Name: Banana Cake with Nutella Frosting
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter; 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar; 1/3 cup (60g) brown sugar; 1/4 cup (60g) 2% plain greek yogurt; 3 medium ripe bananas (~ 1 cup mashed bananas or ~275g); 2 eggs; 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cup (230g) AP flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup (296g) Nutella; 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter; 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup (155g to 170g) icing sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 tbsp heavy cream; 1/4 tsp salt

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This is the best banana cake with Nutella frosting you’ll ever have! The banana cake is moist, fluffy and rich in flavour thanks to brown butter. The Nutella frosting is creamy and soft, ie. to die for. This easy recipe will be a big hit at your next BBQ!

Hi foodie friends! Well somehow today is already the last day of June… This pandemic feels like it has lasted forever but also how is it already Summer?! The weather has been gorgeous here in Ottawa and it’s allowed us to have a few social distancing BBQ with friends. If you are also able to have some social distancing hangouts and need a delicious recipe to share with your friends or family, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you -> brown butter banana cake with Nutella frosting!

I brought this banana cake to two BBQs and it was a success. It was gone in no time with everyone eating at least two pieces so I can say with confidence this easy banana cake with Nutella frosting is a crowd pleaser!

The banana cake was initially supposed to be a Nutella banana bread but I wasn’t pleased with how little I could taste the Nutella and it was weighing down the batter making a dense bread. So instead I made a moist and fluffy banana cake with a generous layer of Nutella frosting. You could eat the cake itself as it’s super flavourful thanks to lots of bananas and brown butter. But the pillowy creamy Nutella frosting definitely takes it to a whole other level!

THE SECRET INGREDIENT OF THIS BANANA CAKE

There is one secret ingredient that elevates this banana cake in flavour – brown butter! If you haven’t tried brown butter in baking (or even in your savoury dishes), I’d highly recommend you give it a go. Brown butter is just melted butter that was cooked long enough to dehydrate and brown the milk solids. It ends up smelly nutty and is super flavourful.

If you would like a detail step by step on how to make brown butter, check out Jenna’s (from Butternut Bakery) detailed tutorial.

WHAT OTHER INGREDIENTS WILL YOU NEED FOR THIS EASY BANANA CAKE?

This banana cake recipe calls for all simple ingredients that I’m sure you already have at home!

Bananas: the bananas are the hero of this banana cake. They will also add moisture to the cake.
Granulated and brown sugars: I used a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar in this recipe to get more of a cake-like texture but also some moisture, molasses flavour and softness.
Greek yogurt: I used a bit of greek yogurt for added moisture and fluffiness. You could substitute for regular yogurt as long as it’s plain.
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Flour: this recipe calls for all-purpose flour. I have not tested any other flours so I wouldn’t suggest substituting here.
Baking soda and baking powder: the mix of both baking soda and baking powder is what worked best for a fluffy cake.
Salt

To make the batter, first combine your wet ingredients; so the brown butter, sugars, bananas, greek yogurt, vanilla extract and eggs. Once it’s all well combined, incorporate the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Transfer the batter to an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper (or greased) and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.

HOW TO MAKE THE NUTELLA FROSTING

This Nutella frosting is really easy to make and requires few ingredients. Here is what you will need:

Nutella: I absolutely love Nutella so it is always my number 1 choice when it comes to chocolate hazelnut spreads. However, for this recipe, you can use any chocolate hazelnut spread you have at home. If the consistency of it is a little different than Nutella just keep in mind that you may need to adjust slightly the amount of icing sugar or heavy cream to obtain the right frosting texture.
Unsalted butter: use good quality butter here for best taste and make sure your butter is at room temperature.
Icing sugar: icing sugar is what gives the thick consistency to the frosting. For this recipe, I wanted a smooth and spreadable frosting so I only added 1 1/4 cup. If the frosting is still too thin to your liking, add up to another 1/4 cup of icing sugar (do one tablespoon at a time – 4 tbsp = 1/4 cup).
Heavy cream: the heavy cream helps thin out the frosting a bit and get a lighter texture. If you find your frosting too thick, add an extra tablespoon.
Vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

This frosting is ready in 5 minutes! Just cream your Nutella and unsalted butter until smooth. Add the icing sugar 1/4 cup at a time. Incorporate the heavy cream, vanilla extract and pinch of salt, and continue mixing until you get a smooth and creamy texture. Definitely eat a spoonful of the Nutella frosting for tasting purposes of course 😉

HOW TO STORE THIS BANANA CAKE?

Since the cake is covered with frosting, you will need to store it in the fridge. Place the slices in an airtight container and store them for up to 5 days.

I have tried to freeze the frosting itself in an airtight container and let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours. The consistency stayed the same and the taste wasn’t affected. I haven’t tried freezing the banana cake but I believe you could freeze the cake and frosting separately.

FOR MORE BANANA RECIPES, CHECK OUT MY:

If you make this banana cake with Nutella frosting, leave a comment below or share a picture on instagram with the tag @mapleetchocolat and/or #mapleetchocolat 🙂 Don’t have time to make the recipe now? Pin it for later by clicking on any of the pictures above!