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A final close-up view of a bitten slice of caramel banana cake on a white plate, showcasing the rich caramel glaze and soft crumb texture.

Salted Caramel Banana Cake

This salted caramel banana cake is a soft, moist banana snack cake baked in a 9x9-inch pan, topped with a fluffy whipped salted caramel cream cheese frosting and swirled with more salted caramel.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices
Calories 388 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the banana cake

  • 1 ½ cups Bananas ripe, smashed
  • ¾ cup Granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ cup Butter
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup Milk
  • ¾ cup Yogurt
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Baking soda

Cream cheese frosting

  • 8 oz Cream cheese room temp, full fat
  • 1 cup Heavy cream
  • ½ cup Powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • ½ cup Salted caramel

For the topping

  • ¼ cup Salted caramel

Instructions
 

Bake the banana cake

  • Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 9x9-inch pan with parchment paper.
  • Mash: In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth.
  • Wet Ingredients: Add the sugar, salt, cooled melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, milk, and yogurt, and whisk until well combined.
  • Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Don't overmix.
  • Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Cool: Let the cake cool completely in the pan before frosting.

Make the salted caramel frosting

  • Beat: In a large bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth.
  • Add the Caramel: Add the salted caramel sauce and mix until combined.
  • Whip: With the mixer running on low, slowly pour in the cold heavy cream. Increase the speed and whip until the frosting is thick and holds stiff peaks.

Frost and serve

  • Frost: Spread the frosting over the cooled cake in an even layer with an offset spatula.
  • Caramel Top: Spoon ¼ cup of salted caramel sauce over the frosting and use an offset spatula to swirl it into a wave pattern.
  • Chill: Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the frosting sets, then slice and serve.

Notes

  • Ripe Bananas: Use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots for the sweetest, most moist cake.
  • Cool the Butter: Let the melted butter cool for a few minutes before adding it so it doesn't cook the eggs.
  • Measure the Flour: Spoon and level the flour or weigh it. Too much flour makes the cake dense.
  • Cream Cheese: Use full-fat block cream cheese at room temperature for a smooth frosting.
  • Cold Cream: The heavy cream must be very cold to whip into stiff peaks.
  • Caramel: Use cooled or chilled salted caramel. Warm caramel will thin the frosting and melt the top. You need about ¾ cup in total: ½ cup for the frosting and ¼ cup for the top.
  • Frost a Cool Cake: Make sure the cake is completely cool before frosting, or the frosting will melt.
  • Other Pans: An 8x8-inch pan bakes in 40 to 45 minutes. For a 9x13-inch pan, make 1.5x the recipe.
  • Storage: Keep covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Freezing: Freeze the whole frosted cake or individual slices for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 6gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 356mgPotassium: 187mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 868IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 1mg
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