Salted Caramel Banana Cake- Moist Banana Cake layers with a salted caramel filling, frosted with vanilla buttercream and swirls of more salted caramel and salt.
I love Banana Bread but the thought of banana as a cake honestly gave me second thoughts about making it. And then I started experimenting and added it to my vanilla cake recipe and oh my goodness it was good. This cake just isn’t a banana bread in the form of a cake. It’s light, moist and not overly powerful with the banana flavor. So if you’re looking for a banana recipe that will use all those overripe bananas on the counter this is not the one. I have a delicious Miso Banana Bread recipe that honestly works and blends so well. Don’t be intimated by the miso in the recipe.
Why you should make this Salted Caramel Banana Cake:
Tastes Amazing: I knew that banana and salted caramel would go well together but I honestly didn’t know how good it was until I took my first bite! Moist banana cake with the best part the salted caramel and flakes of sea salt. If you’re a fan of salted caramel I know you’ll love my Pumpkin cake!
Great use for Ripe Bananas: Does anyone else always has ripe bananas? Or is it just me? I’m always looking for a way to use them and here’s another new recipe for you!
Crowd Pleaser: This salted caramel banana cake was such a huge hit and for people who weren’t so sure about banana cake.
Looking for more cake recipes? Brown Sugar Peach Layer Cake , Honey Olive Oil Cake and my Carrot Cake are some of my favorites during this time of year.
Salted Caramel Banana Cake Ingredients:
Banana Cake
Cake Flour-Don’t substitute for all purpose flour, i tried and the results were not the same
Brown Sugar- Brown sugar sweetens the cake and also gives us those beautiful brown cake layers that we want along with a deeper flavor from the molasses in the brown sugar.
Baking Soda/Baking Powder Read more about how baking soda and baking powder here in my post
Eggs- I only use large eggs in all my recipes
Oil – Use a neutral oil like vegetable and canola oil
Bananas- Make sure to use ripe bananas (read more)
Buttermilk- Gives the cake extra moisture along with tang
Brown Butter – Brown butter is totally optional, but it gives the cake a delicious nutty flavor.
Salted Caramel:
You can skip this step and buy store-bought caramel sauce. But I do highly recommend using a homemade salted caramel sauce.
Vanilla buttercream
Butter- Use unsalted room temperature butter
powdered sugar- Sweets the buttercream, never substitute with regular white sugar
Vanilla Extract- Provides so much vanilla flavor
Heavy Cream- Thins out the buttercream but also makes it so fluffy
How to Make Salted Caramel Cake
Banana Cake
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line 3 8-inch round pans and set to the side.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment add in the eggs, oil, buttermilk, brown sugar, vanilla extract and ripe mashed bananas.
Mix on medium speed until the wet ingredients come together. If the banana is still chunky break, it down more with a fork.
In a separate bowl add in your cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and then on low speed mix the banana cake batter until it just barely comes together scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
In a small saucepan on medium heat melt the butter and allow it to melt until it becomes a light amber color. Once the butter turns into an amber color then you should slowly start to see light brown spots. Allow the butter to sit a longer and then the butter specks should turn into a golden brown. Stir with a wooden spoon and add butter into the banana cake batter and then finish folding in the batter until it’s all mixed in.
Divide the cake batter into the prepared cakes pans and bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven or once the top of the cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in is clean.
Let the cake cool in cake tins for 10 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to allow them too fully cool.
Salted Caramel
For more details refer to the original recipe post.
In a heavy saucepan add in the sugar and water and place on medium to high heat.
The sugar mixture will bubble and then will begin to caramelize.
Once the color has reached an amber color take it off the stove add in the heavy cream and whisk carefully.
Add in the butter, vanilla bean paste, and the sea salt flakes. Adjust the salt to your liking.
Allow it to cool and pour into a jar when cooled and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Vanilla Buttercream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. It should change from a yellow to a pale yellow.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure all ingredients are well combined.
Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream to the butter mixture, then increase to medium-high speed. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
If the frosting is too thick, add additional heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Once the frosting is smooth and fluffy, it’s ready to use! Spread or pipe onto your favorite treats, such as vanilla cupcakes, cakes, or sugar cookies.
Decorate:
On a serving plate place one cake in the middle. Pipe a border of vanilla buttercream on the outer edge of the cake and then fill it with the salted caramel. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the steps.
Crumb coat the top and sides of the cake with an offset spatula and spread an even layer of buttercream and place the entire cake in the refrigerator to allow it to set for 20 to 30 minutes.
Once the cake has chilled and set take it out and cover the cake with the remaining frosting and decorate. Drizzle more salted caramel on top of the cake and if desired flaky sea salt on top of the caramel.
Serve and enjoy!
Storage:
Cake can be stored in the refrigerator and stay moist for up to one week.
Jen’s Salted Caramel Banana Cake Tips:
Overmixing- Once the flour is mixed with the wet ingredients the gluten begins to form. Think of gluten like bread. The gluten strands are mixed so much in bread that’s how you achieve the chewy bread texture.
Measuring– When it’s comes to measuring using digital scales will give you the most accuracy, that will guarantee you the same results each time.
Ripe Bananas– Dark bananas mean it’s ripe. The darker the banana the sweeter your bananas will be. Don’t use yellow bananas they will still be too hard and won’t give your banana cake the same texture and flavor.
Salted Caramel Banana Cake FAQS:
Can I still make the cake if my bananas aren’t ripe?
Yes. Bake the bananas with the skin peel on, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet at 325 for 15 to 20 minutes. The banana peel should be dark and the banana fruit should be soft to touch. Scoop out the bananas and discard the excess fluids from the banana.
What’s considered a ripe banana?
A banana is ripe when the banana peel starts having brown spots. The more spots the riper the banana, just make sure the banana isn’t molding.
How early in advanced can I bake the cake layers?
Bake the cake layer 3 or 4 days in advanced, just plastic wrap them and freeze until ready to use.
If you loved this recipe for this Salted Caramel Banana Cake, be sure to leave a star rating and review below and tag @OfJenSweets on TikTok and Instagram.
Salted Caramel Banana Cake
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 2 1/2 cups Cake Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/3 cup Oil
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 large Bananas
- 1 1/2 cups Buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups Butter
Salted Caramel
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- Flaky Sea Salt to taste
Vanilla Buttercream
- 3 cups Butter room temp
- 3.5 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp Heavy Cream
Instructions
Banana Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease three 8-inch round pans and set to the side.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment add in the eggs, oil, buttermilk, brown sugar, vanilla extract and ripe mashed bananas.
- Mix on medium speed until the wet ingredients come together. If the banana is still chunky break, it down more with a fork.
- In a separate bowl add in all the dry ingredients.
- Sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and then on low speed mix the banana cake batter until it just barely comes together.
- Make your brown butter and while it’s still hot( boiling hot) pour into the banana cake batter and then fold it in.
- Divide the cake batter into the prepared cakes pans and bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven or once a toothpick is inserted in and comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in cake tins for 10 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to allow them too fully cool.
Salted Caramel:
- In a heavy saucepan add in the sugar and water and place on medium to high heat.
- The sugar mixture will bubble and then will begin to caramelize.
- Once the color has reached an amber color take it off the stove add in the heavy cream and whisk carefully.
- Add in the butter, vanilla bean paste, and the sea salt flakes. Adjust the salt to your liking.
- Allow it to cool and pour into a jar when cooled and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Vanilla Buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and heavy cream and mix on low and then increase to medium-high speed. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
Decorate:
- On a serving plate place one cake in the middle. Pipe a border of vanilla buttercream on the outer edge of the cake and then fill it with the salted caramel. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the steps.
- Crumbcoat the cake and then place in the fridge to allow it to chill and set for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Once the cake has set, take it out and cover the cake with the remaining frosting and decorate. Drizzle more salted caramel on top of the cake and if desired flaky sea salt on top of the caramel.
- Serve and enjoy!
