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Salted Caramel Banana Cake

Salted caramel banana cake with a tender two-layer crumb and salted caramel cream cheese frosting between the layers. Expect fluffy frosting and a dramatic caramel drizzle down the sides, finished with flaky sea salt.
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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
  

Cake
  • 3 bananas, ripe mashed
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 lb butter softened
  • 1.5 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, large
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.75 cup sour cream
Salted caramel frosting
  • 1 lb cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 lb butter softened
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.5 cup salted caramel sauce store-bought or homemade
  • 0.1 tsp flaky sea salt for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the banana cake layers
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 8-inch round pans. Keep the pans ready so batter can go in right after mixing.
  2. Beat the softened butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas. Mix until the batter looks smooth and evenly colored.
  3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. This ensures the leaveners and spices are distributed throughout the cake.
  4. Alternate folding in the flour mixture and sour cream in three additions. Fold gently each time just until no dry streaks remain (do not overmix).
  5. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Tap the pans lightly to settle the batter for even layers.
  6. Bake for 30–35 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in the pans or until fully cooled before frosting (visible steam should be gone).
Make the salted caramel cream cheese frosting
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. The mixture should look glossy and lump-free.
  2. Add the powdered sugar and beat until combined, then beat in the salted caramel sauce until fluffy. The frosting should be thick enough to hold swirls.
Assemble and finish
  1. Place one cooled cake layer on a cake stand and spread frosting on top. Add the second layer and press gently to level.
  2. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting. Smooth the sides so caramel can drizzle dramatically down the look.
  3. Drizzle extra salted caramel over the top so it runs down the sides. Aim for visible caramel streaks that reach the base on the stand.
  4. Finish with flaky sea salt on top. Sprinkle lightly so you can see salt flakes against the caramel and frosting.

Notes

Pro tip: frost only after the cake is completely cool—warm layers can melt the cream cheese frosting and cause drips. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; bring slices to room temperature for the best texture. Freeze unfrosted cake layers up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese (texture stays similar, caramel flavor remains the highlight).