I always seem to have a few overripe bananas in my kitchen. Sometimes I peel them, wrap them in plastic and freeze them for smoothies. Other times I bake banana bread or banana muffins.
But my favorite use for those overripe bananas is this cake.
Of all the things to do with overripe bananas, this is my favorite.
The cake is incredibly moist, the large chunks of crumb topping are buttery and tender, and the sauce is irresistible. Once you make the caramel rum sauce, you’ll want to drizzle it over everything.
Baking this cake fills the house with warm notes of caramel and brown sugar. That scent is enough to pull everyone into the kitchen. When my husband tasted it, he called it “so good it’s evil,” and friends have described it as an experience worthy of an enthusiastic exclamation.
Don’t be intimidated by the fact the recipe has three components. The caramel rum sauce and the crumb topping are simple to prepare and can even be made ahead. The result is well worth the little extra effort.
Make the caramel rum sauce and crumb topping first, or prepare one in advance—the sauce and topping can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. You can also make the sauce while the cake bakes.
📖 Recipe
Banana Crumb Cake with Caramel Rum Sauce
One 8-inch square cake
Ingredients
- Caramel Rum Sauce
- Crumb Cake Topping
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg + 2 egg whites
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 medium very ripe bananas
- ½ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the caramel rum sauce and crumb topping, cover and set aside. Each can be made up to two weeks ahead and stored in the refrigerator. (You can also make the caramel rum sauce while the cake bakes.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 8 x 8-inch square pan.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, both sugars, the egg and egg whites on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.
- Chop the bananas into chunks and add them to the butter-sugar-egg mixture. If using a hand mixer, mash the bananas slightly with the beaters before mixing. If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. Beat until the bananas are incorporated; small pea-size chunks remaining are fine.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt until combined.
- Mix the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup.
- Add the flour mixture and milk-vanilla to the banana batter in alternating additions, starting and ending with flour (⅓ flour, ½ milk, ⅓ flour, remaining milk, remaining flour). After each addition, beat just until incorporated and scrape down the bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with about 3 cups of crumb topping. For large crumbs, squeeze the topping together in your hand as you place it on the batter.
- Bake 60–65 minutes, until the center no longer jiggles and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool on a wire rack about 20 minutes, until warm but not hot.
- Drizzle ¼ to ½ cup of caramel rum sauce over the top of the cake. Gently poke holes across the cake with a knife to encourage the sauce to seep in, covering each small hole with sauce. Gently press the sides of the cake away from the pan to allow sauce to drizzle down the sides.
- Serve with additional warmed caramel rum sauce for anyone who wants extra.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 286
Total Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 45mg
Sodium: 338mg
Carbohydrates: 44g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 22g
Protein: 5g
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