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This Hummingbird Coffee Cake is the perfect excuse to have cake for breakfast! It is tender, moist, and delicious. Loaded with flavor and perfect to serve with a cup of coffee.
If you are craving more coffee cake inspired recipes, then be sure to try making a delicious Blueberry Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake or a batch of Coffee Cake Muffins.
Sometimes I prefer to start my day with something sweet, paired with a cup of hot coffee. That is when a coffee cake is a perfect choice.
There are many ways to make a coffee cake but I enjoy making versions that have similar flavors to regular cakes. Like how this cake recipe has ingredients similar to a hummingbird cake, but is light enough to enjoy for breakfast.
This recipe is sweet, loaded with flavor, has a delicious streusel topping, and gets better with each slice. You will definitely want to save this recipe and give it a try.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter - Browned butter provide a rich and intense buttery flavor to the cake. Complete this part first and allow the butter to cool to room temperature before using.
- All-purpose flour - Use all-purpose flour and scoop and level to make sure you have the correct amount.
- Brown sugar - Pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup to make sure you have enough. May use light or dark brown sugar depending on preference.
- Ground cinnamon - Provides a warm and woodsy aromatic flavor that you definitely want in any good coffee cake.
- Salt - Do not forget the salt. This provides a balance to the sweet flavors in the cake.
- Pecans - Rich, nutty, and a crunchy texture to the coffee cake.
- Eggs - Use large eggs and this helps to bind together the cake ingredients.
- Banana - Use an overripe banana to provide sweetness, moisture, and deeper flavor.
- Pineapple - Crushed pineapple provide moisture and the perfect balance of sweet and tart. It also adds a light and refreshing layer of flavor to the cake.
- Vanilla extract - Provides great flavor enhancement to the cake.
- Granulated sugar - May also use cane sugar to provide sweetness.
- Baking powder - Will make the cake light and fluffy in texture. Make sure the date on the package has not expired.
- Powdered sugar - Helps to make the topping.
- Sour cream - Only two tablespoons are needed to add thickness and creaminess to the topping.
- Milk - Combine with the other ingredients to make the topping and add creamy flavor and texture.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour. Set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt ½ cup of butter until it turns medium-brown in color and has a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, whisk together some all-purpose flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Mix in the softened butter until the mixture is crumbly and stir in the pecans. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the large eggs, large banana, crushed pineapple, and vanilla extract until combined. Add in the ½ cup browned butter and continue mixing until combined.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and ground cinnamon. Slowly add the flour mixture into the egg mixture and continue mixing at low speed until combined.
Sprinkle with half the streusel mixture at the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Top with ½ of the cake mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the other half of the streusel mixture and top evenly with the rest of the cake mixture.
Place in the oven at 350 degrees F. and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and all to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the cake and remove it from the pan.
Make the glaze in a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, sour cream, and milk until smooth. Drizzle evenly over the top of the cake while still warm. Cut into square pieces, serve, and enjoy!
Tips
- Measure the ingredients properly. This is an important step in any cake or baking recipe.
- Be careful not to overmix the cake ingredients. Mix just until the ingredients come together and then stop. Overmixing will result in a tough cake.
- Check the cake while baking to make sure not to over bake. This will result in a dry cake. Check to see if the cake is done by inserting a cake in the center and if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, then it is ready. Keep in mind the cake will continue baking a little even after it is removed from the oven.
📖 Recipe
Hummingbird Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- Browned Butter:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- Streusel Topping:
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- Cake:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large banana, mashed
- ½ cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Glaze Topping:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt ½ cup butter until it turns medium-brown in color and has a nutty aroma.
- Remove from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Mix in the 3 ½ tablespoons softened butter until the mixture is crumbly and stir in the ½ cup pecans. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the 2 large eggs, 1 large banana, ½ cup crushed pineapple, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until combined. Add in the ½ cup browned butter and continue mixing until combined.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Slowly add the flour mixture into the egg mixture and continue mixing on low speed until combined.
- Sprinkle with half the streusel mixture at the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- Top with ½ of the cake mixture and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle with the other half of the streusel mixture and top evenly with the rest of the cake mixture.
- Place in the oven at 350 degrees F. and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and all to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the cake and remove from the pan.
- Make the glaze in a small bowl, whisk together the ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons sour cream, and 1 ½ teaspoons milk until smooth. Drizzle evenly over the top of the cake while still warm.
Notes
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands used, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Original post date 12/21/2018. Updated 11/12/2021. Updated photos are by Gabby of Cookie Dough Diaries.
More Easy Cake Recipes
- Blueberry Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake
- Coffee Cake Muffins
- Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Strawberry Preserves Cake
Have any comments, questions, or other ideas for this Hummingbird Coffee Cake? Please share them in the comments below!
Megan
Delicious! Super moist!
LaKita
Thank you so much Megan!!
carole
Oops...I don't see any mention in the recipe instructions of what to do with the melted, brown butter......I've scanned the recipe three times....maybe I missed it????
LaKita
It was missing, thank you for letting me know. It has been updated.