This caramelized banana coffee cake is soft, buttery, and the perfect simple indulgence on a cozy afternoon.
Banana Coffee Cake with Caramel Sauce
This warm and comforting coffee cake is the perfect teatime treat to enjoy on a cozy day inside. Bananas are gently cooked in a sweet, buttery caramel sauce with a splash of rum before folding into the batter. A spiced brown sugar crumble is layered in the coffee cake and adds a pleasant crunch to the moist cake. Serve this caramelized banana coffee cake warm and topped with a generous drizzle of the reserved banana caramel.
Ingredients
Bananas: While most banana baked goods use mashed bananas, here they are diced and cooked just until soft. The great thing about caramelizing the bananas means you can get away with using either ripe bananas or even unripe bananas – simply adjust the cooking time and remove them from the heat when they begin to soften.
Flour: This recipe uses all-purpose flour.
Sugar: The coffee cake itself uses both granulated and brown sugar while the crumble and caramel uses brown. I like using a dark brown sugar for its depth of flavour, although golden sugar will work too.
How to Make Caramelized banana Coffee Cake
Prep the crumble topping
Preheat the oven to 350°F. To make removing the cake easier, line a 9×9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Spray with a non-stick spray and set aside. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and then add the melted butter. Blend the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms a crumble. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Caramelize the bananas
Peel the bananas and cut into a medium sized dice. Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet and then add the brown sugar and heavy cream. Whisk until the mixture is fully emulsified. Add the salt and optional rum.
When the caramel comes to a boil, add the diced bananas. Cook the bananas for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. Remove from the heat before they start to break down. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bananas from the caramel sauce. There will be some caramel that clings to the bananas, which is fine, but try not to add too much of the sauce to the bananas. Reserve the remaining caramel sauce for later.
Prep the coffee cake batter
In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugar. Add the eggs and melted butter and whisk until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and whisk just until combined.
Assemble and bake the banana coffee cake
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir just until the batter is combined, making sure not to over mix the batter. Fold in the warm reserved bananas just until combined.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread out evenly. Top with half of the crumble. Spoon the remaining batter over the crumble, gently spreading it out evenly. Top with the remaining crumble.
Bake the banana coffee cake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top springs back when touched. Transfer to a rack and let cool briefly before cutting.
Serve the Caramelized Banana Coffee Cake
To serve, cut the coffee cake into portions and top with the reserved caramel sauce. Enjoy!
