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Banana Bread Snack Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Banana bread snack cake with a perfectly moist, dense crumb baked in an 8x8 pan, then topped with a silky brown-butter frosting swooped in waves. This easy one-bowl banana cake is golden at the edges and set in the center with a toothpick test.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana cake
  • 2 bananas Ripe, mashed
  • 0.5 cup butter Melted
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs Large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Brown butter frosting
  • 0.25 cup butter Browned
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the banana snack cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8 square pan.
  2. Whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla into mashed bananas until smooth.
  3. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until just combined, leaving no dry flour streaks.
  4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Make the brown butter frosting
  1. Brown the butter in a saucepan until golden and nutty, watching closely to avoid scorching.
  2. Cool the browned butter for 5 minutes, then whisk in powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth.
Frost and slice
  1. Frost the completely cooled cake in waves, then slice into squares to serve.

Notes

Pro tip: Let the cake cool completely before frosting so the waves stay on top instead of melting in. Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days; freeze frosted or unfrosted for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, swap half the powdered sugar with an equal amount of confectioners’ sugar labeled “light” (texture may be slightly softer).