Banana Coffee Cake with Sour Cream
Two delicious baked goods in one? That’s what you get with this banana coffee cake! It has all the flavor and tender texture of a banana bread, but with the delicious streusel topping of coffee cake. You can eat it any time of day!
When it comes to using ripe bananas in baking, I’ve tried everything from your classic banana bread to banana to banana cream pie. Then it dawned on me that banana bread and coffee cake would make the perfect hybrid breakfast treat. Sure enough it turned out to be one of the most delicious banana recipes I’ve made! You will love how quick and easy it comes together.
Why this recipe works
- It’s a great use for leftover bananas. Brown bananas should never go to waste! They add natural sweetness and flavor to baked goods.
- It has the best crumb topping. The cinnamon brown sugar streusel makes a delicious swirl inside and doubles as the crumble topping.
- The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13 pan. I love making a larger batch around the holidays when guests are visiting.
- Pairs well with your morning coffee. I love making this for a late breakfast or brunch on the weekends, but I also enjoy it as an afternoon snack!
- Great for sharing with family and friends at special occasions, such as Mother’s Day, Easter or baby showers. You could also just bring it into work to share with coworkers!
Ingredient notes
- Bananas: Use ripe bananas with brown spots. Not only do they add sweetness, but they also add moisture.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar work in this recipe. It adds a very subtle molasses flavor.
- Sour cream: I always use sour cream in my coffee cake. It makes a moist and tender crumb!
- Butter: Make sure you use cold butter for the streusel and melted unsalted butter for the batter. Salt is added separately to activate the baking soda.
- Baking soda and baking powder: These leavening agents make the batter rise, this providing a soft and fluffy texture. Make sure they are not expired for best results.
Recipe variations
This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13 pan for 35 to 40 minutes or in a 12-cup bundt cake pan for 50 to 60 minutes. This is great if you are bringing the cake to an event or if you have guests staying with you for the holidays!
If you like nuts in your banana bread, try mixing in 1/3 cup roughly chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds to the batter (you can also mix in chocolate chips!) Alternatively, you can chop the nuts a little finer and use them in the streusel.
For a deeper flavor, try browning the butter and letting it cool before adding it to the batter. This will add a subtle nutty taste that is simply irresistible!
How to make banana coffee cake
- Make the streusel. Whisk together the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.
- Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients. Keep streusel in the refrigerator until assembly.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients for the cake batter. Set aside.
- Beat wet ingredients until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Assemble and layer. Spread half the batter over the bottom of an 8×8 pan. Sprinkle half the streusel mixture on top. Repeat.
- Bake the coffee cake at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes.
- Add a glaze if desired. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cream. Spoon over the banana coffee cake before slicing and serving.
Expert tips
Use super ripe bananas. Not only do they add a sweeter and stronger banana flavor, but they also add moisture. You know bananas are good for baking if the peel has brown spots.
Weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have a scale, be sure to spoon your flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife (don’t pack it into a cup). Also, use room temperature sour cream and egg. It will make a smoother and more consistent batter, therefore a better textured cake.
Layer the batter and streusel correctly. To get that nice cinnamon swirl inside coffee cake, make sure the first layer of batter is spread evenly before sprinkling streusel on top. Then for the top layer, the trick is to drop dollops of the remaining batter on top and then carefully connect the dollops when spreading into an even layer. Finally sprinkle the remaining streusel on top!
Let the cake cool for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving. If the cake is too warm when cut, then it will be crumbly. It will also absorb the icing. I like to wait to add the icing until I’m ready to serve and the cake is still slightly warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, after it has cooled, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before serving.
I suggest fresh fruit salad or a yogurt parfait. However, this is also good to serve as a side to your classic eggs and bacon.
The cake can be baked and stored for up to 3 days at room temperature. It can also be frozen and defrosted before bringing to room temperature.
I haven’t tried to, but it should work! Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and sprinkle streusel on top. Check if muffins are done around 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 300 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and bake the bananas with the peel for 15 to 20 minutes or until the peel is black. Cool completely and use in recipe.
Related recipes
If you’re looking for more delicious banana recipes, try these next!
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Get the Recipe: Banana Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Streusel
- ½ cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (62 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
Coffee Cake
- 1 ½ cups (187 g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup (80 g) full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup or 2 medium brown bananas, mashed
Vanilla Glaze
- ½ cup (60 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 teaspoons milk or cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8×8 baking pan with butter and set aside.
- Prepare the streusel In a small bowl. Whisk together brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry blender (or your hands) until the mixture forms coarse crumbs and resembles sand. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to keep cold while you prepare the cake batter.
- To make the batter, whisk together the dry ingredients first. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat butter and sugar together until well combined, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg, vanilla, sour cream and mashed bananas. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Pour half the cake batter into prepared pan. Use an off-set spatula or knife to spread evenly across the bottom of the pan. Remove the streusel from the refrigerator and sprinkle half of mixture evenly over bottom layer of cake batter.
- Pour remaining cake batter on top—the best method is to do dollops of batter across the streusel then connect the batter by using your off-set spatula. Sprinkle remaining streusel on top.
- Bake banana coffee cake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with little to no crumbs. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cream. Use a spoon to drizzle glaze over coffee cake. Cut and serve slightly warm or room temperature. Enjoy!
