This turned out to be one super moist and ridiculously flavorful little cake.
I love it when the baking Gods smile down.
I didn’t want to make anything complicated or fussy because I’m on vacation in Aruba.
I also wanted to keep it reasonably healthy since every day is a bikini day here.
There’s no butter in the cake itself, just 1 egg, and I used banana-flavored Greek yogurt.
I was shocked when I saw banana Chob for sale in an Aruban grocery store, and promptly snagged a couple. It’s my favorite yogurt for baking.
The cake is similar to the Banana Pudding Cake with Vanilla Caramel Glaze in my cookbook. However, this cake is slightly smaller, doesn’t call for pudding, and the glaze is even easier.
To make the glaze, you can simply melt the butter or melt a vegan buttery-spread in the micro. But I prefer to brown it. If you’ve never browned butter before, read this tutorial or this or this.
The Cliff’s notes are to simply cook the butter until little brown specks appear, keep on swirling the pan, and don’t let the brown specks turn black. The process takes about 3 to 4 minutes and it’s easy.
I don’t know why people make such a big deal over browning butter, but it really adds such another level of nutty, rich flavor and it’s 4 minutes very well spent.
Pour the buttery glaze over the soft, warm cake, and let it soak in. I made the cake at night, glazed, and covered the cake with foil. By morning the glaze had soaked in almost completely.
It seeps into the nooks and crannies of the cake, and imparts such a comforting flavor. It makes an already moist and tender cake even more so.
If you need a little banana cake that you don’t have to drag your mixer out for, and takes just minutes to whisk together, this is the one.
It’s soft, fluffy, and light, with just enough density to be satisfying.
If you’re like me, ripe bananas seem to multiply on the counter, and you can never have too many banana and banana recipes. I have 40+ Banana Bread and Banana Dessert Recipes.
Add this one to the list.
Pin This Recipe
Browned Butter Glaze Soaked-Greek Yogurt Banana Cake
You don’t have to drag your mixer out for this little banana cake that takes just minutes to whisk together. It’s soft, fluffy, light, with just enough density to be satisfying. The browned butter glaze adds wonderful depth of flavor, and it seeps into the nooks and crannies of the cake, making an already moist and tender cake even more so. You can never have too many recipes for all those ripe bananas that just seem to multiply.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 6 ounces Greek yogurt (I used Chobani Low-Fat Banana
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large or 3 small/medium)
Browned Butter Glaze
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 of 1 stick)
- about 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
Instructions
- For the Cake – Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together egg, sugars, oil, yogurt, and vanilla until smooth and incorporated.
- Add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Add the bananas and stir to just incorporate.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the top is domed, golden, center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. At about the 20 minute mark, or at any point if your cake is getting a bit too golden or dark before the center is setting, tent with foil (lay a sheet of foil over the top of your cake). I tented at the 20 minute mark and baked for 35 minutes total. Baking times could vary from 25 to 45 minutes depending on water content of the bananas, yogurt, climate, and oven variances.
- Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack while making the glaze.
- For the Browned Butter Glaze – Add butter to a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until butter has melted and begins to brown and brown specks appear; the process usually takes 3 to 5 minutes. During that time, the butter will hiss, foam, sputter, and make lots of noise. This is the water releasing. After the noises subside, small brown specks will begin to appear. Swirl pan frequently throughout the whole process, and nearly continuously after you see the specks because that’s when the butter is prone to burning, and the specks can go from brown to black. I push the envelope and cook the butter as long as I possibly can to develop the most amount of flavor.
- After butter is browned to your liking, transfer to a heat-safe medium-sized bowl.
- Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and optional salt until smooth.
- Pour glaze over warm cake. Smooth it lightly with a spatula.
- Cover cake and allow it to rest so glaze can seep in before serving. I suggest at least 2 to 3 hours; I rested my cake overnight. Cake will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 260Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 114mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 1gSugar: 28gProtein: 3g
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Fluffy Vegan Coconut Oil Banana Muffins and Mini Muffins – They remind me of mini donuts but they’re healthy, soft, fluffy, easy, and perfect if you happen to run out of eggs
Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Miracle Cookies (vegan, GF) – NO: Butter, Sugar, Flour, Eggs, Oil, or Salt Added. They really are a miracle
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40+ Banana Bread and Banana Dessert Recipes
Thanks for the entries in the 3-Piece Baking Set and Gluten-Free Dough Giveaway and the $100 My Sweet Muffin Giveaway
What’s your favorite banana recipe?
Lol I am already drooling!! Cant wait for the post. T c
Hi Averie, I’ve made this Banana cake twice now.
It is INCREDIBLY dense and amazing. You have mastered the art of baking.
:) Hope you have a nice day.
Thanks for trying it twice and for the great compliments! Stay tuned next week I have a banana-Greek yog-chocolate-PB cake coming. It’s stellar!
Delicious! I made this for my office and everyone loved it. I doubled the recipe and baked in a 13×9 pan I used 10 oz of sour cream. I used 1 tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp of banana extract in the cake I added 1/2 tsp banana extract to frosting. The cake is very moist but not too mushy.
Oh I love how you worked in banana extract in 2 places! Amp up that banana flavor! So glad you loved the cake as did your coworkers and yes, it’s moist but not mushy. Thanks for trying it and sharing what you did!
I don’t see how this a glaze. Mine turned into more like a frosting. I don’t see how it could ever be a glaze short of adding milk to thin it (which I wish I would’ve done). Mine didn’t turn out at all like the picture. :\ Oh well, I bet it’ll still be delicious.
Then add milk to it if you want – with glazes, there are no rules. You need more liquid, relative to the amount of sugar. If you get that liquid via milk or via melted butter, whatever works for you, go with that. Mind you, once you pour it over your warm cake, it will begin to thin, too. Enjoy!
Oooh… Aruba… I just saw your pics. Give you so much credit for baking down there. I haven’t ever seen chobani Banana yogurt. I’ll go hunt for it. I have like 3 big ripe bananas sitting in the kitchen, I think this cake is calling my name. :-)
And if you can’t find that exact yogurt, just use a vanilla or plain Greek yogurt that you can find – or even sour cream – and you’ll be set!
Hi,
I had a question Averie… you don’t mention in directions at what time to add the yogurt. Do I need to add this with the egg, oil, and sugars?
Thanks
Nisha
Just updated the recipe! It’s added right along with the other wet ingredients in the beginning. Whisk it right in with the egg, oil, and sugars – yes!
not sure what happened but my cake sank. :-(
I added the yogurt with the wet ingredients.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151600789731186&set=a.309712351185.161749.275873291185&type=1&theater
I baked for 30 to 32 minutes, but I guess I should have left it in longer and maybe incorporate more baking powder/soda.
I think you could have baked it longer. Did you read #5 in the directions:
Baking times could vary from 25 to 45 minutes depending on water content of the bananas, yogurt, climate, and oven variances.
As with any baking, you have to watch your cake/item, not a number on the clock. I would say another 5 mins or so and you would have been fine.
Also, it’s not that unusual to have banana-based items sink. It happens and is pretty common; more so than in say making a chocolate cake. Bananas are heavy and it happens.
Just bake a little longer next time!
Mmmm, this looks sinfully delicious!!
I love brown butter and your cake looks so fluffy and perfect. You come up with the most ridiculously yummy desserts, I never have to go anywhere to search of for treats like these. Thanks.
Thanks for the glowing compliment. I appreciate it!
Yum, you can tell just how deliciously moist that cake is! Love it. I always end up with leftover ripe bananas at home so it’s wonderful to have a whole selection of banana recipes up my metaphorical sleeve! Thanks Averie. GORGEOUS brown butter glaze, mmm xx
Thanks. Laura. Yes, I have like 40+ banana recipes so you’re in luck on my site!
This looks incredible! Love the bananas and yogurt in the cake batter. Also, you can never go wrong with browned butter, but in glaze form!? I bet it’s so good! :)
So good that I want to just kind of drink it :)
I can’t imagine daily bikini days – my tummy would in so much trouble after a night filled with pasta & bread. :D
This cake looks so soft, and fluffy! Of course, I’m always in whenever brown butter is involved!
The one good thing is that we’re super active AND b/c it is so hot, you don’t have cravings really for these big carb-laden meals of pasta and bread. But I still do crave chocolate :)
I knew I should have saved those bananas this week–although I made a hugely moist cookie butter banana bread loaf, so maybe not :) this sounds like exactly what I’m looking for right now though–can’t wait to try it!
You know I always have a HUGE tub of Greek yogurt and bananas to use up so this here is just perfect! And that glaze?! YES!
I love new ways to use up bananas so I am definitely pinning this to make soon. The brown butter glaze looks like the best part! You are right – the few minutes that it takes to brown the butter is SO worth it for the rich and nutty taste it lends to the finished product. I’ve never used it in a glaze before. What a wonderful idea!
So worth it, for sure! :)
I love the look and smell of ooey, gooey banana cakes/loaves. This looks so delicious. Anything that is dripping with a glaze-like frosting that has soaked the cake throughout HAS to be outstanding! You have a lot of great banana bread recipes!
yes please! looks fabulous
These photos actually make me want to try this, which is a big compliment, since I don’t like banana bread!
Ok that is NEWS to me??!! How did I not know that?! Ok I still do learn something new every day!
This looks unbelievably fabulous and SO moist!
Averie, it looks so delicate and moisty. And this glaze – what an idea.
thanks Marta!
Yum, all of these recipes are making me crave fall and apple cider. Delish!
Gosh, I know. It’s weird that it’s already that time of year (soon!) – wow!
Mhmm I love when you do things with Greek yogurt and bananas Averie! Especially when it’s in the form of cake ;) Together they make the perfect textural combination- moist and fluffy. And I bet this cake is super sweet, yet doesn’t make you feel all guilty about eating it. Love that! I’ve been whipping banana in my oatmeal lately because it really lends the oats a thicker, creamier texture. Ever tried it?
I sure have! I have so many old (2009) recipes that use bananas + oats/oatmeal, you name it, yes I have tried so many!
And the cake is sweet, but not ‘super sweet’. It’s pleasant; but more like the sweetness of banana bread, not like white birthday sheet cake :)
I love cakes like this, and that glaze looks fabulous!
Thanks, Marcie!
I’m game. I have 3 brown bananas that the hubby said I need to throw away, I assured him no way Jose those are prime for making banana bread!!
Super brown bananas are a baker’s dream! Enjoy whatever you make – I have 40+ banana recipes I linked to so if you try any, LMK!
This cake looks like quite a treat! Love when the glaze soaks into the cake. Those desserts are the best!
And they get kind of sticky and a smidge gooey – I love that :)
Browned butter glaze soaked greek yogurt banana cake…say that 10 times fast! Sounds delicious :)
Averie, I love how incredibly moist, light and fluffy this cake looks! I love banana cakes/bread/loaves but sometimes they’re too dense. This is perfect. Did you make this and take these photos in Aruba? I can’t even get my photos this gorgeous at home, much less on vacation! I’m going to read your Aruba post now – I wish I were there too, basking in the sun and eating banana cake!
I did make this cake and took the pics here. I will say this is the only photo shoot in recent memory here that I’ve done that I actually like. I got very lucky. My house here was built to keep sun OUT to keep the house cool; the opposite of what a photographer wants, which is sun IN! Most pics here are horribly dark, dingy, and I have to shoot at a very high ISO so they look grainy, and then I crank up the exposure settings in Lightroom, but even so, it’s just never as good as shooting in properly lit conditions!
If there is brown butter in the recipe, you can call me sold.
Wow, Averie – I could drink that glaze it looks sooo good!!! Love this cake!!!
I love getting the vacation recipes, and this cake looks so great. Keep enjoying your vacation! :)
Going to try! Thanks Amanda :)
This looks awesome, Averie! Now I can make something other than banana bread with all those bananas. Yum!
I have so many recipes linked in the post, too – including a 6-banana recipe. So that should take care of a few if you have extras :)
I love love love all of your cake recipes these days Averie. And this one is the winner. That glaze? Holy mackerel. Brown butter and bananas just go together. Sorta like chocolate and peanut butter. I love moist banana cakes and breads, there is quite nothing like it! And the greek yogurt + oil makes this cake fabulously moist indeed. Yet another winning recipe from Averie to use up my rotting bananas. Pinned!
This is the one and only photo shoot since I’ve been here that I actually don’t hate :) Thanks for the pin and totally LOLing at your rotting bananas comment :)
Well…well, I now know what I’m using my ripe bananas on! Thanks!
Greek yogurt in cake is so, so winning. The crumb that it produces is just irresistible and I love that you added in bananas and threw a brown butter glaze on top. Perfect cake, Averie!
Glazes are a MUST around here :)
Think I could successfully sub coconut oil for the canola?
Yes and look at the backlinks/related recipes in the post. There are 2-3 recipes I linked that DO use coconut oil and call for it specifically :)
So amazing that you’re in Aruba! Sounds amazing, but I’m sure makes baking a challenge. And I’m guessing you are one of the few people who have tried to smuggle yeast packets and baking pans past TSA lines!
And that brown butter glaze, so dreamy!
If yeast smuggling is a crime, I’m guilty. Same with Baking Pans!! WOW, sounds like you’ve done this once or twice, too! Over the years of having our house down here, I’ve outfitted a kitchen, bit by bit, overweight bag by bag. This trip it was a popsicle mold and a new 7-cup Cuisinart food processor. Not a ‘cheap’ item in the States, but down here, it would have been more expensive than a Vitamix – but you can’t even get things like that! And I always travel with Red Star Platinum :)
Wish I had a slice of this cake for breakfast because you know I’m loving that brown butter glaze!
Oh my, looks absolutely divine! Wish I could have a bite right now!
Love that you glazed it at night and by morning it was all soaked up into the banana goodness! This cake looks like a banana lover’s dream! Chobani is definitely my go-to baking yogurt. Beautiful vacation baking Averie!
Mine too. I love the stuff. I swear they made that banana yogurt just for bloggers :)
I wish I were in Aruba with you! I’ve been looking for a good banana cake recipe so I can’t wait to try this.
Btw, I tried your peanut butter frosting (from your peanut butter brownies recipe in your cookbook) and I adore it! It was a huge hit with my family and friends and I would absolutely make it again. I talk about it on my blog today. :) That was my 2nd recipe I’ve tried from you and it was yet another winner. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipes!
Thanks, Tina, for the awesome comment & feedback and so happy you love the book and the recipes! Headed over to your site now!
Oooooooomg.
This looks like the perfect banana cake! Love that it is healthy-ish with a bit of decadence :)
Browned butter is the best. Soooo good.
Browned butter makes everything better!! This banana cake looks crazy good!! I have a bunch of brown bananas so I might be making this soon!
And I have that Six Banana Bread recipe I linked in the post if you need to really use some up!
Oh WOW! I just started experimenting with browned butter and it is something else! Your cake looks so tantalizingly delicious!
Thanks Shashi!
Anything that is glaze soaked is right up my alley! Loving this!
The only thing better would have been adding some rum to it :)
I am always looking for new recipes to use up ripe bananas and this looks like an awesome one! I love that you’re baking so much while on vaca! :)
Well, it’s my job :) Plus, my family eats a crazy amt of food when we’re here b/c we’re so active!
Ohmygoodness–this banana cake looks so moist and flavorful. I love the shot you have where you can see the black banana specks. I cannot wait to try this recipe. Thank you!!!
Glad you like it – the pic and the cake! Pls LMK if you end up trying it!
I bet grocery shopping on an island can be an adventure–you never know what you might or might not find! I remember some of your previous posts from Aruba though and you always seem to get innovative and come up with something using what you have. This cake looks pretty incredible–and glaze soaking in overnight? I love when that happens!!
SUCH an adventure. Omg. Sometimes I can’t find lettuce. But I can find Chobani. Sometimes I cannot find any coffee other than decaf, but I can find beer from Brazil, times a million :) The glaze just made this cake SO good!
This cake looks delicious and so perfect as vacation food. I also love that it makes a reasonable-sized cake, because I’m certain that if it made a 9″ two-layer cake, I would go and eat the whole gosh-darned thing!
As for my favorite banana recipe, I’m partial to bananas foster. Or anything with bananas and rum, really.
Oh I LOVE bananas foster! I have shooters based on the theme :) https://www.averiecooks.com/2012/09/bananas-foster-shooters.html
And layered cakes – never! First of all, we don’t ‘need’ that much cake. Second of all, too much work! I am all about the easy, smaller cakes :) Life of a blogger, gotta keep the recipes moving in and out so smaller batches are always preferred!
I have to agree about layered cakes too. I almost never make those big ones because it’s too much work and wayyy too much cake to enjoy. And I hate having to keep leftover cake because I think cakes are almost always at their best when fresh. Smaller batches are the best :-)
Cakes are really best at their freshest, yes. I mean honestly, most baked goods are, with the exception of say pie or cheesecake that you can keep in the fridge and 2-3 days really doesn’t matter that much. Okay & the brownies I just posted about, you could get away with stashing those in the fridge for half a week and they’d be just as good :)
YUM a brown butter glaze? This has to be good. I love using yoghurt in muffins since I find it better than butter milk!
For the best soak age for the glazes I like to use a stick of uncooked spaghetti and push small holes all over.
Oh that cake we call a ‘poke cake’ here. I poke it with the back of a wooden spoon and let the glaze really soak in but then you do have to cover it with whipped cream or a whippy frosting so you don’t see the holes as much. Not that adding (more) frosting is ever an issue :)