Bananas Foster Coffee Cake
Photo by Nea Arentzen
- Serves
- 1 (8x8-inch) coffee cake
- Prep Time
- 10 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 55 Minutes
The idea for this Bananas Foster Coffee Cake came to me while brainstorming simple Easter recipes. After asking around the office, it was clear that coffee cake is an Easter brunch favorite—and since banana bread is always a hit, I figured, why not combine the two? I know I’m not the first to do it, but I wanted to take it a step further by incorporating the rich, caramelized flavors of Bananas Foster. The banana cake batter gets a splash of dark rum for depth, and while walnuts are the more traditional choice, I swapped them for chopped hazelnuts in the streusel.
Most coffee cakes rely on sour cream or yogurt for moisture, but I skipped it here—ripe bananas do the job just as well, keeping the cake soft and tender without the extra dairy. I also go heavy on the streusel, but if you prefer a thinner layer, you can easily halve it.
Ingredients
Streusel:
- 1 1/4 cup (150 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (213 grams) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ( 113 grams) hazelnuts, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Coffee cake batter:
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (160 grams) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (1 ¼ cup)
- 1/3 cup dark rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup (180 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
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Directions
Instructions
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 350ºF with a rack in the center position. Grease and/or line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment.
- Step 2
Start by making the streusel: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, hazelnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until fully combined and the streusel clumps. Set aside while you prepare the batter.
- Step 3
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix until well combined. Stir in the bananas, rum, and vanilla.
- Step 4
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, giving it a quick stir on top before incorporating it into the batter. Mix until just combined and no flour clumps remain.
- Step 5
Transfer half of the batter to the prepared baking pan. Distribute half of the streusel evenly over top. Dollop the remaining batter on the streusel, and gently spread to the edges, covering all the streusel.
- Step 6
Pinch to add the rest of the streusel in medium-sized clumps over the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or a kitchen thermometer reads at least 190ºF, 50 to 55 minutes. Let it cool slightly before removing it from the pan.
- Step 7
Let it cool fully then dust very generously with powdered sugar (or serve it warm).