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Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Brown Butter Banana Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A tender, moist banana cake with nutty brown-butter depth under a tangy, silky cream cheese frosting and a crunch of toasted walnuts.

Brown Butter Banana Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup170 gUnsalted butterdivided: 113 g for the cake, 57 g softened for the frosting
  • 4 medium450 gBananavery ripe, mashed
  • 2⅓ cups300 gAll-purpose flour
  • 1¼ tsp6 gBaking soda
  • ¾ tsp4 gBaking powder
  • ¾ tsp4 gSalt
  • ¾ tsp2 gGround cinnamon
  • 1 cup packed200 gBrown sugarpacked
  • 2 large100 gEggsroom temperature
  • ½ cup (120 ml)120 gButtermilk, low-fatroom temperature
  • ¾ cup170 gCream cheesesoftened
  • 1½ cups180 gPowdered sugarsifted
  • ½ cup chopped60 gWalnutschopped

Steps

  1. Take the cream cheese, the frosting portion of the butter (about one third of the total), the egg and the buttermilk out of the fridge to soften first.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch pan with a little of the cake portion of the butter and line the bottom with parchment.
  3. Melt the remaining cake portion of the butter (about two thirds of the total) in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling, until it foams and smells nutty with golden-brown flecks, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour it into a large bowl and cool 10 minutes.
  4. While the butter cools, spread the walnuts on a small tray and toast in the oven 6 to 8 minutes until fragrant; set aside to cool.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
  6. Whisk the brown sugar into the browned butter, then whisk in the egg until glossy. Stir in the mashed banana and the buttermilk.
  7. Fold the flour mixture into the banana mixture just until no dry streaks remain.
  8. Spread the batter in the pan and bake 28 to 32 minutes, until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a rack, about 1 hour.
  10. For the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese with the softened frosting portion of the butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar until fluffy.
  11. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, scatter the toasted walnuts on top, and cut into 12 slices. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Tree nuts, Gluten.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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