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Salted Caramel Banana Cake

Salted caramel banana cake with a two-layer, tender banana crumb and fluffy salted caramel cream cheese frosting. Frosting goes between the layers and is drizzled dramatically down the sides, finished with flaky sea salt for a sweet-salty finish.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana cake layers
  • 3 ripe bananas Mash until smooth.
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 cup butter Softened.
  • 1.5 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.75 cup sour cream
Salted caramel frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese Softened.
  • 0.5 cup butter Softened.
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.5 cup salted caramel sauce Store-bought or homemade.
  • flaky sea salt For topping.

Equipment

  • 2 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Bake the banana cake layers
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 8-inch round pans.
  2. Beat the softened butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
  4. Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and sour cream in three additions, folding just until combined.
  5. Divide the batter between the two pans.
  6. Bake 30–35 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool completely before frosting.
Make and assemble the salted caramel frosting
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  2. Add the powdered sugar and salted caramel sauce, then beat until the frosting looks fluffy and spreadable.
  3. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread frosting over it, then top with the second layer.
  4. Frost the outside of the cake, then drizzle additional salted caramel over the top and down the sides so it drips.
  5. Finish with flaky sea salt on top for a visible sweet-salty crunch.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the cakes completely before frosting so the cream cheese frosting stays thick and doesn’t melt into the layers. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze unfrosted cake layers up to 2 months, thaw overnight, then frost. For a lighter option, swap part of the butter with a 1:1 baking stick substitute, keeping the frosting texture close to the original.