AKA: CARAMEL BANANA COFFEE CAKE
We have a few Christmas morning traditions, and coffee cake is one of them.
*this recipe was created for my friends at Imperial Sugar
Growing up, we always had Sara Lee Butter Streusel Coffee Cake every Christmas morning. My mom was a great cook and baker, and I love that she took this shortcut every year and just popped that baby in the oven and relaxed (which she RARELY did) on Christmas morning.
You can't imagine the horror in my mom's eyes the first year I hosted Christmas and made a coffee cake...from scratch. Ha.
Coffee cakes have continued to be a Christmas morning tradition around here, and I am excited to share this new recipe with you...Banana Coffee Cake. This Caramel Banana Coffee Cake is tender and moist with banana and sour cream. It has a, well, slightly massive crumb topping. As a coffee cake should.
There's caramel in the cake itself, and you can easily bump up that flavor with a puddle of caramel sauce and a sprinkle of sea salt on each serving plate. It's a delightful treat, perfect for breakfast and afternoon coffee.
How to Make Caramel Banana Coffee Cake
First, make the crumb topping. With a few ingredients, including melted butter and Imperial Sugar light brown sugar, you will have a bowl of deliciousness.
You're going to want to start eating this with a spoon. Set aside and don't eat.
Whip up the cake. Ripe bananas are essential here. No green bananas, please.
Spread this into an 11x7-inch pan. I love this pan from Fat Daddio's.
Drizzle caramel sauce over the top. (How cute are those heart-shaped measuring spoons? I've had these for years, but here are some similar heart-shaped measuring spoons.)
Cover the cake with all of the crumb topping. It'll look like too much. It's not.
Bake!
Cool the cake before serving. To kick the caramel flavor up a notch, squeeze a little caramel sauce (I like Ghirardelli Caramel Sauce) onto each serving plate and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Place coffee cake squares on top.
Find the printable recipe on Imperial Sugar or below.
More Christmas morning breakfast ideas:
- almond danish puffs
- cinnamon roll biscuit cake
- dutch baby
- almond stuffed french toast
- chelsea buns
- cinnamon-sugar pull-apart bread
Banana Coffee Cake
YIELD: 12 pieces
PREP TIME: 35 minutes
BAKE TIME: 35 minutes
for the crumb topping:
2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed Imperial Sugar Light Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 tablespoons salted butter, melted
for the coffee cake:
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
5 1/2 tablespoons caramel sauce, such as Ghirardelli, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
1 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
For serving (optional):
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour an 11x7-inch pan.
Make the crumb topping. Whisk flour, light brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Sprinkle vanilla over the top. Pour in melted butter. Use your hands to work together until the mixture forms moist clumps. Set aside.
Make the cake. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. In another bowl, whisk together mashed banana, sour cream, 2 tablespoons caramel sauce, and vanilla. Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down bottom and sides of bowl as needed.
On low speed, add flour mixture in two additions, mixing in wet ingredients between the two additions. Mix just until combined. Spoon into prepared pan and spread evenly.
Drizzle remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons caramel sauce over cake batter. Scatter crumb topping over top, forming clumps with your fingers as you scoop from the bowl onto the cake.
Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake layer comes up with moist crumbs. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Cut into squares to serve. If desired, spoon a little caramel sauce onto each plate, sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, then place coffee cake on top.
Make it? Tag me on Instagram @bridget350!
