This Brown Butter Banana Coffee Cake is so extremely soft and moist and FULL of flavor - it has become one of my favorite cakes! It is so quick and easy to make with a lush texture and rich flavor from brown butter and brown sugar. There is a cinnamon and brown sugar cocoa swirl through the middle and a buttery brown sugar crumb topping with vanilla glaze. It is absolutely unbelievable and I just can't stop eating it! This recipe is a delicious way to use up over-ripe bananas when you are tired banana bread, or you just want to do something different. But, if you also just want a great banana bread recipe, check out my Classic Banana Bread and my Best Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Easy to make - this recipe comes together quickly and uses basic pantry ingredients that you likely have on hand already.
- Super moist banana coffee cake- the loaf is SUPER moist and has such a soft texture. It stays moist for days in an airtight container.
- Perfectly sweet - the combination of bananas and brown sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness and then brown butter helps to temper it by adding an element of savory.
- Brown butter cake - the brown butter makes this recipe! It really elevates this cake.
- Cinnamon sugar swirl - there a thick, slightly gooey cinnamon brown sugar swirl through the middle, and the secret ingredient is a bit of cocoa powder to give it more flavor, a deeper color and to help it set in place.
- Vanilla glaze - this is optional, but I promise it is so worth it! It gives the topping a melting quality.
INGREDIENTS
- All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for a moist banana breads and coffee cakes. Do not pack it down when measuring or use a scale to get the right amount.
- Baking powder - you'll need equal amounts of baking powder and baking soda to help this batter rise.
- Baking soda - baking soda gives this cake golden crumb color and also reacts with the sour cream to help leaven the batter.
- Cinnamon - there's a thick cinnamon swirl running right between two layers of batter but none in the batter itself because I want the brown butter to shine in the cake.
- Bananas - you'll need about 2 ripe bananas for this recipe. That equates to about 1 cup mashed banana. For me, this is usually 2 large bananas. I don't recommend using frozen bananas for the best taste, but it will still work. See my tips below in the FAQ section to read why.
- Butter - you will need to brown butter for this recipe. It's easy! You just cook the butter over the stove until all of the moisture boils off and the milk solids get toasty.
- Brown sugar - light or dark brown sugar works great in this recipe. It adds a lovely hint of molasses flavor and also keeps it extra moist.
- Sour cream - it add tanginess and rich dairy notes to enhance the brown butter flavor.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1). Make the crumb topping. Combine the crumb topping ingredients well in a medium bowl and set aside.
- STEP 2). Make the cinnamon swirl. Combine the cinnamon sugar ingredients in a small bowl.
- STEP 3). Mash bananas in a bowl with the back of a fork until quite smooth.
- STEP 4). Whisk in brown sugar. Add the brown sugar and whisk it in until it looks syrupy.
- STEP 5). Add wet ingredients. Crack in the egg, add the sour cream, vanilla, melted brown butter and sour cream. Whisk it all in until evenly combined and smooth.
- STEP 6). Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- STEP 7). Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add flour mixture to the banana mixture and fold it in until just combined.
- STEP 8). Layer the batter.
- STEP 9). Bake. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is evenly browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Measure flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the batter can result in a dense loaf. Bananas contain carbohydrates that will contribute to some of the structure of the loaf itself, so the batter will be naturally wet. Resist the urge to add more flour.
- Use the right amount of bananas. Bananas come in all different sizes... generally small medium and large. This recipe uses 2 medium sized bananas, and 1 medium banana (flesh only) weighs about 120g. So, that means after you peel your banana it should weigh about 120 grams. For this recipe you will need 240g of banana flesh.
- Mash the bananas very well. Mash the bananas to a smooth consistency. This will ensure you extract all of the sugars and starch so they incorporate into the batter to make it moist and with an even crumb texture.
- Do not over-mix - banana bread is a rustic batter and doesn't need to be perfectly smooth to turn out wonderfully. Just gently fold the flour in until evenly incorporated so there aren't any large dry streaks, but no need to mix excessively. Over-mixing will lead to a drier, tougher crumb texture instead of soft and tender.
- Avoid frozen bananas if you can. I always prefer to make banana bread with very ripe spotty bananas and not frozen bananas. That is because freezing destroys the cell structure of the banana so that a lot of water leaches out once they thaw. This water is free water and can cause a dense gummy layer to form at the bottom of the baked loaf. Fresh bananas have their cell structures intact so that they can contribute better to the integrity of the loaf.
RECIPE FAQ
If you prefer to use a mixer, you totally can. Place the ripe bananas in the bowl and use the whisk attachment on medium speed to mash them up. Then continue to follow the recipe. Be careful not to over-mix once you add the flour.
The short answer is, "Yes", you can. However, I don't recommend it. For the best results, use very ripe spotty bananas. Ripe fresh bananas will provide the necessary sweetness while still contributing solid structure to the loaf without making it stodgy.
Frozen bananas discolor (they turn brown due to a chemical reaction called oxidation) and will leach water once defrosted. This free water can make the loaf soggy, and it may bake with a dense gummy layer on the bottom. Also, bananas take on lots of unpleasant freezer flavors that can alter the taste of the loaf.
This banana coffee cake is ready when the crumb topping is deeply browned and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out without any wet batter.
Yes, you absolutely can! I would recommend a softer nut such as walnuts or pecans. You can add about ⅓ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter just before baking.
Yes! Feel free to add ½ cup of regular or mini dark chocolate chips.
This banana coffee cake stays moist in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature or over a week in the fridge.
Yes, you absolutely can! To freeze the whole cake, wrap it well in plastic wrap and then in foil. Place the wrapped cake in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. If you choose to freeze slices, wrap the slices individually in plastic wrap and the place in a freezer bag.
If you have problems with your banana cake being dry, it is mostly likely because it has been over-baked or you have used too much flour. Make sure that you measure accurately.
If you love baking with bananas, check out these recipes!
Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Banana Bread Moist Chocolate Fudge Swirl Banana Muffins Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Muffins Double Chocolate Banana Bread Banana Oat Muffins Banana Blueberry Oat MuffinsGoing bananas!
Looking for more recipes with bananas? Try these:
For the love of cake
Here are more cake recipes that you might love:
Brown Butter Banana Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Streusel topping:
- ⅓ cup 50g all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup 55g packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoon 42g salted butter, very soft
Cinnamon sugar:
- 3 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
Cake batter:
- 1 ¼ cups 180g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 240ml mashed banana from about 2 medium ripe bananas
- ⅔ cup 145g packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ⅓ cup 80g sour cream, room temp
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter browned
- 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
Vanilla glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven the 350F and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the sides about 2 inches for easy removal.
- Make the streusel. Combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl so it is evenly blended and there are no lumps of brown sugar. Add soft butter and rub it in evenly until it forms soft crumbs. Cover the bowl and set aside.
- Make the cinnamon sugar mixture. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and cocoa powder and set aside.
- Make the banana batter. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add mashed banana to a large mixing bowl and whisk in brown sugar until smooth and glossy. Add egg, sour cream, browned butter and vanilla and whisk together until evenly combined. Add the dry ingredients and gently fold them in using a rubber spatula.
- Spread two-thirds of the batter evenly into the pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over top to cover it entirely. Dollop remaining batter on top and then gently spread it out evenly. It may be difficult to spread the thick batter over the dry sugar layer, so what works best is spread the batter dollops into each other first so they are touching (this helps build more tension), then continue to spread out to the sides and into the corners. Crumble the streusel on top in an even layer.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and cinnamon in a small bowl. It should make a glue-like consistency. If it’s too thick, add ½ teaspoon of milk at a time until it turns smooth. Drizzle the icing on top of the slightly warm cake and enjoy!
Bonnie
I made this today and it turned out well. It was enthusiastically received at our house, and everyone enjoyed the streusel with the glaze. Thank you for sharing this ‘keeper’.
Sindhu sai
How to do it eggless
Siri
Hello Christina!
A European 'by grams baker' here :). I wanted to double check on a possible convertion mistake in the recipe, while undestanding that perhaps I'm the one missing out something.
1Cup of all-purpose flour weights 120grams , therefore 1/4Cups weights 30grams.
In the recipe you instruct to use 1+ 1/4Cups of all-purpose flour which weights 150grams ( so not 180grams as it indicates in the recipe). The 30grams of surplus (if I'm correct) could make quite a big difference for the batter, turning it dryer than intended.
Thank you for the clarification and the lovely recipes!
Michelle
Agreed. Many of her recipes are copied/pasted from other recipes which has lead to errors, so I suggested going with your own measurements. Amazing recipes and love her, though! She’s just new and trying to upload as much as possible. She’ll correct them later as more people comment, I’m sure.
christina.marsigliese
Hi Siri, Hi Michelle. The recipe is correct. 1 cup of flour weighs 142 grams (not 120 grams). I'm a professional Food Scientist with a Masters Degree and not new (I've been developing recipes for over 15 years and this website started in 2008). If you follow my conversions, you will have success. Thank you for your messages.
Sonia Lorenzo
Ur the best! Thanks for sharing ur yummy recipes?
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Sonia!
Sandy
I made this recipe exactly as written and it came out perfect. So Delicious! (But didn't have time to make the glaze next time I will and I'll add vanilla)
Elizabeth
Okay I changed three things because of circumstance:
1) I subbed vanilla Greek yogurt for sour cream because that’s what I had
2) this was baked in a 9?in round cake pan for 35 minutes
3) I forgot to put the glaze
Insanely delicious. Doing this again and recommending it to my friends.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Elizabeth! I'm glad it worked out with your adaptations.
Sharose
Delicious and came out looking just like the pictures. Can't wait to try more of these recipes!!
christina.marsigliese
Wonderful! Thank you so much!
sharose
Just bought one of your books--after just one successful recipe!!
christina.marsigliese
Wow thank you so much Sharose!
Mandy Ragavan
My family loves this cake especially the crispy bits on top. Will definitely try it again!
Patti
Can I double this and bake in a bundt pan?
christina.marsigliese
Ohhhh..... yes I think that would work!
Meaghan
This recipe delivers! So simple and so good with simple ingredients.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Meaghan!
Lacey Haymon
The best!! Have already made 3 times in a week.
christina.marsigliese
Wow amazing! Thanks Lacey!
Cara Crymes
I’ve been looking forward to making this recipe since Christina teased it in December. It definitely lived up to my expectations!! Usually we don’t love coffee cakes that have sour cream but the flavors of this cake are amazing. Heading to the store to get more bananas to make it again!!
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Cara!
Bailey Daigle
Made this recipe this morning and it is absolutely delicious. Easy to follow directions as well!
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Bailey!
Vanessa
This was so tasty!! I'm always looking for new things to make with ripe bananas and this was such a fun change from banana bread 🙂
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Vanessa!
Simone
I made this cake yesterday and it is already gone by this afternoon! Its so much better than I imagined. I will say it's worth weighing the bananas on a scale if you have one. I weighed 2 bananas on the scale and needed to add a third to get to 240 ml - but I'm glad I did because this cake was so moist! I will definitely make this again!!!
Sue
This cake is nothing short of incredible! I’ll make it again soon for sure!
Dave
I see no mention of coffee in the ingredients - only in the name of the cake? Am I missing something
Molly
Cakes like this are called coffee cake because they're intended to be served with coffee, not because they contain coffee.
christina.marsigliese
Hi Dave, coffee cake doesn't actually contain coffee. It's a term used for cakes ideal for serving alongside coffee or tea.
Lu
So good!!!
Tasleem Raheel
Where is the coffee?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Tasleem, coffee cake doesn't actually contain coffee. It's a term used for cakes ideal for serving alongside coffee or tea.
Kitt
Greetings!
This recipe looks mouth-watering! I'd like to try it, but I have been using healthier sugars and flours lately. How do you think sucanat, and oat and spelt flours would work in this recipe? Thanks!
Molly
In the ingredient list, the vanilla glaze section lists no vanilla. How much to add?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Kitt! I wouldn't recommend sucanat as it will change the texture, but spelt flour would be wonderful.
RJ
In one section of this page it states:
This recipe uses 3 medium sized bananas, and 1 medium banana (flesh only) weighs about 120g. So, that means after you peel your banana it should weigh about 120 grams. For this recipe you will need 360g of banana flesh.
In the recipe section of the page it states:
1 cup 240ml mashed banana from about 2 medium, ripe bananas
So, does this recipe use two or three mashed bananas?
Thank you!
Ellen A (@ellens613kitchen)
Such a great way to use up ripe bananas in a coffee cake! Go make this recipe ASAP. It’s fantastic!
christina.marsigliese
Thanks so much Ellen!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Ellen! I'm so glad you like it!