This easy banana crumb cake is a moist, tender banana coffee cake swirled with an irresistibly buttery streusel crumb. Enjoy a slice as a sweet pick-me-up for breakfast, brunch, or any time of the day.
You might also love this gooey cinnamon roll cake and this sour cream coffee cake with crunchy pecans. Both are delicious for breakfast or dessert!
This banana bread crumb cake could very well be my favorite coffee cake recipe, possibly ever. It has everything a perfect crumb cake should have. We’re talking a moist and tender cake layer swirled with cinnamon sugar, topped with a crumbly, buttery streusel. Only, I make this dessert with one major, game-changing twist: bananas!
What Makes This Banana Coffee Cake So Great
- Put those overripe bananas to good use. I’m always looking for recipes using bananas, especially the ones in my fruit bowl that are barely past their prime. Overripe bananas are perfect for baking banana bread, banana muffins, and, yes, crumb cake!
- Two favorite treats in one. This recipe is a delicious mash-up of banana bread with crumb cake, made in a pan and layered with crunchy streusel. It’s a match made in baking heaven!
- It’s super easy to make. This cake requires simple pantry ingredients and only a handful of steps. It comes together with just 15 minutes of prep.
- It pairs perfectly with coffee or a glass of milk. So you can literally have your cake for breakfast, and eat it, too. Not to mention, this soft, tender crumb cake also makes a fabulous dessert topped with a scoop of ice cream.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this amazing banana coffee cake. I’ve included notes and substitutions here, and you’ll find the full printable recipe with the amounts in the recipe card after the post.
- Bananas – This cake is the perfect occasion to use any ripe or just over-ripe bananas you have, the senior citizens of the bunch.
- Butter – For best results, bring the butter to room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar – When it comes to a moist and fluffy cake, white granulated sugar is always the most reliable. You could also use light brown sugar.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Check the expiration date on your baking powder to make sure it’s fresh.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract will give the best and most natural flavor.
- Milk and Eggs – You can use any kind of milk you’d like. For even more flavor, try substituting regular milk with buttermilk.
For the Streusel
- Butter – Make sure it’s cold from the fridge and cut into cubes.
- Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar both work well here.
- Flour
How to Make Banana Crumb Cake
The secret to this banana cake is in the delicious crumb that’s not just sprinkled over the top, but also swirled throughout the cake. It’s easy to do following the steps below. Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
- Mix the batter. Start by whisking flour with baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mash your bananas, then mix in the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, until the batter is just combined.
- Prepare the streusel. In a new bowl, combine the crumb ingredients and cut in the butter with a fork (or a pastry cutter, if you have one).
- Assemble the cake. Now, pour about half of the batter into a greased 9×13″ baking pan. Sprinkle a layer of streusel over the top, and add the remaining batter over the crumb layer. Lastly, top with one last layer of crumb mixture.
- Bake. Bake this banana crumb cake at 350ºF for 50-55 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, your cake is done!
Recipe Tips
- Measure correctly. When it comes to baking, the number one misstep is too much flour packed into the measuring cup. If you’re using a measuring cup and not a kitchen scale, rather spoon the flour into the cup and then level it off with a knife, to avoid adding too much flour to the batter.
- Don’t overmix. Another cardinal rule is not to overmix the batter! When mixing in the flour, add it in gradually, alternating with the milk, and mix until the batter is just combined. This will yield the best possible texture when the cake is baked.
- Add a glaze. After the cake has cooled for a few minutes, whisk 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of milk, and drizzle it over the cake.
How to Store
- On the counter. Store this coffee cake airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Freeze. Wrap the cake tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then store frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw the crumb cake in the fridge overnight and then allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
More Banana Recipes
Banana Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Breakfast
Description
This easy banana crumb cake recipe is a soft, moist banana coffee cake swirled with a buttery streusel. Enjoy a slice with coffee or tea as a pick-me-up any time of the day!
Ingredients
Scale
Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup milk
Crumb Filling/Topping:
- 1 cup cold butter, cubed
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Glaze (Optional):
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with baking spray, set aside
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until mixed well.
- Add in the flour mixture and milk in alternating portions and stir until combined. Set batter aside while you make your crumb mixture.
- Crumb Filling/Topping: In a large bowl, combine the cold, cubed butter, light brown sugar, and flour using a fork or pastry cutter until a coarse crumb forms.
- Assemble: Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/3 of the crumb mixture. Cover the filling with the remaining batter and then top with the remaining crumb mixture.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
- If desired, mix powdered sugar and milk together and drizzle on top of slightly cooled cake.
- Can be served warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Can be served at room temperature or warm.
- Store airtight for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 658
- Sugar: 69.8 g
- Sodium: 229.1 mg
- Fat: 24.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 106.3 g
- Protein: 6.7 g
- Cholesterol: 92.5 mg
I see the service size is 1 slice, but I want to ask is that calorie count (658) for the whole thing or per slice?
It’s a good recipe, but it is very confusing, like with the 2 cups of flour, it should say 2 cups of flour for the first part then another 2 cups of flour for the banana filling part. Also what is the flour, baking powder, and salt for? It doesn’t say anything about adding that into it?
Hi! The full recipe card at the bottom has all the instructions 🙂
Does the milk go in w the rest of
The ingredients in the cake part? It isn’t in any of
The instructions.. so now
I have a cake in the oven that has been in there for almost 2 hours an isnt cooking at all.. I’m thinking maybe it was because I didn’t put the milk in because I missed it
BcuZ I don’t see it in the instructions only in the ingredients so idk what to do now… I can’t get it to cook.. the glaze filling an topping didn’t crumble either it’s in the form of a thick glaze
Which is fine I will take it’s but I couldn’t
Get it to ever crumble ..
But idk what to do now cuz I’m afraid to put the milk in now
An pretty much have to re mix it an put it back in the over to basically start over m.. if I don’t do that I will have to remake the whole thing all over
That’s the part that’s confusing to you?? I would have thought it would have Ben the fact that the cake part of the recipe calls for two cups of milk but NOWHERE a in the instructions does it tell you to add the milk .. …/ LOL.. I hve the cake baking right now and I’m concerned because i still had the two cups of milk left w NO where to add it in.. does anyone else see this?? Or just me?? I know the 2tbs calls for the drizzle on top w the powder sugar but the two cups is not part of the instructions.. so idk
How This cake is going to turn out … but I hope you’re turned out great! It really sounds like it’s delicious.. guess I will find out Soon enough
The recipe for the cake part says 1 cup milk and in step 4 of the directions it says to alternate adding the flour and milk to the banana mixture. Hope that helps!
This is AMAZING! Oh my goodness. I want to devour the whole thing. I added a dash of cinnamon in the glaze too.
OMG! Thank God I only made half the recipe because I’m going to eat the whole thing! This is soooo good! I added walnuts. This is a keeper.
Hi. I love this cake, and it’s always a hit.
Have you ever tried it as muffins instead of a cake? Thank you
OMG! I had some over-ripe bananas and wanted to make something other than regular banana bread. This recipe is so amazing!!! I made half the crumb topping and just put it on top, instead of layered, and it worked out just fine. It made a full 9×13 pan, so I kept half for us & took half to one of my best friends house still warm from the oven. She immediately demanded the recipe! This is a WINNER. So much better than coffee cake. <3 Thanks!
So glad you liked it!
Can use cake flour instead and if so will I still need baking powder
Believe it! This cake is wonderful. I don’t comment on recipes, but I just HAD to for this cake. You can not screw it up. I do bake a lot, but have had many fails. Never failed with this recipe!! And I take some liberties.. I add lots of spice (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove) I also use a little light cream with the milk. I’ve added applesauce when I only had 2 bananas. I used chopper for crumb mixture and also just my fingers (better using pastry cutter or fingers – fyi.. The chopper made the topping a little too dense, but still AMAZING!) I’ve made full recipe and half recipe.
If you think it’s too sweet, yes maybe, so cut back on the sugars like others have suggested, but that is why this cake is wonderful, there are changes you can make to suit you. And, RE: “Moist”.. This is bona fide MOIST, not “tender, fluffy, or other descriptions of moist.. ” It is TRUE TRUE MOIST!!!! For people who love “moist” like me, I will describe it like this … It almost drips!!! NO crumbs!! And for those of you searching for moistness, you will understand exactly what I mean! Sorry so wordy, but this cake warrants these accolades!
Do you use an electric mixer or do it by hand? I made this years ago and can’t remember what I did, the recipe says mix and stir,lol.
You don’t need to use a mixer!
5 stars all the wayyyyy . SO SO GOOD! Thanks for the delish recipe. And thanks for all the laughs I had reading your comments up to the recipe!!