Banana crumb cake

I love crumb cakes. Not too sweet, more filling than regular cake, and with that delicious crumbly topping, you just can’t go wrong. In my eternal quest not to waste food, I came up with this recipe as a twist on our old banana bread as another way to use up almost-too-ripe bananas. The reception from my family and friends as well as my Southern Plate family was amazing, and it’s become a standard at our home and a recipe I’m always asked to share. You can make this cake in a 9 x 13-inch pan if you like, but I like to split it up so I can give one away. If you make it in a 9 x 13-inch pan, just pour half of your batter in, top with half of the crumbs, then the remaining batter and remaining crumbs.

3 bananas, peeled

2 cups granulated sugar

½ cup (1 stick) margarine

1 cup milk

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

2 cups self-rising flour 2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumb Topping
• ½ cup (1 stick) margarine
• 1 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
• 1 cup flour (self-rising or all-purpose, whatever you have on hand)

• Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray two 8 x 8-inch pans with cooking spray. Place the bananas in a large bowl and add the sugar. Mix until the bananas are liquefied. Add the margarine and mix until creamed together with the banana mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and blend well.
• In a medium bowl, combine all the topping ingredients. Cut together with a long-tined fork until well blended. Pour one quarter of the batter into each pan and top with one quarter of the crumb mixture.
• Pour the remaining batter over and top with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve from the pan.

12 servings