Banana Crumb Cake
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A moist and tender banana cake topped with a fine, sandy crumb. This easy recipe is a spot-on copycat of the beloved (and discontinued) Entenmann’s Banana Crunch Cake.
A MODERN TAKE ON A NOSTALGIC CLASSIC
This banana crumb cake was born out of a very specific reader request (from Marissa, back in 2015!). She was looking for a copycat recipe for the now-discontinued Entenmann’s Banana Crunch Cake. Though I never actually got to try it, my research and interrogation of Marissa told me that beloved treat had a light, fluffy banana cake base, a fine, sandy crumb topping, and a signature chocolate drizzle. While this version doesn’t include the chocolate by default (we didn’t love the chocolate and preferred it without, to be honest), the drizzle is included in the recipe if you want the full nostalgic effect.
I tested this recipe several times to get the texture and balance just right, from experimenting with pan sizes to adjusting the crumb-to-cake ratio. After plenty of trial and error (and taste-testing the good parts along the way), I landed on a 9” × 13″ cake that bakes up beautifully and doesn’t get weighed down by the crumb.
It’s now our go-to when we have overripe bananas but want something more special than banana bread and less fussy than a layer cake— and readers searching for that Entenmann’s fix seem to agree (seriously, so many visits from people Googling some sort of reference to the original).
STREUSEL BUT KEEP IT SANDY
One important thing to note about this cake is that while it has a topping similar to a streusel topping, to mimic the original and keep the topping from weighing down the cake crumb, you’ll want to ensure the topping is sandy.
This means that despite starting out the sandy topping the same way we do my traditional cinnamon streusel, you’ll really want to get your hands dirty and mash up those chunks. Some random larger chunks are totally fine and encouraged, but resist the urge to make them the star of the show. Sandy sandy sandy!
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
In addition to the ripe bananas, you’ll need 10 more ingredients, and you’ll share some of them between the sandy topping and the cake itself. Scroll to the recipe at the bottom of the post for specific amounts of each ingredient.
You will also need:
• all-purpose flour
• granulated sugar
• light brown sugar
• salt
• unsalted butter
• baking soda
• ground cinnamon
• buttermilk
• vanilla extract
• eggs
HOW TO MAKE BANANA CRUMB CAKE
Make the sandy topping: start by whisking together the flour, both sugars, and salt until thoroughly combined, then drizzle the melted butter over the flour mixture. Stir this together with a spatula until a fine, sandy crumb forms. You may also use your hands to break up larger chunks. Once it’s nice and sandy, set it aside.
Prepared the dry ingredients and the buttermilk: whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Then, whisk the vanilla into the buttermilk. Set both of these mixtures aside as we’ll alternate adding them into the creamed butter and sugar.
Cream the butter and sugar: cream together the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, then beat the eggs in one at a time until fully incorporated. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
Alternate adding the flour + milk mixtures: with the mixer speed on medium, add half of the flour mixture to the batter, followed by half of the buttermilk mixture, then repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk mixtures. Beat this mixture together until it is completely combined.
Fold in the bananas: you’ll have already mashed your bananas, and they’re the final piece to the batter for this cake. Fold them in gently, no need to use the mixer.
Add the topping + bake: layer the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle the sandy crumb evenly over the top of the entire layer of batter. Bake until done in the center, then allow to cool completely before enjoying.
WHAT IF I WANT TO ADD THE AUTHENTIC CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE?
During our extensive testing of this recipe, I didn’t love the addition of chocolate (I tried it in a few different variations by way of chocolate chips), despite loving chocolate chips in my banana bread and cinnamon in my chocolate chip cookies.
To add a chocolate drizzle: make a simple, super small batch of chocolate ganache. This is the same chocolate ganache I put on my chocolate Bundt cake, scaled down significantly.
Just be sure your cake is completely cool before drizzling the topping on. I highly recommend this addition if you’re looking for a true copycat Entenmann’s Banana Crunch Cake recipe.
Banana Crumb Cake Recipe
Ingredients
CRUMB TOPPING
- 1 and ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter melted and cooled for 5 minutes
BANANA CAKE
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (60mL) buttermilk1 room temperature
- 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large bananas (or 3 medium) mashed
Instructions
CRUMB TOPPING
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, and salt until thoroughly combined. Drizzle melted butter over the flour mixture.1 and ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter
- Stir with a spatula until a fine, sandy crumb forms. You may also use your hands to break up larger chunks. Set aside.
BANANA CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Spray a 9" x 13" baking sheet with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- Whisk the buttermilk and vanilla together in a small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside.¼ cup (60mL) buttermilk1, 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Beat the eggs in one at a time until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar, 2 large eggs
- Reduce mixer speed to medium and add half of the flour mixture to the batter, followed by half of the buttermilk mixture. Beat until incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk mixtures. Fold in the mashed bananas with a spatula until just combined.2 large bananas (or 3 medium)
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, making sure to spread the batter evenly. Top with sandy crumbs, ensuring even distribution again. Bake the cake for 28-36 minutes2 until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving. Leftovers stay fresh covered tightly at room temperature up to 5 days. Cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature overnight.
Notes
- Buttermilk: if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own: see my post about homemade buttermilk.
- Bake time: start with 28 minutes, then check every 2-3 minutes until the cake is done. I’ve made this cake several times, and the bake time varies wildly. My best guess is that this variation has a lot to do with how ripe my bananas are.
- Chocolate drizzle: to make this more authentically like the Entenmann’s dessert, place 2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips into a bowl, then heat 2 ounces of heavy cream to steaming, then pour over the chips, allow to melt for 1-2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Allow mixture to cool for about 5 minutes, then drizzle on the cooled cake.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Yes! Entenmann’s! Mom would always pick up a Entenmann’s coffee cake when we had company coming or for a random Saturday treat growing up, and I swear I’d gobble up half of one in the blink of an eye. It’s one of my FIL’s guilty pleasures to this day! Never tried the banana cake mentioned, but I can only imagine that your version is 100x better anyways 😉
YESSS! I’m so glad you’re on the Entenmann’s train too!!
Yes for banana cake! This looks AMAZING Lynn and that crumb makes me weak at the knees. Pinning!!!
Thanks so much, Jess!
Banana + crumbly crumb sounds like a winner to me! You have definitely put in a lot of research making this the perfect banana crumb snack cake for the Entenmann’s fans and I’ll definitely be giving it a try when my next batch of bananas reach peak almost-rotten-ness 🙂 I love a simple snack cake – perfect for ‘just a sliver…and another….’ eaters like me 😉
Haha, the exactly right level of rottenness is so key! And the slivers were dangerous with this one. Soooo dangerous.
Um, yes I want to try this! I’ve heard of Entenmann’s, but do not know their Banana Crumb Cake. I love, LOVE, banana cake though so this is a MUST try for me. I can’t wait to try this bad boy; it will be perfect for my sis’s upcoming birthday. She also has a love for banana cake. Thanks for sharing! Pinned!
I didn’t know it either! Apparently, we were missing out big time!
Yum just yum! I love banana cake! And this crumb looks delicious!
I’m reading through the comments, and don’t see that anyone states the actually tried this recipe. I’m an avid baker, and I have a rather new LG range, but I’m struggling to get this cake baked in the amount of time suggested in your recipe. It’s currently in the oven at 350°F, for 33 minutes now, and still raw in the middle. Is the time an error?
Hi, Cari– it’s always possible I made a typo in the recipe. I did have a reader turn these into cupcakes and her bake time was approximately 18 minutes, which makes my 20-22 minutes seem very off. How did it turn out? I’ll have to go back through my paper recipe notes and see if I made an error in typing.
Omgoodness. I’m visiting family and this just happens to be my niece is very favorite cake that is discontinued now and it was absolutely impressive thank you very much for letting me be able to bring something to the barbecue so far from home
I’m so glad, Trish! I hope your niece is so surprised and loves it!