Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

Published June 13, 2017. Updated July 31, 2019

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Banana Cake that is total utter bliss in every bite! There’s much delicious decadence and irresistible flavor here. And the homemade salted caramel sauce gives it that over-the-top gourmet touch that will leave everyone craving more.

Banana cake on a cake stand. Cake is layered with cream cheese, caramel sauce, walnuts, banana slices and chocolate shavings.

Dreamy Banana Cake

This cake has most delicious blend of flavors and textures. Two layers of moist banana cake are topped with a luscious caramel frosting, a sweet and salty caramel sauce, crunchy walnuts and sweet banana slices. The perfect cake for any occasion!

That salted caramel and banana combination were just meant to be. It creates sweet and rich dessert perfection.

Is it almost your birthday? Or let’s go with half birthday or even quarterly birthday because you need to try this epically delicious Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting and there’s no better excuse than for a birthday!

Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

Salted Caramel Sauce is a Must

Salted caramel has long been one of my favorite treat of mine and what makes it so special really is the salt.

Last December I had the opportunity to attend Morton Salt’s Next Door Chef event in New Orleans along with several other guests. It was such a fun dinner experience where they converted someones home into an actual pop-up restaurant for a day.

Acclaimed chef Nina Compton coached a home cook and then this cook prepared an incredible meal for us in which different types of Morton salt were used.

A whole banana cake on a marble and wooden cake stand.

At the event we tried a number of inspiring dishes where we could taste how different types of salt transformed each dish, from appetizer and drinks, to side dish, to the main dish and then onto dessert.

Of course, my favorite part of the meal was the Coconut Caramel Budino with Grilled Mangos and Morton Kosher Salt which was served for dessert. I just love the way the salt really highlighted that dessert and it does just the same here!

The dinner was so inspiring! I couldn’t say a negative thing about anything I tried. And part of the reason it was all so good was that it was properly seasoned with salt.

Salt makes a world of difference in everything we cook and bake. It can drastically change the end result. Can you imagine a world of food without salt??

Close up image of sliced banana cake sitting on marble cake stand.

Try the Recipes from the Event!

You can try out each of the recipes from the event yourself!

I’ve shared more pictures from the event of most of the dishes just below the recipe so be sure to scroll down and check them out. That steak though! Follow the link to Morton to learn more about the event and to check out each recipe.

Slice of banana cake on a matte brown plate.

More Banana Recipes You’ll Love

 

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
4.89 from 9 votes

Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

Such and incredibly delicious banana cake that everyone will love! Two layers of moist banana cake are topped with a luscious caramel frosting, a sweet and salty caramel sauce, crunchy walnuts and sweet banana slices. The perfect cake for any occasion!
Servings: 16
Prep40 minutes
Cook30 minutes
Cool time2 hours
Ready in: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • Banana Cake recipe see notes

Caramel sauce

  • 1 cup (210g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3/4 tsp Morton Fine Sea Salt
  • 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
  • 2/3 cup (160ml) heavy cream
  • 2 pinches Morton Coarse Sea Salt, for topping

Frosting

  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter
  • 3 cups (390g) (360g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup caramel sauce (from above)
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, for garnish (optional)
  • 2 bananas, diced, for topping (optional)
  • Semi-sweet chocolate shavings, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Prepare banana cake as directed and let cool completely. Meanwhile prepare the caramel sauce.
  • For the caramel sauce: have all caramel ingredients ready. In a medium saucepan combine sugar, water and sea salt. 
  • Set over medium-high heat and whisk constantly until it begins to boil, then allow mixture to boil until it turns to a rich amber color, carefully swirling pan occasionally. 
  • Immediately whisk in butter then remove from heat and whisk in cream (be careful, it will steam! A long handled whisk is recommend) and stir until smooth. 
  • Allow to cool several minutes then pour into a glass bowl or jar and chill caramel until completely cooled.
  • For the frosting: whip butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup of the cooled caramel sauce, sea salt and vanilla.
  • Mix until well combined and slightly fluffy. Chill until it becomes a more firm consistency if needed.
  • To assemble cake: spread about half of the frosting over first layer of cake then drizzle and spread a fair spoonful of the caramel sauce over the frosting. 
  • Top with the second layer of cake then add remaining frosting. Just before serving top with the bananas* and nuts, then drizzle over remaining caramel sauce, sprinkle with shaved chocolate and coarse sea salt.

Notes

  • Follow link HERE for the recipe for the banana cake. Only make the cake portion.
  • *To slow browning of the bananas if needed, you can soak them in a lemon water solution for about 1 minute. Just add 1 Tbsp lemon juice to about 1 cup of water then dry slightly on paper towels.

Incredible chef Nina Compton and myself.
Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

Our fabulous dinner menu.

Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

Jerk Boiled Oysters. Delicious flavor btw, and I don’t even like oysters.

Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

Blue Crab Little Gem Nicoise Salad. So, SO good!

Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

Grilled Corn with Chili Butter and Lime Salt. That lime salt though!

Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

Honey Soy Grilled Skirt Steak. Perfectly tender and full of flavor.

Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

Ahh and the Coconut Caramel Budino. Totally smitten.

Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

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65 Comments

  • Robin O Corbett

    Found the amts for ing. & the oven temp
    Had to scroll further down.
    Looks like this is going to be delicious!

  • Robin Corbett

    I didn’t see the oven degrees for the cake or the amts of ing. either.

  • Emilia

    cake didnt grow at all and I got a sad layer. Even though I didnt mash bananas in a mixer but with fork. I am suspecting my oven? What else could cause it?

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      If it didn’t rise at all my first guess would be that the baking soda was accidentally forgotten? It could also be that the baking soda is expired. Or if you tried to make substitutions for eggs that can alter a recipe. And yes it can also be the oven, if it isn’t up to the proper temp it may not rise as well. Hope something there helps!

    • Mike Casner

      First cake I’ve ever made and it went well! I didn’t let the caramel cool long enough, so it ended up a little runny, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. A good but doable challenge for a novice Baker!

      You can see the results on my IG: @the.other.doctor.mike

  • Christi

    This cake looks amazing and I’m planning to make for a birthday event! Does the icing recipe cover the entire cake or just the middle and top layer? Asking so I can modify if needed. Thanks for sharing your recipes!!

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      It makes enough to cover just the middle and top not the sides. Hope you love it!

  • Cheryl

    Just wanted you to know. I made this cake, salted caramel, and frosting and entered Into the Los Angels County Fair this year, and won best of show for layer cakes. It’s that good. It’s in my repertoire now! Thank you

  • Julie

    How long would the salted caramel last? I may have made double to use over time!

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      It should last a 2 weeks in the fridge or a couple months in the freezer.

  • Janine

    Hi, in step 5 (for the frosting) it says to add sea salt, but sea salt isn’t listed as an ingredient for the frosting. How much salt is required pleased?

  • Rebecca

    Made this recipe for my boyfriend’s birthday, and he not only said it was the best cake he’d ever had, but he requested I make if for his next birthday as well! I did make one alteration, which was to do 1.5x on the frosting. It would have been great either way, but I loved having the extra frosting to cover the sides.