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.
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Browned Butter Glaze Soaked-Greek Yogurt Banana Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 6 ounces Greek yogurt (I used Chobani Low-Fat Banana
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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?
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!