This Banana Coffee Cake recipe is a combination of two favorite breakfast baked goods – banana bread and coffee cake! A tender banana bread cake features two layers of brown sugar oat streusel, one through the middle and one on top. Add an optional vanilla bean glaze if you like!
Make this simple, cozy Banana Coffee Cake recipe for your next weekend breakfast! The tender, cinnamon-infused cake is full of wonderful banana flavor that’s enhanced by a buttery, oat-flecked brown sugar streusel. It’s the best of both worlds, where my beloved Sour Cream Banana Bread or Banana Bread Muffins meets sweet breakfast cake!
Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread Coffee Cake
I grew up on banana bread and banana muffins (see the links above). Homemade banana baked goods have always been a favorite of mine, and I buy extra bananas each week just so I have soft bananas to bake with! Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Simple ingredients. All the basics are here: flour, brown sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs. This means you’ll be able to grab everything you need easily. But don’t be fooled – this lovely banana bread coffee cake takes those ingredients and combines them into something sublime.
- Big banana flavor. I love bananas and I love the way they shine through in this cake. The brown sugar perfectly complements the fruit’s natural sweetness and adds a hint of caramel flavor to the cake.
- Feeds a crowd. You’ll get 16 servings out of this beautiful cake, which makes this great for brunch gatherings.
If you love this recipe, try my Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Ripple and this delicious springtime Rhubarb Coffee Cake!
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need
Let’s look at what goes into creating this delicious Banana Coffee Cake. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Streusel
- Flour – All-purpose flour is key in both the streusel and cake. It helps create the streusel and gives the cake structure. Make sure to measure using the spoon and level method.
- Old fashioned oats – I use old fashioned oats to add a bit of texture and earthy oat flavor to the streusel.
- Brown sugar – This sweetens the two streusel layers in this cake.
- Ground spices – Cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth and spice to the streusel.
- Salt – Helps balance the sweetness in the cake and streusel.
- Butter – It helps the streusel brown but it also adds richness and flavor to the banana cake.
For the Banana Cake
- Flour – All-purpose flour is key to the cake’s structure.
- Baking powder and baking soda – They help the banana cake rise so it has a tender, fluffy crumb.
- Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon adds delicious spiced warmth.
- Salt – Helps balance the sweetness in the cake and streusel.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter.
- Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Bananas – Soft, ripe bananas are key to delicious banana bread, so the browner the better. The stand mixer will mash up some of the diced bananas while mixing, but I always aim to leave some chunks for the perfect texture in the cake.
- Sour cream – Adds moisture and a lightly tangy flavor to the banana cake. I recommend full-fat sour cream for the best flavor and texture.
- Eggs – Add moisture and rich flavor, and help bind the cake batter together.
- Vanilla extract – It enhances the sweetness of the cake. Be sure to use pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla.
How to Make Banana Coffee Cake
This cake is easy to make! I’ve outlined my method below. Don’t forget to check the recipe card below for the detailed instructions.
- Prepare. Preheat the oven and grease a square baking pan.
- Make streusel. Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and work in the butter.
- Make batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients except the sugar. In a stand mixer, cream together the brown sugar and butter.
- Add bananas. Mix in the diced bananas and sour cream.
- Beat in the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time and add the vanilla.
- Combine. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
- Assemble. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle half of the streusel mixture evenly over it.
- Finish. Pour the remaining batter over the streusel layer, then top with the remaining streusel.
- Bake. The banana coffee cake will be done when a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- Serve. This cake is best served warm. You can make the optional vanilla glaze detailed in the recipe card, to drizzle over the top if you wish.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few of my tips (Hint: don’t throw away your browning bananas!) and variation suggestions to help you make this banana coffee cake:
- Use very ripe bananas. The riper (and browner!) your bananas, the better. Bananas become sweeter the riper they get, so don’t rush to use perfectly yellow bananas. You’ll want to let them get a bit spotted so you’ll have the best flavor and mixability for this cake.
- Try different spices. I love the warming flavor of ginger and cardamom in this banana bread coffee cake. Add a couple pinches if you like.
- Add nuts. You can add nuts to the batter or streusel for a little crunch. I like to add 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel, and I also like to fold some into the cake itself.
- Stir in some chocolate chips. Banana and chocolate is a winner of a combo! Stir in 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips to the batter for a hint of chocolate.
Serving Suggestions
Banana coffee cake is lovely as part of a brunch spread, or you can wrap it up and take it to work for a mid-morning snack. Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve it:
- With brunch. Banana bread coffee cake is made for a brunch gathering! Serve it with my Easy Overnight Egg Bake or Cottage Cheese Egg Bake recipes, and add a Bacon Butter Board plus a Hashbrown Casserole to your brunch table.
- Add other breakfast sweets. Make a Blueberry Tea Cake and a batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins.
- Alongside a hot morning drink! Small glasses of creamy Cortadito or a decadent, rum-spiked Mexican Coffee would be lovely with slices of banana coffee cake.
How to Store Leftovers
You may not have much of this Banana Bread Coffee Cake left over, it’s that good! But if you do, here’s how to store it:
- Counter – Store banana coffee cake in the pan or an airtight container on the counter for 2 days.
- Fridge – Place slices of coffee cake in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Freezer – Wrap individual slices of banana cake in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe, sealable bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake completely in the fridge before serving it.
Banana Coffee Cake
Yield: 16 servings
This recipe combines two favorite breakfast baked goods – banana bread and coffee cake! A tender banana bread cake is layered with a brown sugar oat streusel and topped with an optional vanilla bean glaze.
Print
Ingredients
Streusel
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup old fashioned oats (not quick oats)
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Banana cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1½ cups diced ripe banana (from about 3 ripe bananas)
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
Streusel
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9” x 9” square baking pan with nonstick spray or line it with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add the softened butter to the flour and oats mixture, and work in the butter with a fork or with your hands until it is evenly incorporated and large clumps of streusel form. Set aside.
Banana cake
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Next add the diced bananas and sour cream. Mix to combine.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined – do not overmix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour half of the banana bread batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture over the batter.
- Pour the remaining banana bread batter over the streusel layer, spreading it out evenly. Top with the remaining streusel.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out just clean.
- Remove pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then slice and enjoy warm.
Optional glaze
- You can make a quick vanilla glaze for the coffee cake by whisking together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. Drizzle the glaze over the cake right before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 271kcal Carbohydrates: 40g Protein: 4g Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 6g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 50mg Sodium: 146mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 19g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
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