Somewhere in my twenties, I became obsessed with all things banana. I’ve always loved banana bread, but I’m talking picking the “banana” dessert a restaurant over anything chocolate. For me, that says a lot! As an avid banana fan, you’ve seen me share many of my favorite banana treats here on the blog, and today, I have a new one for you! Banana Walnut Crumb Cake! Full of banana flavor with the most amazing walnut crumb on top. Huge walnut fan here, and I’ve loved partnering with California Walnuts this year! It’s a bit like banana bread married a coffee cake with a crumble topping. DELISH.
The crumble topping also goes inside the cake. You pour half the cake batter, sprinkle on half the crumble, then finish with the remainder of the cake batter. It adds a moist and flavorful layer in the middle so every single bite is amazing. I’m usually one to eat the crumble off the top of a coffee cake and ignore the rest. With this, it’s also baked inside. Oh my yum!
The walnuts give the crumb layer a little something extra, that perfect crunch! Plus, walnuts are full of so many wonderful health benefits. I gave mine a quick pulse in the food processor so they were finely diced for my crumble. You can do the same, use larger pieces, or look for them already chopped at the grocery store.
This makes a pretty large crumb cake, so I’d recommend a 9×13 pan with deep sides. You could easily split it into two 8×8 or 9x9s if you preferred. One for you and one to gift to a neighbor, friend, or freeze for later!
This Banana Walnut Crumble Cake is perfect for special occasions or holidays! You’ll quickly find that your guests keep going back for just “one more slice”. My husband has been asking me to remake this crumble cake so he can take it to work, his coworkers love to try out his favorite recipes, and this one is a winner!
Ingredients
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For the Crumble
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
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For the Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 ripe bananas
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk
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For the Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray.
To make the crumble topping, melt butter and set aside to cool for 2-3 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add flour, salt, and cinnamon and stir to combine. Mix in chopped walnuts, use a rubber spatula or back of fork to crumble the topping together. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until blended. Add mashed bananas and beat until just combined. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in the flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with the milk. Pour half of the cake batter into the baking pan. Sprinkle half of crumb topping. Then pour the remaining batter on top. Finish with the remaining crumble topping. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
TIP: Cover cake with aluminum if top begins browning too much. Allow to cool before glazing.
To make glaze, whisk together powdered sugar with vanilla extract and milk. Add more powdered sugar if you want a thicker glaze or more milk for a runnier glaze. Drizzle on top of cake.
WE WANT TO SEE! Share a photo of your recipe with us by tagging@pizzazzerie on Instagram. This post is sponsored by the California Walnut Board. Thanks for supporting our partners!
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