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Vegan Banana Coffee Cake (with a sourdough discard option)

A fluffy banana coffee cake with cinnamon sugar swirled throughout and crumbled on top. Made optionally with sourdough discard!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Afternoon Coffee, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Crumble Topping:
  • 85 grams Vegan Butter, melted (6 tbsps.or 3/4 stick)
  • 112 grams All Purpose Flour (scant 1 cup)
  • Pinch of Fine Salt this is to taste and depends on if you're using salted butter
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
  • 48 grams Granulated Sugar (scant 1/4 cup)
  • 48 grams Brown Sugar (1/4 cup)
For the Banana Coffee Cake:
  • 100 grams Granulated Sugar (scant 1/2 cup)
  • 100 grams Brown Sugar (1/2 cup packed)
  • 80 grams Sourdough Discard (1/3 cup), alternatively, you can replace this with equal amounts of Vegan Yogurt or Sour Cream
  • 85 grams Vegan Butter, room temperature (6tbsps.)
  • 190 grams Mashed Overripe Bananas (2 medium)
  • 30 grams Plant Milk (1/8 cup)
  • 1/2 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tsp. Vanilla
  • 215 grams All Purpose Flour (scant 2 cups)
  • 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
For the Spice Layer:
  • 30 grams Brown Sugar (3 tbsps.)
  • 1 tbsp. Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Equipment

  • 1 Spring form cake pan optional, but easiest to get the entire cake out
  • 1 Square 8x8 pan optional, in replacement of the spring form cake pan

Method
 

  1. Make the crumble. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Mix to combine. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until sandy and crumbly. Place in the fridge to set while you prepare the cake.
  2. Make the vegan buttermilk. Combine the plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for at least 5 minutes, or until it curdles.
  3. Mash the bananas. If frozen, microwave to thaw, then mash.
  4. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment. Alternatively, you can use a springform round pan with a parchment layer just on the bottom, as I did here.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the sugars and butter. With an electric mixer, beat until fully combined and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes of whipping.
  6. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt.
  7. Add the vanilla extract, banana, sourdough discard (or vegan yogurt), and vegan buttermilk to the butter mixture. Whisk until fully combined and light, pale, and a little fluffy.
  8. Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients. Using a spatula, fold to combine. Fold until just combined, making sure to scrape the bottom to fully incorporate the wet and dry. It may be a little lumpy, and that's okay! Just make sure there aren't any separate dry and wet spots. The batter will seem thick and a little dry, but it bakes up moist!
  9. Let the batter rest. Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon to make your cinnamon mixture.
  10. Pour half the batter into the pan. Smooth the batter out using an offset spatula. Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the batter.
  11. Add the rest of the batter, smoothing it over with a spatula. Some of the cinnamon layer may marble/ mix into the top layer of batter. That's okay!
  12. Sprinkle the crumble on top. Press it lightly into the batter with your hands, as there's a lot of it and we want it to stick!
  13. Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out relatively clean. There is crumble on the cake, so that will most likely get on your toothpick.
  14. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before taking it out of the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Video

Notes

Can I make it in another pan? Yes, you could bake it in a round 9-inch pan, or 1.5x the recipe for a 9x13-inch pan. If you are going to use a round pan, I recommend a springform, as it makes it way easier to pull the cake out. Due to the crumb, you can't flip it out, so use parchment to pull the cake out or a springform pan!
What if I don't have enough bananas? The first time I made this, I only had one brown banana. I made up the rest of the weight with applesauce, and it came out great! 
How do I store it? Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days, but seriously, it won't last in your kitchen more than 3 days ;)
Serves 9-12 people.