Banana Crumb Cake
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This banana crumb cake includes a moist and tender banana cake made from scratch and topped with a buttery brown sugar crumb topping that will have you coming back for more.
This banana crumb cake recipe is one I just randomly threw together and has since become all the rage at my house. I love crumb cakes, as they’re not too sweet, more filling than regular cake, and come with that delicious crumbly topping (you just can’t go wrong). Here are some more crumb cake recipes to check out after you fall in love with this banana crumb cake: cherry crumb cake from cake mix, apple crumble cake, and pumpkin crumb cake.
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!
Fortunately, this banana bread crumb cake is so simple to make using baking essentials, like sugar, milk, self-rising flour, brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. I bet you have most of these ingredients already at home, right? We’re just going to slowly combine the ingredients to make the cake batter, make the buttery crumb topping using brown sugar, butter, and flour, and add a layer of between the cake batter before baking. Oh yes, this banana crumb cake recipe features double the crumble because why not?
The combination of the crumble texture with the moist and tender banana-flavored cake is going to make you come back for more… and more, just like my family. Let’s get baking!
Recipe Ingredients
- Sugar
- Ripe bananas
- Milk
- Self-rising flour (see my FAQs on how to make your own)
- Light or dark brown sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Banana Crumb Cake
Peel the bananas and add them to a mixing bowl.
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!
Add granulated sugar to the mixing bowl and turn on the electric mixer for a few minutes, until the bananas turn to liquid.
It will look like this.
Place your softened butter in with the banana mixture and beat that up really well.
It’s important that your butter be softened at room temp for a bit before making this.
Now we’re going to toss everything else in there. This includes the flour and eggs…
Milk…
And vanilla.
Mix all of that up until well blended.
Spray two pans with cooking spray.
I am using square cake pans but you can use two loaf pans, a 9×13 baking dish to make a banana sheet cake, or whatever cranks your tractor.
Make the crumb topping
Back at the Duke’s place, Daisy was busy mixing up the crumb topping ingredients…
Place a cup of flour, a stick of butter, and a cup of brown sugar in a separate medium bowl.
You just take a long-tined fork or a and mix it all up together.
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.
Pour about 1/4 of your batter into each of your pans and top with 1/4 of your crumb mixture.
Top with the rest of your batter.
Then cover that 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 cake batter, let it cook a bit longer.
I baked my 8×8 cake pans for 45 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.
Storage
- Store leftover banana coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
- 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 like, top your banana crumb cake with a simple vanilla glaze. You can make this by combining 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1–2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and drizzling it over the cooled cake.
- If you’re a fellow fan of cinnamon, add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the streusel topping. You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
- For an extra moist cake, use buttermilk instead of whole milk.
- As mentioned, you can add nuts to the cake. I’d go for chopped walnuts or chopped pecans.
Check out these other recipes using flavorful fresh bananas:
Gluten-Free Banana Nut Muffins
Bananas in Red Stuff (a.k.a Strawberry Glaze)
Caramel Banana Pie (a.k.a Easy Banoffee Pie)
How To Make Homemade Banana Pudding From Scratch
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup chopped nuts, optional
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 stick butter
- 2 eggs
- 3 bananas
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Crumb Topping
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup dark or light brown sugar
- 1 cup flour
Instructions
- Spray two loaf pans or 8×8 pans with cooking spray.
- Place peeled bananas in a mixing bowl and add sugar. Mix until bananas are liquefied.3 bananas, 2 cups granulated sugar
- Add butter and mix until creamed together with the banana mixture.1 stick butter
- Add all other ingredients and blend well.1 cup milk, 1 cup chopped nuts, optional, 2 cups self-rising flour, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl, place all of the topping ingredients. Cut together with a long-tined fork until well blended.1 stick butter, 1 cup dark or light brown sugar, 1 cup flour
- Pour 1/4 of the cake batter into each pan and top with 1/4 of the crumb mixture.
- Pour in the remaining batter and top with the remaining crumb mixture.
- Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor in the morning the devil says “Oh crap, she’s 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!
I’m making this right now—-without the crumb topping!
Wish me luck.
I made this last night and it didn’t come out quite right. I was almost out of baking powder and didn’t use enough so that was probably part of the problem. It turned out like banana bread pudding rather than cake. It is good, though. I like bread pudding and it was just for me so, fortunately, it’s not a big disappointment… just a puzzle! 🙂
You know what’s a really yummy variation on this? I made this without the crumbs (so just the banana batter), and baked it in a 9×13 casserole for 45 minutes at 350. Then after it cooled, I put a brown sugar buttercream frosting on it, and oh my gosh is it good. The cake is dense and moist, and the sweetness from the bananas really goes well with the salt in the frosting. Here’s the frosting recipe, if anyone wants to try it:
Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract, 1/4 cup of butter (room temperature), and 1 tsp of sea salt (you can use kosher or table salt, but you might have to adjust the amount to taste). Gradually mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar alternately with 4 Tbsp of milk until the frosting is well mixed and creamy.
That does sound really good!!!
Christy, can I use frozen bananas? I just put some in the freezer earlier this week. Love your blog, love your cookbook.
Thanks.
Jacque
I don’t see a response here from Christy but I can say that I use frozen bananas all the time in my banana bread. Have not made this yet but plan on soon and I will use them then. Try it because I really think it should work.
Christy,
This recipe sounds really yummy and I look forward to making it!! It reminds me of a time when my children were babies and I did not have enough bananas to make some banana nut bread so I substituted some baby food jarred bananas. That bread was sooo moist that I changed my recipe! So next time you are in a pinch and your bananas aren’t ripe enough, give it a try.
Thanks for all you do.
Kathy
Oh my! This tutorial just really touched me. First, our daughter loves bananas so I’m going to have to make this for her very soon. Second, the story of how you named your home is very special. I like the idea of naming your home. It really gives a sense of the word “home”. Home is a special place that we spend most of our time with our family. Home is a resting place and a place to feel secure in this hectic world we live in. Where we live is just a building, but what we make of our surroundings is what makes a home. Third, my Grandma had a hydrangea bush…..a blue one. During the summer she would cut the large blooms, place them in a large brandy sniffer, and sit it on her kitchen table. Oh, this brings back such fond memories of my Grandma. She passed away 20 years ago, but her memory will always be with me. I have two hydrangea bushes, small ones, but someday they will be as big as the one my Grandma had…….and yes, I do have a blue one. : ) Thanks for sharing! May God bless you & your family!
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!