SUBSCRIBE!
Join my mailing list and be the first to get my recipes, discounts to brands I love and more! I promise not to spam you.
This post may contain affiliate links
Spring cleaning is happening on my website!! I am doing a deep dive into old recipes (we are talking 9-10 years old) and deciding who gets to stay and who gets to be revamped. My goodness, this is a humbling affair. Looking back, I am so proud of how far I have come both in developing recipes and, most especially, my photography.
Truth time.. The old Banana Snack Coffee Cake was never quite right. Back in the day, I would make a recipe once and throw it up on my website. I had zero knowledge of anything, but I desperately wanted to be a blogger, so off I went blindly into the night. Things are different now. NOW I test my recipes several times to make damn well sure they are solid. I think the comments and 5 stars you guys give me are a testament to that. Ps, thank you… It’s funny, I can only imagine 10 years from now looking back on these words and think look at how far you’ve come. We shall see!
It is the quintessential coffee cake. I created a brown butter streusel with a pinch of salt to make for the top of the cake, and all I can say is WOW. Not only is there brown butter in the streusel, but it’s also in the batter. CHEF’S TIP: When making the brown butter, make SURE you get all the lovely brown bits and specks off the bottom of your pan or pot. That’s the gold. The butter is great, but the brown specks are where all the flavour lives.
Most coffee cakes come with a drizzle or glaze, but I am keeping this one naked. You could serve it with a side of Greek yogurt (adding protein), ice cream or whipped cream. I will let you decide. I also added 2 tbsp of olive oil to the cake. Adding that helps keep this cake moist. Nothing is worse than a dry ass coffee cake.
Traditionally, coffee cake is a soft, tender cake meant to be served with coffee, but what might not be so obvious is that the cake may not contain any coffee at all! Typically, it has a crumb topping or streusel topping, warm spices, and a moist texture. This banana coffee cake recipe brings in ripe bananas for natural sweetness, pecans for crunch, and brown butter for that nutty, golden depth that makes the whole thing taste as if it came from a beautiful bakery.
To make this snack cake recipe, you’ll need:
The ingredients in this snack cake are simple, intentional and necessary! I’ve included a few substitutions, but for the most part, all the ingredients are straightforward and essential!
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. This will make it much easier to release the cake once it has baked and cooled slightly.
Add the butter to a small pot or pan over medium heat. Once it melts, swirl the pan often. After a few minutes, it will begin to smell nutty and warm. Reduce the heat slightly as it starts to foam. Underneath that foam, the butter will begin to brown. You are looking for golden brown specks at the bottom of the pan. Remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly before using.
Add the ripe bananas to a large bowl and mash them well. You want them soft and mostly smooth, with just a little texture remaining. The bananas should look glossy and naturally sweet. If you’re using frozen bananas, make sure they are completely thawed before mixing them with the other ingredients.
Add the brown butter, olive oil, and coconut sugar to the mashed bananas, then whisk to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk again until everything looks smooth and cohesive. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and flour. Use a spatula to gently fold everything together. The batter should look thick, soft, and fragrant. Fold in the chopped pecans until evenly distributed.
In a medium bowl, stir together the coconut sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, brown butter, and chopped pecans. The mixture should look crumbly and buttery. This is what will bake into that golden, textured crumb topping.
Pour the batter into your prepared springform pan and smooth out the top. Scatter the streusel evenly over the cake, making sure every section gets some of that buttery pecan topping.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the centre of the cake is fully cooked. Use a skewer to test the middle. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but not wet batter. The top should look golden, and your kitchen will smell like brown butter, cinnamon, and bananas.
Let the cake cool in the springform pan for 10 minutes before releasing it. Allow it to cool for about 30 minutes more before slicing (if you can!!).
I mean, coffee, obviously! In all seriousness, you don’t really need anything else, perhaps tea if you’re not a coffee drinker. Some people like ot put a glaze on their coffee cakes, but I wanted to make this a little simpler and go easy on the sugar. However, do as you wish! If you want to add something on the side, Greek yogurt would be lovely and adds a little protein. A scoop of vanilla ice cream would turn it into a dessert, while whipped cream would make it feel extra special.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If your kitchen is warm, you can store it in the fridge to keep it fresher longer. You can also freeze individual slices. Wrap them well and store them in a freezer-safe container. Future you will be very happy to find a slice of homemade coffee cake waiting!
Does coffee cake contain coffee? Not usually. Despite the name, coffee cake typically does not contain coffee. It is called coffee cake because it is meant to be served with coffee.
Can I make this banana coffee cake gluten-free? Of course, use a good gluten-free flour blend in the same amount. Depending on the blend, you may need to add one to three tablespoons of milk to loosen the batter slightly.
Can I make this without pecans? Yes. You can leave the pecans out or swap them for walnuts.
How do I know when banana coffee cake is done? The centre should be fully baked, and a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If there is wet batter, give it more time.
I would love to know how you liked this snack cake!! Leave a comment and rating below and share your thoughts. Try these recipes next!
Pumpkin Crumble Cake
Gingerbread Crumble Cake
Gluten-Free Apple Crumble Cake
Carrot Banana Crumble Cake
Food Photographer and Recipe Developer based in Toronto, Canada.
Join my mailing list!
*Macros are provided as an estimate for convenience. Your final numbers will vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and how you portion the recipe.
Join my mailing list and be the first to get my recipes, discounts to brands I love and more! I promise not to spam you.
2 Responses
Love it
YAy!!