Banana Crunch Cake Begins With A Cake Mix

by Alli

Banana Crunch Cake is a tender cake with layers of homemade granola baked right inside. It tastes like a coffee cake but so much better. 

I love using sour cream as an ingredient when I bake a cake. The creamy texture of sour cream helps create a cake that is moist and delicious. My dad’s sour cream pound cake is a good example. It’s one of the most popular recipes on my blog and it always comes out moist and scrumptious. 

My husband declares this “coffee cake” a keeper! So, I guess it is a coffee cake. My husband says so. He’s my official taste tester. 

This cake has just the right balance of bananas, coconut, and pecans. None of the flavors are overpowering and they all work together to make a delicious crunch cake.

Ingredients You’ll Need To Make A Banana Crunch Cake

  • old-fashioned oats
  • powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
  • shredded sweetened coconut
  • chopped pecans
  • butter
  • sour cream
  • eggs
  • thinly sliced bananas
  • yellow cake mix 

When you bake this cake, disregard the added ingredients and the instructions on the back of the cake mix box. All the ingredients you’ll need are listed in the printable recipe card down below. 

Tips For Making Crunchy Granola Filling

The filling for this Banana Crunch Cake is made first and allowed to cool while mixing the cake batter. 

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oats, powdered sugar, coconut, and pecans. Stir constantly until the mixture is light golden brown. Be careful not to overcook the filling or it will harden and clump together. We’re going for a loose granola-type filling for this recipe. 

Granola in a skillet with a wooden spoon

Tips For Baking Banana Crunch Cake

Don’t over-bake your cake! Most home ovens run cooler or hotter than the specified temperature. When I replaced my oven a few months ago, one of the first things I noticed is that my new oven cooks much faster than my old one. Learn a simple way to calibrate your oven here!

I start checking my cake (through the glass window of the oven) about 10 minutes before the timer goes off. You don’t want to open the oven door too soon because it can cause the cakes to sink (or fall as grandma used to say). 

When a cake is done, it will pull slightly away from the edges of the pan. Usually, I can tell if a cake is done (or almost done) by the aroma. 

If the cake looks and smells done, it’s time for the toothpick test. Insert a toothpick or cake tester near the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. 

A slice of banana crunch coffee cake leaning against the rest of the cake on a white cake plate

Layering The Banana Crunch Cake

Add about two cups of the cake batter to a greased and floured 10″ tube pan. Top with 1/3 of the granola filling.

Banana Crunch Cake in a tube pan before baking

Add another layer of batter and top with 1/3 of the crunchy granola filling. Finally, add the remaining cake batter and top with the remaining granola. 

Banana Cake layered with granola and ready to bake in a tube pan

Bake at 350º for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan and cooling completely. 

When you remove the cake from the pan, don’t be concerned if a little of the granola falls off. 

Banana Crunch Cake cooling on a wire rack

How To Store Banana Crunch Cake

Banana Crunch Cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. You can refrigerate a well-wrapped cake in the refrigerator for up to one week.

You can freeze the cake for up to three months. Be sure to let it thaw on the counter, fully wrapped, so that the cake won’t dry out. 

Yield: 12-14 servings

Banana Crunch Cake

Banana Crunch Cake on a white serving platter

Banana Crunch Cake is moist, tender, and flavorful. It's a delicious cake that's easy to make.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar (also known as confectioner's sugar)
  • 1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 eggs
  • 1-1/2 cups thinly sliced bananas
  • 1 package yellow cake mix

Instructions

Grease and flour a 10" tube pan.

Melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the oats, sugar, coconut, and pecans. Stir and cook until the mixture is light golden brown and resembles granola. Remove from the skillet and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 350º F. In a mixing bowl, blend sour cream, eggs, and banana slices until smooth. Add the cake mix and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour 1/3 of the batter (2 cups) into the prepared tube pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the granola mixture. Repeat two more times, ending with the granola mixture.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition Information

Yield

14

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 361Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 58mgSodium 337mgCarbohydrates 60gFiber 2gSugar 38gProtein 5g

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