This banana coffee cake will take your basic banana bread to the next level! With a crispy coconut crumble and sweet rum glaze, it is kinda like banana bread and rum cake blended into one delicious dessert. But since it’s banana coffee cake, you could certainly enjoy it for breakfast too. No judgment here.
BANANA COFFEE CAKE
The recipe is inspired by a coffee drink I had while on a cruise called Caribbean Coffee. Basically, a hot coffee with a bit of banana flavored rum and topped with whip and shredded coconut. So, why not have your rum coffee and eat it too, right?
BANANA COFFEE CAKE CRUMBLE TOPPING
If you plan to make this for breakfast, you can save some time by mixing the crumble ingredients together and refrigerating them overnight. The recipe makes a nice cake-like banana bread, so you don’t technically need the crumble topping. But that’s what makes it so irresistible and more coffee cake like.
To mix together the crumble topping, you’ll need a stick of butter, 1/2 cup of flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and a 1/2 tsp of salt. Chop the cold stick of butter into small pieces and add to a small bowl. Then add the flour, brown sugar, and spices listed above. Mix together using a pastry cutter or fork, blending in until it looks like a crumble. Add in 1/2 cup of crushed walnut pieces and 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
AN EASY GLAZE TOPPING
While the glaze is an extra step, it’s an easy one. And worth it. All you need are three ingredients: 3/4 cup of confectioners sugar, a tablespoon of milk, and tablespoon of rum. Mix those three ingredients together until there are no lumps, and then drizzle along the top of the cake.
You can get creative with it too! Swap out the rum for a banana, coconut, or nut-flavored liqueur.
Banana Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick of butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 stick of butter, cold
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup crushed walnut pieces
- 1/4 cup of rum (plus one extra tablespoon to make glaze)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray the inside of a large bread pan with cooking spray and line the bottom of a bread pan with parchment paper.
- Start by making the crumble topping. Chop the cold stick of butter into small pieces and add to a small bowl. Then add 1/2 cup of flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and a 1/2 tsp of salt. Mix together using a pastry cutter or fork, blending in until it looks like a crumble. Add in the walnut pieces and coconut, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Next, add the softened stick of butter and granulated sugar to a stand mixer and beat on a low to medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until it looks like a light colored frosting.
- While the butter and sugar are mixing, sift the remaining 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt together in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Next, add the eggs and vanilla to the butter and sugar blending in the mixer. Then, alternate between wet and dry ingredients as you add each one. Start by adding a couple of spoonfuls of the sifted flour to the butter in order to thicken it up, then add the 1/4 cup rum. Then a few more spoonfuls of flour. Then add the sour cream, and a few more spoonfuls of flour. Then add the mashed banana, and finish with remaining flour.
- Pour cake batter into bread pan and sprinkle crumble over the top. Make sure your bread pan is big enough for it to rise a bit without going over the edge. Since this is more cake-like then bread-like, it will spill over the sides if there is too much batter.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the crumble is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool (about an hour) and then remove it from the pan.
- While the cake is cooling, mix up the glaze by stirring together the confectioner’s sugar, tablespoon of milk, and tablespoon of rum. Mix ingredients together until there are no lumps, then drizzle along the top of the cake.
Notes
For the glaze, have fun experimenting by swapping out the rum for different types of liqueur. A banana, coconut, or any nut-flavored liqueur would do nicely.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- White Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Nova Scotia Oatcakes
- Air Fryer Smores
- Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Strawberry Tiramisu
Originally posted 2016. Updated 2019
I made this yesterday and it’s amazingly delicious! I did note in the directions, it says to add baking powder, but baking powder isn’t listed in the ingredients. I used 1 teaspoon and it turned out perfectly. Thanks for a most delicious recipe! I’ll be making this again for Easter, because I know it’s going to be a hit.
How much baking powder?
1 teaspoon. Just updated it above too. Enjoy!
Seems like a lot of topping. Mine is about 1 1/2″ high. I did use a large loaf pan and held back some topping because I thought it would be way too high. It is in the oven now…smells wonderful, and I hope that crumble comes down a bit.
I tried a banana nut cake once that was good but would be much better if I cook them in an oven. I cook them in cooker 😀
But was delicious. Please share cake recipes without eggs because some one is here who is vegetarian.