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Caramelized Banana Coffee Cake

Perfect for chilly wintery mornings, this caramelized banana coffee cake is sure to be a new favorite. Gently caramelized bourbon bananas are layered under a beautifully fluffy vanilla cake and topped with a buttery and crunchy cinnamon crumble. This cake is perfect with a morning cup of coffee or tea.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 10 Slices
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Caramelized Bananas
  • ¼ cup salted butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 3 large ripe bananas sliced
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Coffee Cake
  • 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
Crumble
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 Tablespoons salted butter at room temperature

Method
 

  1. Grease an 8 inch square baking pan with butter. Set aside.
Make the caramelized bananas
  1. In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stirring occasionally. It will begin to sizzle and foam, and will eventually start to brown. Just as it's starting to brown, add in the sliced bananas, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir together and the mixture should begin to melt together. Add the bourbon and vanilla and continue cooking on medium heat, stirring constantly, for another 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into the bottom of the previously prepared baking pan. There should still be large chunks of banana. Place the pan with the bananas in the freezer while we make the batter.
Make the batter
  1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, using either a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy and creamed, around 2 minutes. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined. Add in the sour cream and milk and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. The batter will be slightly on the thicker side.
  3. Remove the pan from the freezer and gently spread the batter on top of the bananas. It's ok if they combine a little bit, but try to avoid it. Set aside while we make the crumble topping.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Make the crumble
  1.  In a medium sized bowl ,toss together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the softened salted butter and using your hands, massage the butter into the other ingredients until you have a crumbly mixture without any big clumps of butter. You can use a spatula to do this but I find that hands work best. Sprinkle the crumble right on top of the batter.
  2. Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the cake bounces back when lightly poked. Let the cake cool in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 30 minutes before slicing and serving while it's still warm. This cake is best enjoyed warm with a cup of coffee!
  3. Leftovers last up to 5 days sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator.