Banana Coffee Cake
This Banana Coffee Cake is perfectly moist, packed with ripe bananas and has a hint of cinnamon — topped with a homemade cinnamon crumble topping and you have the perfect treat to serve at breakfast, brunches, showers, or whenever the sweet craving hits!
Looking for more recipes to use up some of your ripe bananas? I have just the ones for you! Low Calorie Banana Pancakes, light and fluffy Buttermilk Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, moist Banana Cupcakes, and Cinnamon Banana Bread Recipe. You’ll love each of these recipes!
Why This Recipe Works
- Insanely moist banana coffee cake. You are going to LOVE how moist this banana coffee cake recipe is. We use butter, oil, and sour cream to get the most amazing moistness.
- Cinnamon crumble topping. The top of the banana crumb cake has a sweet cinnamon crumble topping made with melted butter. It’s like banana bread meets cinnamon crumble coffee cake — the BEST banana coffee cake!
- Loads of banana. We use FOUR bananas in this banana coffee cake. It adds amazing banana flavor!
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: Regular, all-purpose flour. Fluff the flour, then measure and level off with a knife.
- Brown Sugar: Using a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar will give a deliciously moist texture.
- Cinnamon: The cinnamon is the perfect touch! It isn’t overly powering, but you can tell it’s there. It’s the perfect complement to the banana coffee cake.
- Unsalted Butter: Some the butter will be melted and used to make the crumble topping. The other half of the butter will need to be softened and that will be creamed with the sugars to provide a delicious crumb texture.
- Baking Soda: The leavening agent used to create rise in the banana coffee cake recipe.
- Vanilla Extract: The vanilla extract adds the perfect flavor element and is a staple ingredient in dessert!
- Sour Cream: Sour cream banana coffee cake is the way to go! Use full fat sour cream. This adds another element of fat to the cake mixture, creating a creamy and moist texture.
- Vegetable Oil: Using butter and vegetable oil will give us the perfect texture that is moist and soft, with the delicious butter flavor, too.
- Overripe Bananas: You’ll need 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas or about 4 large bananas.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the crumble. Combine 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour the 12 tablespoons of melted butter on top and stir to combine. Place in the fridge to chill while you make the banana crumb cake batter. Once the crumble hardens, you’ll want to break it up before spreading it on top of the batter in the pan.
- Combine the dry ingredients for the banana coffee cake batter. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tsp salt. Mix to combine.
- Combine the wet ingredients. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and 4 mashed bananas. Mix to combine. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour banana cake batter into the prepared pan. Pour the banana coffee cake bater into the baking dish and spread into an even layer.
- Add the crumble topping. Take the crumble from the fridge and crumble it into pieces. Spread the crumble on top of the batter, breaking the crumble into small pieces as you go.
- Bake the banana bread coffee cake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center of the coffee cake should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Remove and let cool before cutting. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
If you have some overly ripe bananas you need to use up, this banana crumb cake is the perfect recipe! You want to use overly ripe bananas (think brown bananas – or as brown as possible without being bad!) because they will be extra soft (easy to mash) and they will be much sweeter.
No stand mixer? No problem! Use a large mixing bowl and an electric mixer.
If you’d like, you can add some chopped walnuts or chopped pecans to the crumble mixture to add a nutty element.
Fluff the flour before measuring and don’t pack it in! Or else you will end up with too much flour.
Mix the batter until no flour streaks remain, but do not over mix! You don’t want to overwork the batter or else the cake won’t bake as well.
Turn your bananas into delicious frosted banana cookies!
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
I even love this banana coffee cake on the second day! I feel like the flavors kind of meld together and it’s even more delicious! So, you can definitely make this a day in advance and serve it then.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
To freeze, let cool completely, then wrap and squares of the delicious coffee cake in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Remove and let thaw.
Recipe FAQs
Coffee cake is typically made with a crumble or streusel topping. They aren’t frosted like other cakes are.
You can let it sit uncovered at room temperature for a few hours, but then you’ll want to put it in an airtight container or ziplock bag to keep things moist and soft. You don’t need to store it in the fridge!
Yes! Just let the cake cool completely then wrap it in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container or bag (if freezing individual slices) or tightly wrap the whole pan in a few layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Remove and let thaw.
No. Coffee cake is named because it is usually served alongside a cup of coffee. This banana coffee cake recipe doesn’t have any coffee in it.
More Coffee Cake Recipes
- Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake
- Carrot Cake Coffee Cake
Banana Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Crumble
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar - packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter - melted
Cake
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter - softened
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar - packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 overly ripe bananas - peeled and mashed (1 1/2 cups worth)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Make the Crumble
- Stir the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together to combine. Pour the melted butter overtop and using a fork, mix to combine. Place in the fridge to chill while you make the cake batter. We want the butter to harden before breaking it up and placing it overtop of the banana batter.
Make the Batter
- In a large bowl mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat the butter and sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, vegetable oil, and mashed bananas and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until no flour streaks remain, but don’t overmix!!! Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread into an even layer.
- Remove the crumble from the fridge. Evenly distribute the crumble along the top of the batter, using your hands to break the crumble apart into small pieces as you go.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before cutting and serving.
11 Comments on “Banana Coffee Cake”
What oil can I use instead of vegetable oil?
Try using melted coconut oil.
This cake was absolutely scrumptious!!!! Not a crumb left behind. I also love that you put how to store it afterwards! I always wonder!!!
15/10 would recommend, I’m baking it for a third time already.
This makes me so happy, Courtney! I’m so glad it was such a hit. Wish I could have a slice right now. Thanks for the amazing review!
Made this 2x now and it’s so moist and delicious. It doesn’t dry out even after a couple of days which is nice. Better than banana bread!
Hi Destiny! I’m so glad you love this recipe. It is one of our favorites. Thanks for leaving a star rating and review!
Usually whenever I make something with a crumble on top, it’s never enough. That was NOT the case with this cake! It’s super moist and I might make this more than banana bread now.
We love a generous amount of crumble around here ☺️ So glad you enjoyed this banana coffee cake Emily!
This looks delicious! If I wanted to make for dessert for dinner, could I add chocolate chips?
Thanks!
Yes, adding chocolate chips is a great idea. I would use mini chocolate chips. The batter is fairly thin so if you use big ones they’ll sink to the bottom. Toss the mini chocolate chips in flour before stirring into the batter. You could also add some to the crumble on top if you’d like.
Thanks Whitney! I’m making it today.
My family can’t wait! I will post the results- which I’m sure this will be delicious!