Banana Cake with Cookie Butter Frosting

This Banana Cookie Butter Cake is an impressive, eye-catching dessert: a tender, airy banana sponge layered and frosted with a rich cookie-butter buttercream.

Baking this banana sponge cake with cookie-butter buttercream reminded me that great desserts often come from simple, bold flavor combinations. This cake balances the mellow sweetness of banana with the warm, spiced character of cookie butter to create a layered dessert that looks as good as it tastes.

Why banana and cookie butter?

The flavor pairing is simple and irresistible. Ripe banana offers soft, fruity sweetness while cookie butter (a spiced, biscuity spread) adds caramelized, cinnamon-like notes. Together they create a dessert that is familiar yet distinct, with a comforting, bakery-style character.

Ingredients used in this Banana Cookie-Butter Cake

Below are the components and the main ingredients for the cake, the old-fashioned milk-based buttercream, and a simple syrup to keep the layers moist.

Banana Sponge Cake

• Cake Flour — 2 1/2 cups (about 300 g / 10.5 oz)
• Sugar — 1 1/2 cups total, divided (1 1/4 cups for the yolk mixture and 1/4 cup for the meringue)
• Baking powder — 1 tablespoon
• Salt — 1 teaspoon
• Vegetable oil — 1/3 cup (about 70 g / 2.5 oz)
• Whole milk — 1/3 cup (75 g / 2.5 oz)
• Ripe bananas — 2 medium, mashed into a puree (about 220 g / 8 oz)
• Egg yolks — 8 large
• Egg whites — 8 large
• Cream of tartar — 1/2 teaspoon (to stabilize the meringue)
• Vanilla extract — 2 teaspoons
• Optional: small cookies and dried banana chips for decoration

Old-Fashioned Milk-Based Buttercream (Cookie-Butter Flavor)

• Whole milk — 1 cup (240 ml / 220 g / 8 oz)
• All-purpose flour — 1/3 cup (40 g / 1.5 oz)
• Butter — 1 cup, softened (220 g / 8 oz)
• Sugar — 1 cup (200 g)
• Cookie butter spread — 1/2 cup (folded in at the end to flavor the buttercream)

Simple Syrup

• Sugar — 1/2 cup
• Water — 1/2 cup

Baking the cake

This is a sponge-style cake that relies on separated eggs and whipped egg whites for lift. The process is straightforward:

• Separate the eggs. The yolks mix with the wet ingredients (oil, milk, banana, and vanilla) while the whites become a stabilized meringue.
• Sift the dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder, and part of the sugar) and fold them into the yolk mixture until smooth.
• Whip the egg whites with cream of tartar, then gradually add the remaining sugar and whip to stiff peaks to form a firm meringue.
• Gently fold the meringue into the batter in two additions, taking care to retain as much air as possible.
• Divide the batter between two 9″ pans (or three 8″ pans) lined with parchment and bake at 325°F (about 160°C) until the cakes spring back when touched in the center, roughly 35–40 minutes.
• Let the cakes cool to room temperature before removing from the pans and assembling.

About the old-fashioned milk-based buttercream

This buttercream is made by cooking milk with flour to create a thick paste that blends smoothly with butter and sugar. The cooked milk mixture prevents a greasy aftertaste and gives a silky, stable texture to the frosting. Once the paste cools, whip it with softened butter and sugar until light and airy, then fold in cookie butter to infuse the buttercream with spiced, biscuit-like flavor.

Storing the cake

You can bake the cake layers ahead and freeze them for up to three weeks if wrapped tightly. Once assembled, the cake can sit at room temperature for up to 48 hours. Refrigerate for up to five days, or freeze a fully assembled cake for up to 14 days. If the buttercream is chilled and appears slightly separated when it returns to room temperature, simply beat it again until smooth.

Tips and important notes

• Do not grease the sides of the cake pans. Leaving the sides dry helps the batter climb the walls and produce a taller, airier sponge. Run a sharp knife around the edge when removing the cake.
• Oven temperatures vary. Check the cakes early if your oven runs hot, or give them a few extra minutes if it tends to run cool. Avoid opening the oven during early baking; use the oven window to inspect color and rise.
• You can bake this in 2×9″ pans or 3×8″ pans. Adjust bake time slightly for different pan sizes.
• Before storing, avoid refrigerating buttercream-heavy cakes unless necessary. If chilled buttercream loses texture, rewhip until smooth.

Banana Cookie Butter Cake — Recipe

Prep time: 45 mins • Cook time: 30 mins • Yields: One 8″ cake (serves ~10) • Author: Dikla Levy Frances

To make the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line two 9″ pans (or three 8″ pans) with parchment paper.
2. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, 1 1/4 cups (250 g) of the sugar, and salt twice.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with milk, oil, vanilla, and banana puree until combined.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture and stir until smooth.
5. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar and whip to stiff peaks.
6. Gently fold one-quarter of the meringue into the batter to loosen it, then fold in the remaining meringue until fully incorporated.
7. Divide the batter among pans and bake until the cake springs back when touched in the center, about 35–40 minutes. Cool to room temperature before removing from pans.

To make the buttercream

1. Combine the flour and milk by adding the milk gradually (3–4 tablespoons at a time) and whisk until smooth and sticky.
2. Cook this mixture in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stirring and allowing it to simmer. Whisk vigorously for 30–45 seconds more until thick and pasty.
3. Remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface, and cool to room temperature.
4. Beat softened butter and sugar on high until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the cooled milk–flour paste and continue mixing until smooth and airy, another 4–5 minutes.
6. Fold in the cookie butter spread until evenly combined.

Simple syrup

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cool before brushing onto cake layers.

To assemble

1. Slice each cake layer horizontally so you have four thin layers total. Place one layer on a cake board or serving plate.
2. Brush with simple syrup, spread about 1/4 cup of the buttercream, then add the next layer.
3. On one middle layer, spread a thin layer of plain cookie butter before topping with the next cake layer for an extra burst of flavor.
4. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining buttercream and decorate with small cookies and dried banana chips if desired.

HAPPY BAKING!!!

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