What to do with over ripe bananas? Well, we all know there’s lots! Rather than banana bread or muffins, I wanted to make a cake. I also love New York style crumb cake, so this cake was a perfect fit. Wow! Banana Pecan Caramel Crumb Cake is awesome. It’s a denser cake than you would expect, but not too heavy – nicely moist. The addition of toasted pecans makes for a tasty sweet crunch. My husband and I both loved it. After dinner for dessert or in the morning with a cup of coffee – it’s an all around perfect cake. Cake for breakfast? Sure – go for it! And don’t forget the caramel drizzle! 
First thing you’ll want to do is toast 3/4 to a cup of chopped pecans or pieces. Measure the milk, add vanilla, and bring eggs to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350°F. 
Next, mash the bananas to smithereens. They should be nice and liquidy. 
Put together the sugar, flour, butter crumble. Be sure your butter is very cold, and cut into cubes or thin slices. I began using a pastry cutter. And quickly switched to a wire whisk. You know, I use an Ina Garten recipe for peach-raspberry crisp. She whips up her crumble in her mixer using the paddle attachment. When I do this again, and I surely will, I’ll mix the crumble in the mixer, and maybe add 1/2 cup of quick cooking oats. The whole process goes a little faster. Just a suggestion. In medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder, and set aside. It’s time to mix the batter. In the bowl of your mixer, cream together 1/2 cup (one stick) of room temperature butter, and 2 cups of granulated sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time. Alternate the milk/vanilla mixture and the flour/salt/baking powder mixture to the mixing bowl. Once all the ingredients come together, remove the bowl from the mixer. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to finish mixing the ingredients. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the butter and sugar are thoroughly combined into the batter. 
Coat a 9″x13″ pan with cooking spray, butter, or shortening. Pour half the batter in the baking pan, and spread to make the layer even. Sprinkle half the crumble mixture over the batter. Sprinkle with toasted pecans. Pour the remaining batter over the pecan layer, and using a spatula, smooth the batter over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining crumble, making sure the entire top is covered. 
Pop into the oven. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool. You can drizzle the top with caramel sauce or a simple glaze made of 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1-2 Tablespoons milk. Or you can cut the cake to serve, and drizzle over caramel sauce. Either way, this cake is delicious!
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup of milk, room temperature
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspooon banana extract, optional
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ - 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
- Caramel topping
- for Crumb Topping
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into cubes
- 2 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup quick cooking oats, optional
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Coat a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray, butter, or shortening.
- In a medium bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl using a fork or potato masher, mash 3 bananas until they're liquified. Set aside
- Make the crumble. In a large mixing bowl and using a pastry cutter or wire whisk, cut 1 cup (2 sticks) well chilled cubed butter into the sugar/flour until the crumble looks like small peas. As an alternative, you can prepare the crumble using a mixer. In the bowl of the mixer, add all the crumble ingredients, using quick cooking oats, if desired. Set the mixer to the stir setting or on low speed, Stir just until the ingredients come together and the pieces resemble small peas. Do not overmix. Set crumb mixture aside.
- For the Batter: In the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream ½ cup room temperature butter and 2 cups granulated sugar.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined.
- Alternately add the flour mixture and milk/vanilla/banana extract mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
- When the batter is just combined, remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, scrap the bottom of the mixing bowl to make sure all the butter and sugar are combined into the batter.
- Assemble the Cake: Pour half the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle half the crumble mixture. Sprinkle the toasted pecans.
- Pour the remaining batter over the pecans. Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with the remaining crumble mixture.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake. Drizzle with caramel sauce or a glaze made of 1 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 Tablespoons milk. Or serve individual slices and drizzle with caramel sauce.
