Sour Cream Banana Coffee Cake is a lovely banana treat layered with chocolate chips and nuts. Great for any time of day!
The number of banana baked goods here on BoB is a direct result of how many bananas we buy that don’t get eaten before they get overripe. I’m sure I’m not alone in turning good banana-eating intentions into bread, cake, bars, and anything else that lets me use them.
In fact, I make sure to keep several banana recipes bookmarked for those times I spy perfectly overripe bananas on my kitchen counter. I’m not sure if that makes me overly prepared or just resigned to the fact that we’re likely not to eat all the bananas we buy. In either case, I’ll happily enjoy banana treats like this Sour Cream Banana Coffee Cake.
The last time we got bananas, I was secretly hoping that they’d go uneaten so I could make this cake. I’ve had my eye on it for a while for several reasons. First of all, I love the flavor combination of bananas, chocolate, nuts, and cinnamon. Secondly, I do love a good coffee cake. And, of course, I’ll take any excuse to get out a Bundt pan.
The cake was all I wanted it to be and more. It’s less dense and more delicate than most coffee cakes I’ve made. The banana flavor is subtle but works so well with that gorgeous ribbon of chocolate, nuts, and cinnamon.
If that sounds good, go check your counter for your current banana status. Then, get to baking or save this one for the inevitable day you want to stop some bananas from going to waste.
More Banana Cake Recipes
Sour Cream Banana Coffee Cake
Sour Cream Banana Coffee Cake is a fantastic combination of bananas, chocolate, nuts and cinnamon. Great for everything from brunch to dessert!
Ingredients
For the chocolate-nut layer:
- 1/2 cup (85g) mini semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (60g) chopped pecans (or other nut)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cake:
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 2/3 cup)
- 8 ounces (227g) sour cream
Instructions
To make the chocolate-nut layer:
- Combine the chocolate chips, pecans, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Set aside.
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan or tube pan with a fixed bottom.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the bananas and sour cream, and mix until combined.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Sprinkle about a third of the chocolate-nut mixture on the bottom of prepared pan. Drop half of the cake batter by spoonfuls into the pan. Sprinkle with half of the remaining chocolate-nut mixture. Top with the remaining cake batter. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate-nut mixture.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then, invert the cake onto a wire rack, and invert again onto a cake plate for serving.
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54 Comments on “Sour Cream Banana Coffee Cake”
Looks like the perfect coffee cake. Sour cream makes anything that much better!
Hmmm, how good would this be in the morning with a hot cup of coffee? Can’t wait to try it!
xo
Pat
Darn it Jen! I just ate a banana this morning making me short for this fantastic recipe! Grrr…going to the market, well worth it I am sure though! I love banana cakes and breads. Can’t wait to try this one!
I would trade the black bananas on my counter for this in an instant!
Is there any chance to convert your recipes into grams? Most people nowadays measure in metric.
I love when I have overripe bananas — in fact, I freeze them when I get an over-abundance so I can whip up a cake like this on any given day. There’s something about banana bread that’s the best, and this coffee cake looks out of this world!
not complaining about banana recipes!! This is the perfect breakfast treat!
Perfect timing. Bananas were waiting for this one to be delivered today. Voila! Thank you for reading my mind (are you SURE we aren’t twins separated at birth?)
Thanks, Jennifer! I think I need to retire from working a job to baking for people for the fun of it all day every day to keep up with all the recipes I’m wanting to make. Good thing I keep finding eaters to eat it too!
Hi, Linda! Great minds think alike, right?
Thinking of making this for an early morning meeting and wondering how it holds over night or 24 hours? Still fresh tasting,? Thanks!
It should keep for a few days tightly covered.
This cake looks amazing! Definitely need to try out the recipe!
I don’t think we ever eat all of the bananas before they get too ripe, so I am always looking for new recipes also! This cake looks awesome. Perfect texture and oh so moist!
I would bake with bananas every day if I could. This is GORGEOUS. Pinned!
This was incredible! The taste and texture were perfect! The ‘crumb’ that serious bakers talk about is perfect in this cake! I have never had a banana cake with such fantastic results. Make this today! Jennifer, this was wonderful!
I made this today for a friend who just had a baby. It’s delicious! Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
Best coffe cake ever, (banana flavor, hasn’t never being my favorite) but this recipe is not only very fun to prepare, but a delicious treat! I was afraid that having 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar plus the nut layer, it will be turned too sweet, but it’s perfect! It took 55 minutes to bake thru
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Irma!
Making this gorgeous looking coffee cake right now bet it’s as good as it looks and i will gt bake to you on it after its done definitely
As i said this cake not only looked great reading the recipe but it also taste great came out perfect glad i tried it ,so if your looking for something to do with those ripe bananas here it is
delicious, took to work today, now I have to print off copy’s of this recipe. I didn’t have mini chips so I put regular chips in my blender and chopped them up more. It worked great
HI Jennifer-  I had some ripe banana’s and some sour cream I needed to use up and this cake was perfect.  It turned out very moist and tasty.  I plan on sharing it with some neighbor friends (before I end up eating it all!), and of course my hubby who appreciate’s great cakes and my baking! Thanks again for another great recipe!
So glad you liked it, Bette!
I have made this cake 3 times now. It has turned out great each time. I especially like how it looks when finished baking. I love the look of a home baked cake with the perfect rise to it. It is always moist and has just the right amount of cinnamon, chocolate and pecans. Thanks for this recipe!
I’m glad it’s such a hit, Emily!
I made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! I was surprised that the recipe didn’t call for any vanilla so I added 2 tsp. of vanilla around the same time that I added the sour cream. I also added 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips to the nut layer and upped the 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to a full cup. This was such a moist and yummy coffee cake!
I’m glad you enjoyed the cake! 🙂
I was going to make this banana cake but was thinking 2/3 cup mashed banana didn’t seem like enough bananas for 3 cups of flour.
Hi, Ann. I find that amount of bananas to be just enough for a lovely, subtle flavor. If you add more, it will likely affect the texture and consistency of the cake.
An absolutely delicious cake!  It rose beautifully and the topping it so yummy. It’s the only recipe I will use for the leftover bananas on the kitchen counter.
I’m so happy to hear that you liked it, Susan!
This cake looks very good.
Is there an error to put a layer of nut mixture on the top of the cake?
When you turn it out of the pan 1/3 of the nut laye would be on the bottom of the cake?
Hi, Ann. The recipe is correct. The method creates layers of the chocolate-nut layer. The part you put on top of the batter will sink into the cake some as it bakes.
My husband has a nut allergy so is it ok to just leave them out or should I add more choc chips?
Hi, Christine. Either option should be fine.
Cinnamon chips! or butterscotch!
Love the idea of bananas in a coffee cake, would I be able to cut down the amount of sugar or would it affect the texture as it’s beaten with the butter?Â
That kind of alteration always runs the risk of affecting the end result. I would be hesitant to reduce it by more than 1/4 cup or so.
I have made this cake several times and love it! Very consistent results with this recipe. My family loves banana bread and this is a fun alternative. This cake makes an impressive addition to any potluck or carry-in.Â
I’m glad it’s been such a success for you, Emily!
I had 2 bananas left on my tree from last year. I looked for many recipes and decided on this one. Everything about this cake was great. I realized I didn’t have pecans so I used almonds instead. Really excited to make this one again when the bananas come back round. This one is a winner.
I’m so glad you liked it, Andy!
I was wondering if you could use another chip instead of chocolate. Yes, it is not one of my fav. The cake itself sounds really good Have a couple of bananas that needs to be used.
Of course!
Great recipe! The cake had a wonderful crumb and moist texture. I only had dark brown sugar so my cake is darker than pictured, but still wonderful. Bake time ran closer to 60 minutes rather than the recommended 40-45, but that’s why we test for doneness!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kathryn!
your instructions say to use a bundt cake but looking at the cake pictured, it doesn’t seem to be what was used. So i gather an angel food cake pan can also be used? Thanks!
Yes, that should be fine.
What to do if you dont have a bundt tin?
You’d need to use a pan with similar volume. A 9″x 13″ pan would probably be your best bet. Just keep in mind that it will likely need more time to bake thoroughly.
Oh gosh, does this coffeecake call to me. In advance of preparing your cake, I would like to know if indeed it was a bundt pan that you used. To me, the picture denotes a tube pan, such as what Angel Food cakes are baked in. I do have a 9 inch and also a 10 inch. Guessing that you would have me use the larger.
Hi, Jeff! You can use a Bundt or a tube pan, as long as it has a 12-cup capacity. I believe a 9-inch tube pan has a 12-cup capacity, but you might verify that with your pan before you get started. Enjoy!
Hi Jennifer firstly many thanks for the metric measurements.  I made this cake a few days ago and it’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. The mixture curdled somewhat after the eggs and I had to swap the sour cream for yoghurt but it turned out great – I couldn’t stop eating it.  It took 50 minutes to bake in my Bundt tin. What little was left kept well for three days.  I’ll be rolling out of the door after lockdown but thanks anyway.
I’m glad you liked it, Jan!