Banana Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese

Banana Coffee Cake transforms your favorite quick bread into a super moist breakfast cake swirled with sweetened cream cheese. Topped with a crunchy walnut streusel and a simple vanilla glaze, a slice of this cake tastes amazing with a cup of coffee.

Baking is all about precise measurements but, truth be told, there’s nobody guiltier of guessing than me. Go ahead, call the confectionary police, I already know I should be locked up for crimes against cake. My worst offense is pouring vanilla from the bottle like I’m Tom Cruise in Cocktail. Only I’m a blogger not a bartender. Teaspoon, tablespoon, double shot they’re all the same to me: if it’s going into my bowl of batter, the amount is getting eyeballed.

The irony of eyeballing is that I only have one functioning eye. Yesterday, I had two but today I’m sporting a patch over my left peeper like a pirate. If you’re wondering why, it’s because I was coloring my grays and applied hair dye to my retina instead of my roots. If you’ve never had the pleasure of getting Nice’n Easy in your eye let me tell you from experience: it is neither a nice or easy experience. Imagine, if you will, the pain of a flaming blowtorch being pointed directly into your iris. Then imagine something 10x worse. You will scream like a CIA torture victim, your entire eye will shrivel and, instead of turning Light Golden Brown as noted on Clairol’s box, it will turn a bloody shade of red.

Still, I will not be deterred. While I have one good eye left (I use the word ‘good’ loosely because my vision is crap even after combining Lasik and prescription glasses) I’m using it to make the best coffee cake I’ve ever had. Luckily, the recipe is so foolproof that I can successfully do it with a self-inflicted disability. Even with my messed up vision, I can still eyeball vanilla extract and mash bananas. Besides, you don’t need two functioning eyes to see how delicious this cake baked up.

Soft and fluffy, this super moist coffee cake is swirled with cream cheese then crowned with a crunchy walnut streusel and sweet vanilla glaze. Trust me, this banana bread cake is a feast for your eye and your stomach. So rock your eyepatch if you got one, grab a coffee and enjoy this delicious excuse to have cake for breakfast. You’ll be glad you did.

Before sharing this Banana Coffee Cake recipe, here are a few tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

For the upmost banana flavor, be sure to use overripe bananas that are so brown and covered with bruises that they look like Mike Tyson punched them.

Use full-fat sour cream for optimal flavor and moisture. Plain Greek Yogurt can be used as a substitute for sour cream.

Cream cheese must be at room temperature before beginning. To speed up the warming process, place your sealed foil block of cream cheese into a bowl of warm water for 10 to 20 minutes before use.

Egg, butter and sour cream also need to be at room temperature before beginning. Having all ingredients at the same temperature before baking is the key to coffee cake success.

Preparation Tips

Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping flour is a no-no. That technique overpacks flour into the measuring cup which results in dry, dense cake.

If you do not have a 9-inch springform pan, this cake can be baked in a 9-inch metal baking pan with high sides. (High sides are a must!) Avoid using ceramic and glass baking pans since they tend to bake unevenly.

Can you make coffee cake ahead of time? Of course! To make coffee cake the night before just prepare the batter, pour into the baking pan then cover and refrigerate. In the morning, remove the covering and bake for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

How to Store Banana Coffee Cake

Coffee Cake is best on the day it is made but will keep up to 3 days covered and stored in the refrigerator.

Baked coffee cake can be frozen up to 3 months. Before freezing, cool cake completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap then cover in a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw cake overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.

I hope you enjoy this Banana Coffee Cake. Please leave a rating and review below when you try it yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you’re looking for more ripe banana recipes check out these Banana Chocolate Muffins. Packed with mashed bananas these chocolate marbled muffins are made with simple ingredients that satisfy every sweet tooth in your mouth.

Banana Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese

Heather Wolf

Banana Coffee Cake transforms your favorite quick bread into a super moist breakfast cake swirled with sweetened cream cheese. Topped with a crunchy walnut streusel and a simple vanilla glaze, a slice of this cake tastes amazing with a cup of coffee.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Course Cakes and Cupcakes

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Equipment

• 9-inch springform pan

Ingredients

  

Walnut Streusel

• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar packed
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour unbleached
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Banana Coffee Cake

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt fine
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1/2 cup overripe bananas mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract pure
• 1/3 cup full fat sour cream room temperature
• 1/4 cup whole milk room temperature

Cream Cheese Swirl

• 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup overripe bananas mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract pure

Cinnamon Sugar

• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted
• 1 tbsp whole milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract pure

Instructions

 

Walnut Streusel

• Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, melted butter and walnuts in a large bowl. Using your fingers, mix ingredients until small clumps begin to form.
• Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Banana Coffee Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan then line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt to a large bowl. Whisk until combined.
• In a separate bowl, cream butter and both sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg and 1/2 cup of mashed banana until incorporated.
• Beat in vanilla then set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and milk until smooth and lump free.
• Turn the electric mixer speed on low then, 1 cupful at a time, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the sour cream/milk mixture to the cake batter. Gently beat until just barely combined. Avoid overmixing.
• Spread 1/2 of batter into the springform pan. Level the top with a spatula. Set aside while you prepare the cream cheese.

Cream Cheese Swirl

• In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, 1/4 cup of mashed banana and vanilla until smooth and lump free.
• Spoon cream cheese atop cake batter in the baking pan then level with a spatula.

Cinnamon Sugar

• Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl then sprinkle atop cream cheese.
• Spoon remaining cake batter into baking pan and gently level with a spatula.
• Remove walnut streusel from the refrigerator. If needed, use a fork to break streusel into small clumps then sprinkle atop cake batter in an even layer.

Bake

• Bake for 60 – 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool

• Place cake pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before removing the springform ring.

Vanilla Glaze

• Once cake has cooled completely, whisk powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth and lump free. Drizzle glaze on cake.

  Note, if you prefer a thinner glaze add more milk, for a thicker glaze add more powdered sugar.

Store

• Cover and store coffee cake in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Keyword banana, cake, coffee, cream cheese, streusel, walnut