Cuca de Banana (Brazilian Banana Cake with Crumb Topping)
In short: A soft vanilla cake topped with sliced bananas and a buttery cinnamon crumb, baked in a sheet pan. A coffee-time favorite in southern Brazil. It takes about 1 h 10 min in total and makes 12 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 h 10 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 425 kcal
Cuca is a crumb-topped cake served with coffee in the afternoon across southern Brazil, especially in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. The most common version is topped with sliced banana and a sandy crumb of butter, sugar and cinnamon. This cake uses baking powder, so it needs no rising time and goes straight into the oven. Cut it into squares and serve it warm or at room temperature.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter and flour a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking pan.
- Make the crumb: rub the flour, sugar, cinnamon and cold butter together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Chill while you make the cake.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk, and mix just until smooth.
- Spread the batter in the pan. Press the banana slices into the top in overlapping rows and scatter the crumb evenly over the bananas.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the cake part comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then cut into squares.
Tips
- Use bananas that are ripe but still firm so the slices hold their shape. Very soft ones turn to mush in the oven.
- For another classic version, swap the bananas for thin apple slices or small cubes of guava paste.
Questions and answers
What is cuca?
A crumb-topped coffee cake popular in southern Brazil, usually with a layer of fruit such as banana, apple or guava paste. It is served in the afternoon with coffee.
How do I store cuca?
Cover it and keep it at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 5 days. It also freezes well for up to 2 months.
Can I make cuca with a yeast dough?
Yes, many traditional versions use a sweet yeast dough. This baking powder batter is quicker and needs no rising.
How long does it take to make Cuca de Banana (Brazilian Banana Cake with Crumb Topping)?
About 1 h 10 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Cuca de Banana (Brazilian Banana Cake with Crumb Topping)?
About 425 kcal per serving, with 6 g of protein, 64 g of carbohydrates and 16 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 425 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 64 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 36 g |
| Sodium | 170 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
