Banana Crumb Cake (and the name of my home)
If you enjoy Southern Plate, please tell a friend!
This is the second tutorial photographed at my new home. I just love photographing things in the sun room. Yesterday I opened a few windows out there and had the most wonderfully scented early summer breeze flowing through as I prepared this cake and later worked on some emails and such in a chair by the window. I ended up spending just about the entire day there, even moving kitchen appliances in as I needed them!
This is a recipe I threw together and has been all the rage at my house! I love crumb cakes. Not too sweet, more filing than regular cake, and with that delicious crumbly topping, you just can’t go wrong. In my eternal quest to not waste food, I did this one up as a twist on the old tried and true banana bread as a way to use up those almost-too-ripe bananas. It has been a huge hit at my house and just about flies out of the pan the moment I remove it from the oven. My husband is completely over the moon when I make it now and Bradybug drives me bat crazy wanting to know when it is going to be done baking. I’ve made it twice this week, and it’s only Wednesday!
I try to bring you recipes first and keep my initial tangents to a minimum. However, after I bring you the recipe it’s Katy Bar The Door! on tangents so read down at the bottom to see the name of our new home and how it came about!
You’ll need: Sugar, bananas, milk, self rising flour*, brown sugar, margarine, eggs, and vanilla.
Banana bread is great for using up those darkening bananas. That is why we tend to make it so often! Bananas start getting good and ripe and no one wants to eat them anymore but they are super sweet and soft and just begging to be baked with!
You can use light or dark brown sugar, whichever is your preference or whatever you have on hand.
We’re not picky ’round here. 
If you have bananas going bad and don’t want to make banana bread right away, just peel them, smoosh them up with a fork, and freeze them in sealed baggies. Be sure you write on the bag how many smooshed bananas are inside! When you’re ready to make banana bread, let them thaw a bit and toss them in!
*If you don’t have self rising flour, see my FAQ page on how to make your own.
Peel dem nanners!
I am using four bananas but you can use just three if you like. Now most people mash their bananas up with a fork for this but we want our crumb cake to be positively infused with banana flavor so we’re gonna liquify these puppies!
Place your bananas and sugar in a bowl and turn it on for a few minutes, until you have complete banan-owy liquid.
ooh yum.
Place your softened margarine in with the bananas and beat that up really well.
Its important that your margarine be softened at room temp for a bit before making this.
Of course, if you look at my mixture after I beat my margarine into it you can see globs of margarine because I didn’t soften mine one little bit! Just took it straight from the fridge and plopped it in there.
Eh, I’ve done worse.
Now we’re going to toss everything else in there. Add flour and eggs…
milk…
And some cheapie imitation vanilla. Mix all of that up until well blended.
Spray two pans with cooking spray. I am using square pans but you can use two loaf pans, a 9×13, or whatever cranks your tractor .
One of the pans I am using is an 8×8 disposable aluminum pan because whenever I make this, I like to give one of them away. I made these yesterday and took one to a family that I’ve been campaigning to get adopted into for the past nineteen years .
I don’t reckon I won ‘em over yet but they sure did like my crumb cake and I spent the afternoon chasing geese and running over ant hills in their golf cart so I reckon I’m family enough. I also massacred a coke can in their back forty with a 22.
It’s fun to be a kid again. I didn’t have ammunition the first go around…
Back at the Duke place Daisy was a busy mixin’ up the crumb topping ingredients…
Place a cup of flour, a stick of margarine (1/2 cup) and a cup of brown sugar in a bowl.
You just take a long tined fork and moosh it all up together.
Keep stirring and mooshing. I like this part because its the time I go sit down and watch a little tv .
Check the news to see which side is winnin’ today…
Here is your finished product. Now at this point, it would be awesome if you added in some chopped pecans or walnuts.
I very seldom include nuts in my recipes because it adds a lot of expense and around these here parts, the sheriff (that’d be me) is a cheapskate.
~winks and grins~
Pour about 1/4 of your batter into each of your pans and top with 1/4 of your crumbs.
Get happy with it. You can always make more if you run out…
Top with the rest of your batter
Then cover with the rest of your crumbs. Bake this at 350 until done.
How long it takes will depend on the type of pan you use but to check for doneness just insert a toothpick. If it comes out clean, you’re good to go. If it comes out covered in cakey batter, let it cook a bit longer.
I baked my 8×8′s for forty five minutes.
My son just about drove me crazy. “Mama, is the banana cake thing done yet? Can we eat it yet?”
“I’m starving having to smell it!”
It is awfully good.
Ingredients
- 2C sugar
- 1 C milk
- 1 C chopped nuts (optional)
- 2 C self rising flour
- 1 stick margarine
- 2 eggs
- 3 bananas
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 stick (1/2 c) Margarine
- 1 Cup brown sugar (dark or light)
- 1 cup flour (self rising or plain, whatever you have on hand)
Instructions
- Spray two loaf or 8×8 pans with cooking spray.
- Place peeled bananas in mixing bowl, add sugar. Mix until bananas are liquefied.
- Add margarine, mix until creamed together with banana mixture. Add all other ingredients and blend well.
- In medium bowl, place all topping ingredients. Cut together with a long tined fork until well blended.
- Pour 1/4 of batter into each pan, top with 1/4 crumb mixture.
- Pour remaining batter over and top with remaining crumb mixture.
- Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350.
- Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Print This Recipe
Give one to a friend. Never hurts to be neighborly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naming My Home
I have been tossing around a name for my new home for some time, ever since I first asked y’all for suggestions. I have loved every single one of the names you have suggested (Especially Southern Cabinet, because it’s the home of Southern Plate!) but the house didn’t seem to respond to any of them.
Now don’t go thinking I’m crazy because I wanted the house to respond. There are plenty of more valid reasons to doubt my sanity anyway. I just figured that when I came across the perfect name, it would kind of let me know.
The second night I slept in our new home, I was taking a shower and a name came to me. I get some of my best thinking done in the shower because that is about the only place the kids don’t follow me into, if I’m lucky. My son has come in a time or two to talk to me while I showered (I was behind the curtain!) and I have learned how to make him scatter real quick. I say “Alright, I’m done now. If you don’t want to be scarred for life you better get outta here”. ~snickers~ Boy does he ever leave a dust trail!
Anyway, I was trying to come up with a name and thinking about all of the wonderful things here at this home and how many wonderful things which have happened in my life lately. I remembered this old movie from the eighties called “A Trip To Bountiful” and it hit me just like that…”Bountiful”. It was like the name was spoken to me.
However, rather than trust that inner voice, I gave it the third degree, as we are prone to do. “I don’t think Bountiful works really. Maybe some play off of it though or something to do with Bountiful or Bounteous.” I went to sleep tossing the word around in my head, unable to let it go but unable to fully accept it at the same time. The very next morning I had an email from a reader named Tina ~waves at Tina~ and it absolutely stunned me.
I happily found your site when I was looking to perfect my sweet tea. My tea had a taste that must have been the scalded sugar. Thank you… my tea is now delicious! I have since tried many of your wonderful recipes. They evoke many wonderful memories!
When I read about your new home needing a name, the word that popped into my mind was “bountiful” for the delicious bounty that will come from within!
Blessings to you and yours,
Tina
Next time I’ll pay more attention to my inner voice and not require so much divine affirmation.
Bountiful it is.
The bounty just keeps on coming each day, too. I’ve always wanted hydrangea bushes and there are six of the most gorgeous hydrangea bushes I’ve ever seen right outside my windows in the back.
This one is directly beneath my bedroom window.
I have been anxiously waiting to see what color the blossoms were going to be. I know you can alter the color by adjusting the acidity of the soil but I wanted to see what I had to begin with. My hope was for blue. Blue hydrangeas are my absolute favorite… This week I found out what I had…
I think we got a good thing going here, Bountiful.
Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor in the morning the devil says “Oh crap, shes up again”
Today’s quote was submitted just yesterday by Mary Jo. I’d just love for you to submit your motivational or uplifting quotes by clicking here. Thank you!
Posted by Christy Jordan
on May 20 2009. Filed under Breads, Breakfast, Cake.
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I made this and it is wonderful!!!! My only question would be how do i store this without the crumb topping becoming mushy. I made this is in a 9 by 13 pan yesterday and today the topping is not crunchy like it was yesterday- not that it makes it taste bad, just i prefer the crunchy way, any storage suggestions?
In a 9 by 13 i cooked for 1 hours (in reply to the poster a few posts above me) … but it can cook for maybe 1 hour and 10 min also, just depends on the consistency you want. Mine is really soft and moist.
Hi, Christy! I just made this Banana Crumb Cake this morning. Perhaps it it too hot & humid here in “ol’ Virginny” today ’cause I could not get my crumb topping to “crumb”!! I finally gave up (it was sticky & in a “blob”), so I had to pinch it off in little “globs” & drop onto the batter. I used two loaf pans & they just came out of the oven, looking BEAUTIFUL!! Smells divine, too!! Also, I realized when I was gathering up the ingredients that I had very little milk, BUT I did have some leftover fat-free HALF & HALF so used that instead! Can hardly wait to sneak a bite before hubby comes in!!!
Does it freeze well? I would like to keep the 2nd one for guests who will be coming in this weekend. Thanks so much!!
This recipe looks like a winner! Can’t wait to try it!
[...] ~waves at Terri~) and I got to wondering what else I could whip up with canned pumpkin. We love Banana Crumb Cake (which I came up with as a mixture of Mama’s Banana Bread with Grandmama’s Stresel [...]
Hi Christy,
I would like to bake this lovely looking banana crumb cake. Could you please tell me how many cups the 3 bananas give?
[...] aren’t as the week goes on. If you’d like to keep up with what we’re having for supper here at Bountiful each night this week, be sure and subscribe by email where I’ll be sending out printer friendly [...]
Good Day — I am still hooked on your site. You offer so much of your sweetness and kindness — thanks so much — o how I would love to be your helper. I love the name “bountiful” and no wonder I live an hour away from the city of “Bountiful, Utah.” O one more thing my grandkids loved the Valentines video and we did the project to. Of you have time drop on in and read the post I left a link to you too! Kristeen from The Gouh Inn. You are super woman!
[...] wanted my new home to have a name and eventually (through a neat course of events) settled on Bountiful, due to all of the bounty it had offered up to us as a family. I’ve [...]
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Glad I found your site accidentally! Can’t wait til book is released, you have recipes I’ve never heard of, thanks!
What a great recipe! I am NOT a very good baker but, this turned out perfect. We really like this banana bread and I am sure I will be making it in the future. It was so easy to prepare using your directions! Thank you very much!
Mrs. Jenny Woodyard
Nocona, TX
I made this in a 9×13 pan, and I was a little disappointed. Apparently the crumb layers were spread out too thin, and they just baked right into the batter. So it’s a delicious banana cake, but there’s hardly a crumb topping to it. Next time I’ll double the crumb topping recipe.
[...] Banana Crumb Cake [...]
I ADORE YOU!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for this recipe!! It brings together 2 of my favorite foods bananas & crumb cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The name of your house brought a tear to my eye!! It is the PERFECT name!! When my husband FINALLY retires from the military this year, we are FINALLY going to be able to start putting down some roots, were hoping to build a house & I always wondered what I would name it!! I hope I’m able to find one that speaks to me like yours did for you!!
Out of milk, can I use buttermilk?
Yes ma’am!
Just made this today and the kids (and me) couldn’t wait for dessert after dinner to taste it so we had a bit for after school snack, It was still hot and oh so good! Now I just have to keep myself out of it until after dinner.
Bought two boxes of Banana cake mix @ Publix last week because the were $1.04 a box. We are having a staff breakfast at school soon and I planned on making banana coffee cake. The crumb topping will really step it up a notch :
Christy,
I was glad this came across Facebook today. We had a family get-together yesterday and I made a triple batch of banana puddin… I was glad to see that you and I have the same opinion of banana puddin…..the ONLY “real” banana puddin eeeeee-is from scratch….. anyway, I had 3 bananas left over so this came in perfect timing. My crumb topping didn’t turn out crumbly, I had to drop globs on as a previous poster did but it came out great anyway. I suspect my brown sugar was the culprit but who knows….Have you ever tried it with some instant oats added to the crumb mixture??? I’m gonna try that next time. Thanks for writing out the recipes that have been kitchen taught in my family for years. Now my girls have it in writing – I bought each of them a copy of your cookbook- and I wrote notes and tips on the sides. thanks again!
I had a real ‘sticky’ problem with the crumbs, too. I added a little more flour and sugar…then that thickened it but didn’t quite do the trick, I used dry oats. Seems to have worked very well.
[...] Banana Crumb Cake [...]
This sounds amazing! I constantly have leftover too-ripe bananas, so I definitely want to try this soon. I am curious though… the directions don’t mention preheating the oven. Are you supposed to wait until you’re ready to put the pans in the oven to turn it on?
I happened to be on FB this morning, and I came across this. I was already thinking about banana pudding because my bananas are REALLY ripe. Now, I’m going to make this. I love having all of the ingredients to do things like this. Yay!
love the way you are so organized and get so much baking and cooking done. And that you give so much away. Admire you for doing so much.
~waves back at Christy~
Bountiful Blessings for sure!!
Oh myyyyyy! We made this tonight as we are having guests here tomorrow after a large funeral. It is delicious! I’m sure everyone will love it. Thanks for the idea. Simple and scrumptious … yes!
I am so glad to hear that you liked the cake Bobbi. And so sorry to hear about your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
[...] – Just made the Banana Crumb Cake this morning, and can I say, “Oh. my. word.” My kids think I am the best cook EVER! [...]
Just made this. Had problems with crumbs as I read others state. Thought it was because I used butter instead of marg. Made second batch with marg. and got the same thing. Thinking maybe humidity is the cause. I never saw a response on how to fix it. Help?
Hey Hilary!
The crumbs in this crumb cake are going to be soft, not dry like they are in some of the store-bought ones. Does that answer your question or help with your problem? If not please let me know exactly what it is you’re going for and I’ll check back later today and do my best to help!
Thank you so much!
Gratefully,
Christy
Christy,
I LOVE this recipe! I made it for my household ( total of 8 right now) and had to make it 2 more times that same week!
I just got my copy of your cookbook (FINALLY) and just have to gush about it….now mind you, I’m married to an executive chef (who thinks he knows it all), he’s a yankee (but i don’t hold that against him) and I have to say out of the literally hundreds of cookbooks he and I have collected over our 16 year marriage YOURS is my FAVORITE. I love the way it’s written as if you were actually sittin’ here talking with me. The recipes are like the ones I grew up on. I no longer have my mother with me and the woman at church ( we all called her Mama Ruby) who practically raised me (helped that her daughter and I have been best friends since we was born) cooks just like your recipes. Thank you for bringing my childhood back to me. I’ve read the cookbook twice since it arrived yesterday. The first time I cried at the memories you talked about cuz I can remember some almost like that in my childhood. The second time I read it (today), I smiled with those memories..Thank you!!! The most important question is….when’s the next book coming???
Thank you so much for your website and friendship. Keep it comin’ girl!