Extra moist banana cake with two layers of chocolate cinnamon streusel make this Banana Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake a sure hit for breakfast or dessert! An easy, one-bowl banana coffee cake can be pulled together in just 10 minutes, or bake the cake ahead of time and store it in the freezer for the future!
Breakfast? Dessert? What’s the fine line between the two?
I first made this for my mother-in-law, years and years ago, as part of a “brunch.” I use brunch in quotes because let’s be honest — anything this ooey-gooey chocolatey is 100% dessert. But, you know, adding bananas and calling it a “crumb cake” totally makes it morning appropriate, right?
Banana bread/cakes are super popular and for good reason. Not only are bananas delicious, but mashed ripe banana adds so much moisture to a cake. They also impart a great natural sweetness to your baked goods.
So what’s your vote? Breakfast or dessert? Either way, whether you serve this banana chocolate chip crumb cake at 9 am or 9 pm, it’s sure to be a hit!
We’ll start with a really easy, mix-in-one-bowl, banana coffee cake. It’s practically a dump cake – as in, dump in all ingredients and go.
Beat together the sugar, butter, and egg using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Pour in buttermilk and some bananas. Then go ahead and just add in the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until combined. So easy!
This cake is extra soft and tender, due to the addition of the aforementioned buttermilk. Buttermilk has a low (acidic) pH, compared to regular milk. How does this impact our baked goods? It’s time for my favorite subject… kitchen chemistry!
Kitchen Chemistry
Buttermilk makes baked goods light, fluffy, and tender. The buttermilk reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide, which provides an extra lift. The acidity in buttermilk also breaks down tough strands of gluten, resulting in a more moist and tender product compared to using regular milk.
Can you use regular milk instead of buttermilk? Sure – work with the ingredients you have on hand. But the cake won’t have quite the same taste or texture!
Here’s what else is so amazingly delicious about this banana chocolate chip crumb cake: the streusel-y chocolate chip crumb mixture.
It’s made from chocolate chips, brown sugar, and cinnamon (seriously, what’s not to love?). Not only do we sprinkle the chocolate streusel on top of the crumb cake, but we also add a layer in the middle of the cake.
So you get an extra moist, tender, banana coffee cake with two layers of melty chocolate in each bite. That’s what I’m talking about!
Plus, it freezes well, so you can make it ahead of time. Or save any leftovers… but I’m pretty sure there won’t be any leftovers.
Extra moist banana cake with two layers of chocolate cinnamon streusel make this Banana Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake a sure hit for breakfast or dessert!
A Bunsen Burner Bakery Original Protocol
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