Banana-Espresso Crumb Cake

I've found my new go-to banana bread recipe and I couldn't be more pleased!

{Banana-Espresso Crumb Cake}... ohmygoodness!

I am so happy with how this turned out and will definitely bake this again.The moist cake, topped with crunchy and thick crumbs with a hint of salt makes for a perfect crumb cake.

Banana bread is one of those things like chocolate chip cookies and pot roast; everyone thinks their recipe is the best. So yes, some of you may try other recipes but so you know the one thing you can do, in any banana recipe, to make it better is use very ripe bananas.

I know, I know, of course you use ripe bananas.  In many ways, the entire purpose of banana bread is to prevent wasting fruit that is past its prime. But the way to get the best possible banana bread is to use really ripe bananas. I normally allow my bananas to ripen for fourteen days before I deem them ready.

Now go buy some bananas, let them sit on the counter for a couple weeks, bake this and let me know how delicious it tastes and if it lasts in your house for longer than a day!


Banana-Espresso Crumb Cake
Adapted from: vanilla sugar

Ingredients

Cake
1 and ½ cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4)
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup half & half
1 egg
1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 and ½ packets of Starbucks Via
1 and ½ ts baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I used semisweet)

Crumb Topping
1 and ½ cups flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt (I used sea salt)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 9 pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sugar, egg, butter and half & half.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda and salt.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

In a medium bowl combine all dry ingredients for the crumb topping, pour melted butter over and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Sprinkle crumbs over batter.

Pour mixture into pan, then top with crumbs.

Bake in the center of the oven for 35 - 45 minutes (I took mine out at 37 minutes). Will be done when a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.

Let cake cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing and enjoying.