Banana Coffee Cake
Banana Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping is the perfect crumb cake for your next brunch. It’s super simple to make, and the crumbly topping takes it to a whole new level. Trust me, your family and friends will be so pleased!
Other favorite brunch recipes include Overnight Omelette Breakfast Casserole, some Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes, and the best Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole!
Banana Crumble Cake
Right behind Maple Pecan Scones and Blueberry Muffins, my heart belongs to crumb cakes. Forget the rich chocolate desserts (although c’mon, those are good too) and the trifles, I love a good crumbly coffee cake.
This recipe is quite simple. It starts with a recipe for banana cake and ends with a streusel topping. Both are excellent, and together…they are out of this world!
Why This Recipe Works:
- Simple to make. This recipe can be made in two bowls using basic ingredients. It’s classic and simple, but is elevated with that crumb topping.
- Uses up over-ripe fruit. Do you have an excess of over-ripe bananas and are tired of smoothies? Well, this is your answer!
- The tastiest coffee cake! Moist in the center and crumbly on top is exactly what I’m looking for in a great coffee cake. Made with all brown sugar, this cake really is the BEST (and I’m not just saying that)! 😀
- Makes great leftovers. Place leftover crumble cake in an airtight container and keep on your counter for several days. Or if you’re like me, send leftovers to your hubby’s work!
Ingredients Used:
- Butter – Unsalted butter – melted and slightly cooled.
- Bananas – Use three over-ripe bananas, and use a hand mixer to puree.
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own by combining milk with a splash of vinegar.
- Egg – Just one egg.
- Vanilla – I love Watkin’s Vanilla!
- Sugar – All brown sugar is used for this recipe.
- Flour – All-purpose flour.
- Baking staples – Baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, and cinnamon
- Streusel Topping Ingredients – Flour, brown sugar, kosher salt, cinnamon, and unsalted butter.
How to make Banana Coffee Cake:
Step 1
Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8×8 pan (linked below) with parchment paper. No need to spray the pan. Simply cut two large pieces of parchment paper to fit and lay them perpendicular in the pan.
Step 2
Prep bananas. Puree the bananas with a hand mixer, in a small mixing bowl. I try to get a majority of the lumps out, but a few are ok.
Step 3
Combine the wet ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the pureed bananas, melted and slightly cooled butter, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Mix well.
Step 4
Add dry ingredients. To the mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, and cinnamon. Gently stir until just combined. A few lumps of flour are fine.
Step 5
Make the streusel topping. Combine the streusel ingredients in a separate bowl, and then use your fingers to squeeze the butter into the mixture.
Step 6
Assemble cake. Pour the banana cake batter into the prepared pan, and smooth to all sides of the pan. Then use your hands to sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter.
Step 7
Bake. Bake the banana coffee cake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until it is done in the center. This may take longer than you expect as the cake is very thick. (Test with a toothpick for doneness.)
Step 8
Cool. After removing the cake from the oven, let it sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then carefully remove it using the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan. Set it on top of the cooling racks and let it continue to cool, if desired.
Step 9
Serve. This is best served slightly warm, or at room temperature, with a cup of coffee!
We like to keep our cold brew coffee on hand AT ALL TIMES. I’ve even started making it all year long. Because COFFEE is life! Want an interesting latte instead? Try a delicious Creamy Egg Nog Latte or a Cozy Caramel Latte!
Storing and Freezing:
- Store leftover banana coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
- To freeze, wrap tightly in cling wrap and place cake in freezer bag. This coffee cake freezes well for up to three months.
Recipe FAQs:
Regular cake is normally made with an icing of some sort while coffee cake is usually made with a crumbly streusel topping.
Coffee Cake is called this because it goes great with a cup of coffee (or a latte, in my case), not because it has coffee in it.
These two are similar but crumb cake usually has a thicker crumb topping than a coffee cake (but not always).
A coffee cake is done when a toothpick, when inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out mostly clean. THIS cake is pretty thick, so it will take longer than expected.
Other delicious banana recipes to try next:
- Apple Pie Banana Bundt Cake – A lovely mash-up of apple pie and banana cake!
- Easy Banana Bread – Norma Jean’s recipe, and it’s beyond moist (and delicious every time).
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Muffins – Banana with a peanut butter twist!
- Banana Donuts – Simple with the best caramel icing.
Kitchen Tools I used for this recipe:
- USA 8×8 Pans – A square pan used to bake this coffee cake.
- Parchment Paper Baking Sheets – Makes it super easy to remove the cake from the pan.
- Hand Mixer – Used to puree the bananas.
- Glass Mixing Bowls – For mixing the cake and the streusel.
xoxo ~Sue
Banana Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the coffee cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter – melted and slightly cooled
- 3 large over-ripe bananas (about 1.5 cups) – pureed
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the streusel topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter – cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8×8 pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Prepare the struesel topping by combining all ingredients listed. Use your hands to squeeze the butter into the other ingredients. Set aside.
- Melt butter and set aside. In a mixing bowl, puree bananas with a hand mixer. Add the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and the slightly cooled butter. Mix well.
- Next, add the brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until just combined. There will be a few lumps of banana and flour remaining, but that is fine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the batter evenly to all edges. Use hands to spread the streusel topping on top of the banana batter.
- Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until it is done in the center. This coffee cake is thick, so it may take longer than you expect.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and let it sit in the pan for 15 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. This cake is delicious served slightly warm or room temperature.
Notes
- The coffee cake is done when the middle is done. Test with a toothpick. THIS cake is pretty thick, so it will take longer than expected.
- Store leftover banana coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
- To freeze, wrap tightly in cling wrap and place cake in freezer bag. This coffee cake freezes well for up to three months.
I made this tonight and it is super yummy! I’ll try it with my coffee tomorrow!
Yay! We love it too!
Loved this! Super moist! It was a PERFECT with a fresh cup of coffee. I think I like this even more than banana bread! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much Cathy! I’m super glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Such a delicious, moist coffee cake and always love a crumble topping!! The combination of banana and cinnamon is a surprise and also perfect!!
Hi Sue, just got it out of the oven and had to try it right away.
It is so delicious, the best banana cake ever.
I’m so happy to hear that, Heike! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
I had this yesterday and it’s the best coffee cake ever. ❤️
Awww thanks!
I love this cake! It’s lighter than a traditional banana bread but still has all that wonderful banana flavor! It was nice and moist and the streusel topping was the perfect amount of sweetness!
Thanks for letting me know, Cathy!