Description
Rich banana bread featuring coffee cake swirls delivers comforting layers of cinnamon streusel and moist banana goodness. Sweet aromas will draw hungry friends to your kitchen, inviting warm slices with each delightful crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3–4 medium or large bananas
- 2 cups (480 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) flour for crumb topping
- 2 tbsps sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 6 tbsps (3 oz) cold butter
- 2 tbsps brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsps vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon for crumb topping
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 8×4-inch loaf pans thoroughly to prevent adhesion.
- Banana Base: Mash ripe bananas and blend with brown sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon, allowing flavors to meld and intensify.
- Butter Mixture: Cream softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, then integrate eggs until completely incorporated and smooth.
- Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into the creamy mixture, folding gently. Mix in sour cream or Greek yogurt until batter reaches a silky, uniform texture.
- Combine Layers: Fold banana mixture into the batter, ensuring even distribution of fruity notes and creating a harmonious blend.
- Crumb Topping: Mix ground cinnamon, flour, and brown sugar in a bowl. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse, rustic crumbs.
- Assembly and Baking: Divide batter between prepared pans, sprinkle crumb topping generously across each loaf’s surface. Bake for 35-40 minutes, checking doneness with a cake tester that should emerge with minimal moist crumbs.
- Cooling Process: Rest bread in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling, allowing flavors to settle and texture to stabilize.
- Serving: Slice the cooled loaves and indulge in the delightful fusion of coffee cake and banana bread.
Notes
- Banana Ripeness Matters: Use overripe, deeply speckled bananas for maximum sweetness and intense banana flavor, ensuring a moist and rich texture.
- Prevent Overmixing: Fold ingredients gently to maintain a tender crumb, stopping when flour streaks just disappear to avoid dense, tough bread.
- Crumb Topping Technique: Cut cold butter into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or fork, creating uneven, pea-sized crumbs for a crispy, textured surface.
- Cooling is Crucial: Let bread rest in pan for 10 minutes to set structure, then transfer to wire rack to prevent soggy bottom and maintain crisp edges.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg