So, banana bread is the thing in the royal family. I read an article that the royal chef back when William and Harry were kids would make caramel banana bread.

The article gave two of his recipes – the regular one for grownups, which did not sound like something I wanted to try. It was more like a fruitcake with cherries and raisins. But…the kid version was a banana cake topped with hardened caramel frosting, which is more my thing. This post contains affiliate links.
So, that’s the one I made, and it’s good. Really good. You can find it along with other royal recipes in The Royal Chef at Home cookbook.
Table of Contents
What do you need to make the Royal Caramel Banana Bread?
“Technically,” this should be called a caramel banana cake and not a caramel banana bread, but that’s what we’re doing. Now, this is not a very sweet cake since it has a very sweet frosting. You’ll need:
- softened butter
- over ripened bananas (the darker the better)
- brown sugar
- eggs
- sour cream
- self-rising flour
- baking soda
- milk
- vanilla paste or vanilla extract
What do you need to make the caramel frosting for the banana bread?
This is a boiled sugar frosting that is very quick and easy to put together. You’ll need:
- butter
- brown sugar
- powdered sugar
- sour cream
- vanilla paste or vanilla extract
How do you make the royal caramel banana bread?
The original recipe I found on insider.com is for a half sheet cake size (12 x 18), which is very big. So, I cut the recipe in half and used a 9 x 13 pan.
Make sure to grease the pan and preheat the oven before creating the batter.
When preparing the batter, start by creaming the butter and brown sugar together until it’s light and fluffy with an electric mixer. I like to cream it for a good five minutes or so. Most people don’t cream butter and sugar together for a long time, but it really adds to a dessert.
Then, you’ll add the eggs and bananas and combine.
For the bananas, I like to let them sit until they are nearly black. They are the most flavorful for banana bread. Black bananas are usually fine for baking. But, make sure your bananas aren’t moldy or smell rotten because then they need to be thrown away.
Next, add the flour, baking soda, milk, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Then, let the cake cool completely before making the caramel frosting.

How do you make homemade caramel frosting?
This stuff is amazing, and it’s so easy to make. As this is a boiled sugar frosting, you’ll need to make it on the stove top.
Make sure you have all the ingredients measured and ready because you won’t have time to do that while making it.
When you do make it, be ready to frost the cake when it’s ready because this frosting will harden pretty quickly.
First, melt the butter for just a bit over medium heat and then add the brown sugar. You will need to continuously stir the sugar and butter mixture. I recommend using a whisk. I think it makes the mixture smoother.
Cook it for 2 minutes after the butter has completely melted. Do not let it reach a boil.
Add the sour cream and whisk it until it’s completely mixed up. Turn the heat up to high and stir just occasionally. Let it reach a boil.
As soon as is boiling, immediately remove it from the fire.
Add the vanilla and whisk.
Then, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and whisk.
It might look a little lumpy from the powdered sugar, but don’t worry! Just keep whisking quickly, and it will smooth out perfectly.
You know it’s ready when the frosting has thickened and is completely smooth.
How do you frost the banana cake with homemade caramel frosting?
Pour it over the top of the cake and quickly smooth it over the entire top. It should harden within just a few minutes.
I like to wait for about 10 minutes before slicing it into bars. With a 9 x 13 pan, I get about 18 bars.
What did we think of this Banana Bread recipe?
By itself, the bread (or cake) is not very sweet. So, if you prefer your banana bread not quite so sweet, this one is for you. But…when you add the homemade caramel frosting that hardens on top, it makes a perfectly sweet treat. It’s delicious, and the frosting just melts in your mouth.
My husband and my kids were all big fans of this recipe. I will definitely be making it again.
How do you store the Royal Caramel Banana Bread?
I just keep it covered with plastic wrap in the baking pan I made it in on the counter for up to four days.
If you want to freeze it, I recommend cutting it into bars and then wrapping them up with plastic wrap and putting them into a freezer safe ziplock bag. When it’s time to defrost it, let it thaw at room temperature because if you heat it up, the frosting will just turn into a yucky mess.
More Banana Recipes
- Cheesecake Banana Cupcakes
- Banana Swirl Cake
- The EASIEST Banana Bread
- Cinnamon Banana Doodle Muffins
- Cheesecake Banana Bread
- Banana Caramel Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting

Royal Caramel Banana Bread
Ingredients
Banana Bread
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
Caramel Frosting
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Notes
Preparing the Banana Bread
Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
Prepare the batter by creaming the butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and banana and beat together.
Stir in the flour, soda, sour cream, milk, and vanilla paste until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth.
Pour into the prepared pan, smooth out, and bake in the center of the oven for about 35-40 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched and is a golden brown.
Allow it to cool completely before frosting.Â
Preparing the Caramel Frosting
Prepare the frosting by melting the butter and sugar in a saucepan. Stir without boiling for about 2 minutes.
Add the sour cream, and bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
Leave the frosting to cool slightly and thicken for just a minute before carefully frosting the sponge.
Cut the cake into squares and serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 335Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 254mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 1gSugar: 37gProtein: 2g
Any nutritional information on thetiptoefairy.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate.