana, brown butter, cream cheese, Walnuts
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating