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A slice of banana crumb cake on a metal plate with an antique fork.
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5 from 11 votes

Banana Crumb Cake

Course Breakfast & Brunch, Sweets & Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 9 slices
Calories 350kcal
Author Kristine Underwood

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 1/4 cup flour (all-purpose, spooned and leveled)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/3 cup milk
For the crumb
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional, but adds a little depth)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
For the glaze
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 TBS milk (any kind)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 baking pan with paper. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and light colored (1-2 minutes is all).
  • Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix just until incorporated.
  • Fold in the mased bananas.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, bakind soda and sea salt to the bowl and mix just until combined.
  • Slowly add milk and mix just unitl the batter smoothes out.
  • In a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), and a pinch of salt. Use a fork (or your fingers) to work it into a crumbly mixture.
  • Spread half of the batter into your prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the crumble over the top. Add the remaining batter (just dollop and gently spread, it doesn’t have to be perfect), then finish with the rest of the crumble.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
  • Once the cake is cool, mix the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and sea salt together to form a smooth glaze.
  • Using a spoon, drizzle glaze over the cake.
  • Let glaze set up for 10 minutes before slicing the cake.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days, in the fridge up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
  • This cake bakes best in an 8×8 pan for a thicker, softer crumb. You can use a 9×9 pan if that's all you have, but the cake will be thinner and may be more dry. Reduce the bake time slightly and start checking it around 35 minutes.
  • Use very ripe bananas here (serioulsy, like black is great). This isn’t the place for barely-yellow ones. The softer they are, the better the flavor (sweetness) and texture will be.
  • If your batter feels thick, that’s normal. It should be spreadable, not pourable.
  • When adding the second layer of batter, don’t worry about getting it perfectly smooth over the crumble. A few uneven spots actually bake up better and keep the layers from blending together.
  • The bake time can vary slightly depending on how moist your bananas are, so start checking around 40 minutes. You’re looking for a set center and a lightly golden top.
  • If the top starts to brown too quickly, lightly tent the top with aluminum foil.
  • If you need a bigger cake, you can double the recipe without altering the outcome, but you'll need to bake it in a 9x13 pan for 45-50 minutes.
    • When baking in a 9x13 pan, the center takes longer because of the crumb layers. The edges will be done first, so don’t pull it out too early. If the top is getting a little too dark before the center is done, just loosely tent it with foil for the last 5–10 minutes.
  • You can make the glaze thinner by adding more milk.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg