Banana Walnut Cake

Ingredients

• 130 g walnut halves
• 145 g unsalted butter
• 280 g bananas (ripe)
• 150 g soft brown sugar
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste ( or extract)
• 190 g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 120 g greek yogurt (or use buttermilk or sour cream)
• 60 g milk (at room temperature)
• 75 g unsalted butter
• 115 g full-fat block style cream cheese (room temperature)
• 180 g powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste (or extract)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cream or milk (as needed)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line an 8-inch round, 3-inch deep cake pan with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring frequently until fragrant. Remove from the pan and let them cool completely before using.

3. 3

   In a light-colored pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir frequently as it foams and begins to brown, with nutty-smelling milk solids forming at the bottom. Once browned, pour into a heatproof bowl and let it cool until lukewarm.

4. 4

   Mash the bananas and add to the cooled butter. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until combined.

5. 5

   Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.

6. 6

   Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix gently with the milk until just combined. Fold in the toasted walnuts.

7. 7

   Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

8. 8

   Once baked, let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan then run a butter knife along the edge to release it from the sides of the pan, and carefully invert it onto a cooling rack to remove the pan.

9. 9

   --- Frosting ---

10. 10

    While the cake is baking, make the brown butter for the frosting. In a light-colored pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir frequently as it foams and begins to brown, with nutty-smelling milk solids forming at the bottom. Once browned, pour into a heatproof bowl and let it cool for 15 minutes, then place in the fridge to cool further until it's firmed up, but if you press a finger in it should feel like softened room temperature butter.

11. 11

    With an electric mixer, whisk the butter until creamy. Add cream cheese and whisk again until smooth.

12. 12

    Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk or cream and start on low speed to combine, then turn up the speed and whip until creamy.

13. 13

    Once the cake has completely cooled, spread on the frosting and garnish with extra walnut pieces.