This incredibly moist high altitude banana bread coffee cake is spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, topped with buttery brown sugar crumb topping. If you’re looking for a way to use up those overripe bananas, you’ll love how quick and easy this delicious banana crumb cake recipe is. This cake is a yummy combination of classic banana bread and crumb topped coffee cake, and is fantastic warm from the oven, or even rewarmed days later.
Looking for more banana recipes? Don’t miss these recipes for caramelized banana toffee ice cream, oatmeal with caramelized bananas and hazelnuts, banana cream pie, and banana bread pancakes.
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Why You’ll Love This Coffee Cake
Uses Up ALL Those Leftover Bananas. Brown, mushy, over-ripe bananas are great for baking, and for a delicious twist on a classic loaf of moist banana bread, this banana bread coffee cake has all the flavor you love, but with a buttery crumb topping.
Easy to Make. This is one of those recipes that’s perfectly uncomplicated, requiring nothing more than just whisking together wet and dry ingredients. It bakes up in about a half hour, and is ready to eat right away!
Delicious Warm or Cold. You can enjoy this coffee cake warm from the oven, or at room temperature. It’s even great days later!
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Cake
For the liquid ingredients, you’ll need melted butter, dark brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and very ripe mashed bananas. Then for the dry ingredients, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, coarse Kosher salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Topping
A good crumble topping starts with all-purpose flour and sugar (I use both white and brown), cinnamon and nutmeg for spice, coarse Kosher salt to balance the sweetness, and melted butter to bind it all together.
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and spray a 9×9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and mashed bananas.
- Separately, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir together with a spatula, just until moistened. The batter will be thick.
- Spread the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Topping
- In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Drizzle with the melted butter and toss together with a fork until moistened and crumbly. Sprinkle over the cake batter.
- Bake the cake on the center oven rack for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes, and serve warm.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the cake stay fresh?
Store leftover coffee cake in an airtight container, and it will still taste great for up to 4-5 days.
Will this recipe work with bananas that have been frozen and thawed?
Very ripe bananas that are soft and have a few brown spots have the best, sweetest flavor for baking. When I have too many bananas that are getting too ripe, I will often peel them, and wrap them individually in plastic wrap to use later in smoothies. You can let them thaw, mash them, and use them for baking, and they work great.
Can I make the coffee cake in advance?
You can absolutely bake this the night before to serve in the morning, and it will be fantastic. Warm up individual pieces by microwaving them for 15-20 seconds on 50% power for a just-baked texture.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan. Check the center for doneness after 30 minutes of baking.
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High Altitude Banana Bread Coffee Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed bananas, from 2-3 very ripe bananas
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Topping
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and spray a 9×9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and mashed bananas.
- Separately, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir together with a spatula, just until moistened. The batter will be thick.
- Spread the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Topping
- In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Drizzle with the melted butter and toss together with a fork until moistened and crumbly. Sprinkle over the cake batter.
- Bake the cake on the center oven rack for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes, and serve warm.
Notes
- Leftover coffee cake should be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Make this cake ahead by baking it the night before! Warm up pieces by microwaving for 15-20 seconds on 50% power for a just-baked texture.
Going to try this. Looks yummy.
Made this last night to use up my overripe bananas. I do not live in high altitude, but still gave it a shot knowing I needed to adjust the bake time. Checked it at 25 min and it was ready. Still came out great! Nice flavor, crunchy streusel top. Not quite as moist as I would like, but still delicious and definitely worth baking.
I’m going to make this right now. Question – I often cook for someone who can not have dairy. In baking – do you have any recommendations for a butter substitute? Thanks for helping me adjust to living at high altitude. I’m loving your recipes. Now, what to do with all my old recipes that don’t work?