Layer Cakes
Salted Banana Caramel Cheesecake Cake
This is for anyone who always wants the banana dessert and still saves room for cheesecake. The first slice is neat for about a second, and then the salted caramel starts moving through every layer.
The caramel stays controlled inside a piped frosting dam while the cake is stacked, then begins to spill through the layers when the cake is cut. The frosting is creamy rather than buttery, with the savory depth and cultured tang that make baked cheesecake taste like baked cheesecake.
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Thinking out loud
The Cheesecake Flavor I Grew Up Loving
My family ate out nearly every night, so we were not cooks or bakers. Growing up in Wisconsin in the 1980s and 1990s, most restaurant menus revolved around meat and dairy, and I always ordered cheesecake after my steak and potatoes.
Developing this baked-cheesecake-style frosting held a big place in my heart. I was the kid who could have lived on cheesecake, and I can still remember exactly how it tasted. Recreating that familiar tang, richness, and savory depth has become one of my favorite accomplishments as a home baker.
Ingredient notes
Key ingredients
Very ripe bananas
Mash the bananas until smooth so their moisture, sweetness, and flavor spread evenly through every cake layer.
Light brown sugar
Brown sugar sweetens the banana cake and forms the base of the caramel lava, giving the whole cake a warm caramel flavor.
Unfortified nutritional yeast and mild miso
Unfortified nutritional yeast gives the cleanest flavor and reduces the possibility of an altered aftertaste. Together with mild miso, it adds the savory depth that helps the frosting evoke baked cheesecake.
Lemon juice and lactic acid
Lemon juice contributes cultured tang, while a pinch of lactic acid completes the rounded cheesecake flavor. Both are intentional parts of the frosting.
Brands I used for this recipe
These are preferences, not requirements. If you choose the non-dairy route, these are the products I test with. Dairy equivalents can be used at the same listed amounts and temperatures.
Philadelphia Plant-Based Cream Cheese
I can only verify the intended cheesecake flavor with Violife Cream Cheese Bricks or Philadelphia Plant-Based Cream Cheese because those are the products I tested. Other brands may taste different. I have not tested a dairy version.
King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour
I use King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour for this recipe.
Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste
I use Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste for this recipe.
Testing notes
Why this works
Chill every component before assembly
Cold cake layers, chilled caramel, and firm frosting make this delicate cake easier to stack and keep the filling controlled.
Pipe a complete frosting dam
Pipe an unbroken ring of cheesecake frosting around each layer before adding the caramel. Keep the caramel below the top of the dam so the next cake layer rests on frosting rather than filling.
Judge the caramel only after it cools
The brown sugar caramel thickens as it cools. Simmer it for the full 3 minutes when you want a thicker result, then cool and chill it completely before deciding whether it is ready to layer.
Mix the frosting only until silky
Beat the cream cheese smooth first, then mix in the remaining ingredients just until the frosting is thick and creamy. Chill it until pipeable before building the cake.
Step by step
How It All Comes Together
Step 1
Start with cold cake and firm frosting
Set the first chilled banana cake layer on the cake board and spread a thin layer of cold cheesecake frosting over the top. Cold components give this soft cake the support it needs during assembly.
Step 2
Pipe a complete frosting dam
Pipe an unbroken ring around the outside edge. The dam needs to be tall and firm enough to hold the caramel while supporting the next banana cake layer.
Step 3
Add the chilled caramel
Spoon a controlled layer of completely cooled caramel inside the dam and keep it below the top edge. Repeat with the second layer before adding the final cake round.
Step 4
Stack, frost, and chill
Finish the outside with the remaining cheesecake frosting, then refrigerate the assembled cake until it feels stable. Chilling gives the soft layers and flowing caramel time to settle before slicing.
Step 5
Cut the cake while it is cold
Slice the chilled cake for the cleanest layers, then let each piece soften briefly before serving. As it warms slightly, the frosting becomes creamier and the caramel begins to loosen.
From Instagram
Watch the reel
Watch the banana cake, brown sugar caramel lava, and baked-cheesecake-style frosting come together layer by layer.
Open the reelSmall things that matter
Tips for the best cake
Use very ripe bananas and mash them smooth before measuring 260 grams.
Whisk the cake batter only until the dry ingredients disappear.
Wrap and chill the completely cooled cake layers before assembly.
If the frosting begins to soften while you work, chill it again until pipeable.
Troubleshooting
If This Happens
The caramel is too loose for assembly
Judge it only after it has cooled completely. If it still runs too freely, refrigerate it until it is thick enough to spoon and keep the layer below the top of the frosting dam.
The cheesecake frosting is not holding the dam
Chill the frosting until it is firm and pipeable before continuing. If it softens while you work, stop and return it to the refrigerator rather than trying to stack over a weak dam.
The cake layers are sliding
Chill the assembled cake until stable. Cold layers, cold caramel, and firm frosting are especially important here because the banana cake is soft and the filling is meant to loosen when served.
The banana cake baked up dense
Mash the bananas smooth, measure the full 260 grams, and mix only until the dry streaks disappear. Extra banana or continued mixing can make these soft layers feel heavier.
Before you slice
Texture and serving notes
Slice the cake while chilled for the cleanest layers.
Let individual slices soften briefly before serving so the cake and frosting become creamy while the caramel loosens.
Keep it good
Storage
Fridge
Keep the assembled cake covered in the refrigerator.
Note 2
Keep any extra brown sugar caramel covered and refrigerated separately.
Recipe FAQ
Questions that come up
Why does this cheesecake frosting use nutritional yeast and miso?
They are intentional flavor builders, not optional extras. Unfortified nutritional yeast produces the cleanest flavor and helps evoke baked cheesecake, while mild miso adds the savory depth that makes the frosting taste more complex. Lemon juice adds cultured tang, and lactic acid rounds out the cheesecake flavor.
Which cream cheese should I use for the cheesecake frosting?
I can only verify the intended cheesecake flavor with Violife Cream Cheese Bricks or Philadelphia Plant-Based Cream Cheese because those are the products I tested. Other brands may taste different. I have not tested dairy cream cheese and do not know how a dairy version would perform or taste.
Why do I need a frosting dam?
The dam supports the cake layers and keeps the caramel controlled during assembly. Pipe a complete ring and keep the chilled caramel below its top edge.
Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste?
Yes. Vanilla extract can replace the vanilla bean paste at the same listed amount, although I prefer vanilla bean paste for its fuller flavor.
Should I weigh the ingredients or use volume measurements?
I strongly recommend weighing the ingredients in grams for the most reliable result. Volume measurements are included for convenience, but the amount in a cup can change depending on how an ingredient is filled, packed, or poured. These recipes are easy to follow, but their ratios are precise, so I cannot guarantee the exact same result when volume measurements are used. I still use teaspoons and tablespoons for small amounts like leaveners, salt, spices, and flavorings because those are the most practical measurements.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so I cannot guarantee the same texture, rise, or structure. If you would like to experiment, a cup-for-cup (1:1) gluten-free baking blend intended to replace all-purpose flour is the best place to start. Results may differ from the recipe as written.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Yes, of course. Replace the cake flour with the same amount of all-purpose flour by weight. The cake will have a slightly sturdier, less delicate crumb, but it will still be great.
More layer cakes to try
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Bake
- 22-24 min
- Total
- About 3 1/2 hr, including cooling and chilling
- Yield
- One three-layer 8-inch cake
Measurement note
For the closest match to the recipe I tested, use grams. Volume measurements are included for convenience, but cups can vary, so I cannot guarantee the exact same result when measuring by volume.
Ingredients
Tap each ingredient as you use it.
Volume measurements use US cups and level spoons and are approximate. Spoon flour and powdered sugar into the cup, level, then sift if directed. For cocoa and freeze-dried fruit powders, scoop the unsifted powder and level without packing, then sift if directed. Measure sprinkles loosely and level. Pack brown sugar. For ingredients marked "weigh for accuracy", use the listed grams.
Banana Cake Layers
- 305 g cake flour
- 10 g cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 220 g light brown sugar, packed
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 150 g neutral oil
- 160 g plain unsweetened yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 260 g very ripe bananas, mashed smooth
- 120 g milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Brown Sugar Caramel Lava
- 170 g light brown sugar, packed
- 40 g water
- 2 g cornstarch
- 85 g butter
- 120 g milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Cheesecake Frosting
- 900 g cream cheese, room temperature
- 280 g powdered sugar
- 3 teaspoons unfortified nutritional yeast, sifted
- 1 teaspoon mild yellow or white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of lactic acid
Pan used
I use Fat Daddio's 8-inch anodized aluminum round cake pans for this recipe.
Instructions
- 1Make the banana cake layers. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans.
- 2In one large bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, plain unsweetened yogurt, vanilla bean paste, mashed bananas, milk, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
- 3Sift the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt directly over the wet ingredients. Whisk gently just until combined and no dry streaks remain.
- 4Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
- 5Bake for 22-24 minutes, until the centers spring back.
- 6Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out and allow them to cool completely. Wrap and chill the layers before assembly.
- 7Make the brown sugar caramel lava. Whisk the light brown sugar, water, and cornstarch in a saucepan until smooth.
- 8Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until bubbling.
- 9Add the butter and milk. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking, until glossy.
- 10Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste and salt. Cool completely, then chill before assembly.
- 11Make the cheesecake frosting. Beat the room-temperature cream cheese until completely smooth.
- 12Add the powdered sugar and beat until thick and creamy.
- 13Add the sifted unfortified nutritional yeast, miso paste, lemon juice, vanilla bean paste, and lactic acid. Mix until silky.
- 14Chill the frosting for 20-30 minutes, until pipeable.
- 15Place the first chilled cake layer on a cake board and spread a thin layer of cheesecake frosting over it. Pipe a complete frosting dam around the edge.
- 16Spoon a controlled layer of chilled brown sugar caramel lava inside the dam, keeping it below the top edge.
- 17Add the second cake layer and repeat with the frosting dam and caramel.
- 18Top with the final cake layer and frost the outside lightly with the remaining cheesecake frosting.
- 19Chill the assembled cake until stable before slicing.
Cheesecake collection
Explore more non-dairy cheesecake recipes
Meet the baker
Angela Heckler
Angela Heckler is the recipe developer, baker, and photographer behind Obsessed Cakes. Her Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf series is a growing collection of cake-donut-inspired loaves with soft, deeply moist crumbs, buttery streusel, and crackly glaze. Angela develops and tests every recipe in her Arizona kitchen. Follow Obsessed Cakes on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
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