Brown Butter Banana Bundt
When I have a few sad, speckled bananas on the counter, this is where they go. Browning the butter first turns a simple banana cake into something with real depth — nutty, caramel-toned, and impossibly moist. Baked in a bundt tin, it looks impressive with almost no decorating effort.
The riper the bananas, the better. A light glaze over the top is all it needs, though a scoop of cream alongside never hurts.
For more everyday cakes, try my lemon blueberry loaf, or the fragrant olive oil orange cake.
Why this recipe works
Brown butter adds toasty, caramel depth that plain butter cannot. Very ripe bananas bring natural sweetness and moisture, while a little sour cream keeps the crumb tender. A bundt tin gives lots of surface area for a lightly crisp exterior against the soft inside.
What you'll need
Pantry-simple, with ripe bananas doing the heavy lifting:
- Bananas: the browner the better — heavily speckled or black skins are ideal.
- Brown butter: brown it, then cool slightly before mixing.
- Sour cream: adds moisture and a tender crumb; yogurt works too.
Smart swaps: no sour cream? Use plain yogurt or buttermilk. Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips if you like. For a loaf instead of a bundt, use two loaf tins and reduce the bake time.
Brown Butter Banana Bundt
Moist brown butter banana bundt cake. Serves 12.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (213 g) packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups mashed ripe banana (about 4)
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- For glaze: 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar + 2 tbsp milk
Method
- Brown the butter in a light pan until nutty and amber. Pour into a bowl and cool 10 minutes.
- Heat oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease a bundt tin very well.
- Whisk both sugars into the brown butter, then the eggs, mashed banana, sour cream and vanilla.
- Fold in the flour, baking soda and salt just until combined.
- Pour into the bundt tin and bake 45–55 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin 15 minutes, then turn out to cool completely. Glaze before serving.
Step by step
Step 1 — Brown the butter
Brown the butter until it smells nutty and turns amber, then cool it slightly. This single step is what sets the cake apart.
Step 2 — Mix in the bananas
Whisk in the sugars, eggs, mashed banana and sour cream. Fold the flour in gently to keep the crumb tender.
Step 3 — Grease well and bake
Grease the bundt tin thoroughly so it releases cleanly. Bake until a skewer comes out clean, cool, then glaze.
Pro tips
- Use very ripe bananas. Speckled or black skins mean sweeter, more flavourful cake.
- Grease the bundt tin well. Get into every crease so the cake releases cleanly.
- Cool the brown butter. Hot butter can scramble the eggs.
- Do not over-mix. Fold gently once the flour is in.
- Cool before turning out. Fifteen minutes helps it release in one piece.
Storage & make-ahead
Keep the cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days — it stays moist and the banana flavour deepens. It freezes well for up to 3 months, unglazed; thaw and glaze fresh. Slices freeze nicely too. Glaze only just before serving so it stays glossy.
Variations & substitutions
- Nutty: fold in ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans.
- Chocolate chip: add ½ cup chocolate chips.
- Cream cheese glaze: swap the milk glaze for a cream cheese one.
- Loaf: bake in two loaf tins for 40–45 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How ripe should the bananas be?
Very — heavily speckled or black skins. Under-ripe bananas give a bland, less moist cake.
Why did my cake stick?
The bundt tin was not greased thoroughly. Get into every groove, and cool 15 minutes before turning out.
Can I make it a loaf?
Yes — split between two loaf tins and reduce the bake time to about 40–45 minutes.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, unglazed, for up to 3 months. Thaw and glaze before serving.
Final thoughts: this is the cake that makes me glad my bananas went too far. Bake it the next time yours turn spotty and tell me your favourite add-ins over on the contact page.
For the science of brown butter in baking, Serious Eats has a great deep dive.
About Aisha
I'm a self-taught home cook who writes recipes the honest way — refined until they genuinely work, with no shortcuts and no fake awards. More recipes by Aisha →
