Joy the Baker

Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake with Strawberries and Pecans

by 77 Comments

Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake with Strawberries and Pecans

I always have the best intentions when I buy a bundle of bananas. ! daydream about protein-packed green smoothies.  I toy with the idea of afternoon snacks with almond butter.  I know I’ll eat them for breakfast with a cup of black coffee and a smile on my face.

Unfortunately, exactly none of that actually happens, and I’m left with a shameful bundle of brown bananas on my countertop a week later.  

It never fails.  It never does.  

A bundle of bananas is meant for cake.  Destiny.  Sightly under baked with strawberries and pecans.  Let’s!  

Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake with Strawberries and Pecans

Make and bake in the skillet!  It’s really the best.  If you aren’t a neurotic food blogger like me, you won’t need a million bowls big and small to bring together this skillet cake.  Just a skillet, and spoon, and good attitude. 

Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake with Strawberries and Pecans

Butter is melted and browned until it smells like warm roasted nuts.   It’s removed form the stove top and then the fun starts.  Lots of stirring fun!  

First, brown sugar meets butter.   

Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake with Strawberries and Pecans

Mashed banana and an egg.  Banana adds mega flavor and moisture and also removes the rotting banana from your countertop and turn it in to cake… so.  WIN.  

Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake with Strawberries and Pecans

Flour, ground cinnamon and nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.  

Dry ingredients for body and flavor.  Baking essentials. 

Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake with Strawberries and Pecans

Whisking the dry ingredients in to the butter, sugar, egg mixture.  

We’re still working in the skillet we’re baking in!  That feels extra satisfying.  

Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake with Strawberries and Pecans

Glossy banana batter plus pecans.  

Pecans are definitely a natural fit.  Also, they fall from the sky in New Orleans so… of course we’re putting them in cake! 

Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake with Strawberries and Pecans

These are the first of the Louisiana strawberries for the year.  I hope that they feel justified on this cake.  I tried to make them proud. 

Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake with Strawberries and Pecans

I like my skillet cakes earnest and slightly under baked.  That gooey center is my absolute dream!   This cake is soft, comforting, spiced nightly, sugared moderately, and otherwise lovely.  

With a banana it’s breakfast cake.  With strawberries it’s an afternoon cake.  If you make a 2pm pot of coffee, it’s afternoon cake.  This skillet dessert is versatile and forgiving and dang delicious anytime of day or night!  

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Brown Butter Banana Skillet Cake with Strawberries and Pecans

Delicious, moist, and super simple skillet cake with strawberries and bananas.

  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 small ripe banana (mashed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
  • 1 cup hulled and sliced strawberries

Instructions

  1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Melt butter in an 9-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in sugar and vanilla extract and remove from heat. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Allow mixture to stand and cool for about 5 minutes. The mixture should not be super hot when the eggs goes in, or the egg will cook.
  3. When the sugar and butter mixture has cooled slightly it will look a bit clumpy, greasy, and broken. That’s ok. The egg will bring it all together.
  4. Add the egg and whisk together until smooth. The mixture will be glossy and no longer greasy. Add banana, cinnamon, nutmeg, and stir to combine.
  5. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir carefully until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add the pecans and fold together. Spread evenly across the pan and place sliced strawberries on top.
  6. Place in the oven.
  7. Bake for 18-25 minutes until mixture is dry on top, but still slightly soft in the center. I like to slightly under-bake this cake.
  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Top with ice cream and serve warm… with lots of spoons. I like this dish served immediately, but it will last two days, well wrapped, at room temperature.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. theresa

    Just started following your website. Can’t wait to make this cake. Love all your pictures and your descriptions are mouthwatering! Do you have a restaurant in NO? Love your unique style.

    Reply

  4. alicia sperry

    Alas, I only have a 12″ skillet but want to try this cake! How would you adjust the recipe?

    Reply

  5. Lisa

    Hi! This looks amazing, and I can’t wait to make it! Question: when you melt the butter, before mixing in the vanilla and sugar, do you brown it first? or just heat until melted?

    Reply

  6. Rosie @ Notes of Bacon

    Next time I brown butter, it’s going to be on purpose and because I want to make this recipe! Amazing!

    (yes I am admitting that I have browned butter by mistake….not sure it would go so well with scrambled eggs ha)

    Reply

  7. Reem

    Hi! I’m sixteen and I just find you really inspirational, both food and photography ways! Made this cake for my parents and brothers two days ago. Didn’t have pecans (they’re so expensive here in Oman!) so I used toasted walnuts. Didn’t have strawberries so I omitted them. Browned the butter, added the sugar, mixed in the ingredients, baked it, and walla. Brown butter skillet cake.
    Didn’t even use as many kitchenware this time, so I had less washing to do. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  9. Barbara montenegro

    Tried to make this recipe but the result was not the best. Too many flour i believe. But it is a good concept.

    Reply

  13. HMontero

    Hi, just found your site from Pinterest. WOW…this recipe looks amazing. Question, though, if I don’t have a cast iron skillet (I know, heresy) can I use a regular baking pan? Thanks!

    Reply

  15. Elise

    This is exactly why I bought a cast iron skillet :)

    Unfortunately, there’s a boy in my house who loves bananas… they never end up dark and mushy on my counter. Time to hide some, I guess, and try not to forget about them…

    Reply

  16. alexmgabor

    This was SO delicious! How in the world you manage to stay in shape with so many delicious treats nearby is beyond me, but don’t ever stop posting cakes like these! :)

    Reply

  17. Rosie @ Notes of Bacon

    I always want to make banana cake but am never patient enough. I need to buy some bananas and hide them specifically. this looks totally delicious. I have a gorgeous iron ribbed square pan, do you think it could work it that?! Rosie

    Reply

  21. francisca

    Hi Joy ! I have a question …..I recently bought a skillet, and I was thinking, since you don’t actually wash them, do you have one for savoury food and one for sweets ???? or you just use one for both ??? thanks !!!!

    Reply

  25. Dorian Swift

    This recipe looks doable and easy to pull off, Now I know what to do with all those bananas.:). Thanks for sharing and i love how there is just one pan to wash after all is done :)

    Reply

  26. Dorian Swift

    looks yummy, easy recipe with no much hassle. i should try this out. thanks for sharing. now i can put my banana bunch to good use :)

    Reply

  29. Devon

    This looks delicous! I’m curious if you’ve heard of the Perfect Bake from Brookstone? I just ordered it because is perfect for making small batches of desserts, great for baking with my children and something they can use as well. You can choose from hundreds of recipes in the free app, or upload your own custom recipe and then it shows you exactly how much to pour depending on serving size. If anyone else is interested in ordering it it’s currently on sale and you can even get discounts on your order if you visit the Brookstone coupon page (http://www.brookstone.com/brookstone-coupons) and use one of the current coupon codes! Thanks again for sharing your recipe!

    Reply

  35. Cara

    Perfect timing! Just bought my second flat of strawberries and I ALWAYS have sad bananas. You should also know that the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival is a thing :)

    Reply

  49. Virginia

    I have been working on a couple of one layer cakes and was just thinking about the possiblity of baking them in a skillet, when your post came along. I will try your cake since it looks delicious and (like you) I have some bananas in the freezer, and also will try out the skillet method for the two I am trying to perfect.

    Thanks for the recipe and for being so timely.

    Reply

  50. Tess Lecuyer

    How does it effect the seasoning of the skillet? Love the idea, but only if i do not need to re-season the cast iron pan.

    Reply

  51. kitchenmommy

    I had to look over at the two rapidly-browning bananas on my counter to be sure they won’t disintegrate before then, but it looks like yes, we will be having this cake for our Special Saturday Breakfast. Yum!

    Reply

  55. Anette

    ” (cake, naturally) also removes the rotting banana from your countertop and turn it in to cake… so. WIN.”
    Loved this :) Apparently you wrote this post in just as frivolous a mood that I am reading it. Love to you and cake from a land where we have to wait for strawberries until June… :)

    Reply

  58. Erika

    Good timing, as I have both very speckled bananas and strawberries that are almost past their prime in my kitchen right now!

    There’s a very good chance that this will be tonight’s dinner :)

    Reply

  60. Lene

    Absolutely adorable photos – like the green distressed wood paired with the yellow tea towel, and the brightness from the red strawberries. And the recipe sounds so yummy.

    Reply

  61. Shae R

    This looks absolutely incredible. It’s an entirely new concept to me, so I definitely think it’d be fun to try! Adding it to my list of recipes to try. Love it!

    Reply

  63. alyssa breed

    seriously, why do you always know what I want before I even want it?! sorcery….

    i’m thinking of making this more dessert-y and want to replace the bananas…was leaning towards applesauce or maybe even a nut butter to give it a PB&J twist. Any thoughts???

    Reply

  71. Lindsey

    Have been following you for years….every recipe is amazing and your pictures are beyond awesome!! Can not wait to try this skillet cake out!! You go girl!!! Xoxo

    Reply

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