Banana cinnamon coffee cake is a moist and flavorful banana cake with a cinnamon swirl topping and finished with a sweet cinnamon glaze.
What is Coffee Cake?
This banana cinnamon coffee cake is essentially banana cake in coffee form. This is a moist and flavorful banana cake with a cinnamon swirl topping and finished with a sweet cinnamon glaze. What makes a coffee cake a coffee cake? Coffee cakes usually have some type of streusel topping and that’s what sets them apart from traditional cakes. While this banana cinnamon coffee cake is great for breakfast or brunch, it really can be served any time of day, or even for dessert. Not to mention, this recipe is great for using those overripe bananas you have sitting on your counter!
How to Make Banana Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Banana cinnamon coffee cake a flavorful, moist cake and is an easy recipe, with simple ingredients. Using overripe bananas for this cake will give you the best results for a moist and flavorful cake. The best part of this banana cinnamon coffee cake is the cinnamon streusel mixture that is swirled in to the batter before baking and then the entire cake is drizzled with a cinnamon powdered sugar glaze.
Ingredients for Banana Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Walnuts, chopped (you can omit these if you don’t like nuts)
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Overripe bananas
- Sour cream
- An egg
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Powdered sugar
- Water
To make this cake, the first step is toasting the walnuts. This step can be omitted if you don’t plan on using nuts and can even be done in advance (see tips on how to store toasted nuts). Spread the chopped walnuts on an ungreased sheet pan and bake at 350°F degrees for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely before using.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream 3 Tablespoons of the butter with 1 cup of the sugar until light. Add in the bananas, sour cream and egg. Sift or whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Add to the wet ingredients; mix only until combined. Spread batter into a greased 8″ round cake pan.
Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter in a small mixing bowl. Add in the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar, 2 Tablespoons of flour, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and the toasted walnuts. Stir until all combined (streusel mixture will be thick). Dollop the cinnamon streusel nut mixture on top of the cake batter; use a knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture into the cake batter. Bake the cake at 350℉ for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Once the cake has cooled completely, combine the ingredients for the glaze, adding enough water to make it a drizzling consistency. Drizzle on the cooled cake before serving.
Tips for Banana Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- If you don’t have an 8″ round cake pain, substitute a square 8″x 8″ square baking pan
- Toasted walnuts will keep up to two weeks in an airtight container
- Store cake in an airtight container up to 3 days
- Cake will freeze in an airtight container up to 45 days
Made this recipe? Comment below or on Pinterest or Instagram!
Want more coffee cake recipes? Check out these recipes:
Banana Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 8" round cake pan
- mixing bowls of various sizes
- stand or hand mixer
- sheet pan
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 2 medium overripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- pinch ground nutmeg
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2-3 teaspoons water
Instructions
- Spread chopped 1/4 cup walnuts, on an ungreased sheet pan and bake at 350°F degrees for 6-8 minutes. Cool and store if not using right away.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream 3 Tablespoons of the butter with 1 cup of the sugar until light.
- Add in the 2 medium overripe bananas, 1/4 cup sour cream and 1 large egg
- Sift or whisk the flour with the 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and the pinch ground nutmeg . Add to the wet ingredients; mix only until combined.
- Spread batter into a greased 8" round cake pan.
- Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter in a small mixing bowl. Add in the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar, 2 Tablespoons of flour, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and the toasted walnuts. Stir until all combined (will be thick).
- Dollop the cinnamon streusel nut mixture on top of the cake batter; use a knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture into the cake batter.
- Bake the cake at 350℉ for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, combine the ingredients for the glaze (1 cup powdered sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2-3 teaspoons water) adding enough water to make it a drizzling consistency. Drizzle on the cooled cake before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have an 8″ round cake pain, substitute a square 8″x 8″ square baking pan
- Toasted walnuts will keep up to two weeks in an airtight container
- Store cake in an airtight container up to 3 days
- Cake will freeze in an airtight container up to 45 days
- Makes 8 large servings, 12 small servings