Banana Cake with Easy Caramel Glaze takes this classic bake to a whole new level of deliciousness. Dense, but not heavy, this cake has a soft, tender texture. Topped with a decadent caramel glaze this cake is more more indulgent than your regular banana loaf making perfect slices for dessert.
Banana cake shouldn't only come to mind when you have a bowl of overripe bananas that need to be used up.
These cakes make wonderful but easy desserts and delicious celebration cakes. With just a few extra ingredients and an easy caramel sauce to fancy it up, you have a great cake worthy of an impressive dessert.
Super easy to make yet so decadent, the caramel glaze is a combination of heavy cream, butter brown sugar and powdered sugar.
Quicker and easier than your traditional caramel sauce, but just as delicious.
Ingredients overview and substitutes if needed
Here is a list of some of the ingredients and alternatives or substitutes if needed
Scroll down to the end of the page for the printable recipe card with all measurements and complete instructions
- Butter - melted
- All purpose or Cake flour
- White Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a delicious caramelized flavor and helps create a soft texture in the cake too.
- Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- Ripe mashed bananas: Over ripe or ripe bananas are best for baking. They add sweeter flavor to the baked bread.
- Buttermilk: Either Greek yoghurt, plain unflavoured yoghurt or buttermilk can be used in this recipe. Or if you do not have yogurt or buttermilk then make your own by adding ½ Tablespoon (7 ml) lemon juice or vinegar to ¼ cup (60 ml) milk.Set aside for 5 minutes before using it in the recipe.
- Eggs: at room temperature
- Vanilla extract
For the caramel glaze
- Brown sugar
- Heavy cream
- Powdered sugar / confectioners sugar
How to make Banana Cake with Caramel Glaze
This is just the overview so you can see the process. When you are baking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.
- Whisk in mashed bananas, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Mix to combine. Transfer the batter into the baking pan and smooth the top.
- Bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed in the center, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.
- Leave to cool completely before glazing.
Make the glaze
- In a medium pot, combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and salt. Boil over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Sift in the powdered sugar.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth, then immediately pour over cooled cake. Spread evenly across cake and let set for at least 20 minutes.
Pro tips for making this recipe
- Make sure to use the correct size loaf pan specified in the recipe card below.
- Grease your loaf pan with softened butter and line with parchment paper so it can easily be removed after baking.
- If you need to ripen bananas for a recipe like this just place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 °F (177 °C) for about 10 minutes or until the skin blackens and the bananas are soft. Allow to cool a bit, then remove skin, transfer to bowl, and mash them up.
- To check if the bread is fully cooked insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the middle of the bread and if it comes out clean with no wet batter it’s ready.
- Use a deep pot when making the caramel glaze, because the mixture will bubble up.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before preparing the glaze. The glaze firms up as it cools, so should be prepared just before pouring over the cake.
- Pour the glaze immediately after preparing over the cooled cake so you get a smooth consistency frosting. The glaze sets to a slightly soft fudgy texture as it cools.
Frequently asked questions
At room temperature: Covered or in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
In the fridge: Frosted banana cake should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days
In the freezer: Freeze the completely cooled cake without the glaze in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to one month. Defrost completely before glazing.
Delicious simply glazed or top with toasted almonds, pecans or dried sweetened banana chips. To toast the almonds: Toss a few flaked almonds in a dry pan on medium heat. Prevent them from burning by moving the almonds around in the pan with a spoon. They should be nicely browned in about for about 5 minutes.
Enjoy ♡
Banana Cake with Easy Caramel Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (about 2 to 3) very ripe mashed bananas
- ¼ cup buttermilk or substitute – see notes
- 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cups brown sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
To make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350° F / 180° C (160° C fan)
- Grease and line an 8 x 5-inch (21 x 13 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper. Leave an overhang of paper, making it easy to lift the cake out of the pan after baking. .
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar baking soda and salt. Whisk in bananas, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.
- Mix to combine. Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed in the center, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.
- Leave to cool completely before glazing. See notes
Make the Caramel glaze
- In a medium pot, combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and salt. Boil over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Sift in the powdered sugar.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth, then immediately pour over cooled cake. Spread evenly across cake and let set for at least 20 minutes. See notes
Notes
Nutrition
More banana recipes
One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana loaf
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