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Banana Cake with Salted Dulce de Leche Buttercream

Servings 1 8"x8" cake

Ingredients

for the cake

  • 4 ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 Tbsp bourbon
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

for the buttercream

  • 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup confectioner's sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

for the cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Smash the ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the melted butter until combined. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla, almond extract, and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour and mix to combine.

  2. Butter a 8"x8" pan. Lay overhanging parchment paper in the pan (this will help you to remove the cake later). Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes. After baking, cool in pan.

for the buttercream

  1. Place the sweetened condensed milk can on its side in a large pot. Fill the pot with room-temperature water, making sure the water level is at least 2 inches above the can. Set pot over high heat and allow to come to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Using a pair of tongs, remove the can from the water and set on a wire rack to cool to room temperature (DO NOT OPEN the can while it's hot). 

  2. Using an electric mixture with a wire whisk attachment, whip the softened butter on medium speed. Slowly add the confectioner's sugar and salt. Add the entire can of cooled dulce de leche. 

assembly

  1. frost the cooled cake heavily, and top with walnuts!

Recipe Notes

  • When making the dulce de leche, I always cook at least two cans. Unopened cans of dulce de leche can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 months. Dulce de leche can be tranferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
  • The banana cake can be baked as a banana bread! Just use a loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes.
  • You can add any type of nut to the banana cake batter as well!