Thai Steamed Banana Cakes

Nobody wants to eat brown banana, right? I have 3 of them sitting on the counter and no one wants to touch it. Well, it can be used in smoothie but I just don’t like banana in a smoothie at all. I don’t know why either!  

To solve problem, I decided to make banana cake – Thai steamed banana cakes, that what I meant. These dessert reminded me of the process of how I learned to make them from my family. I remembered that my mom, my grandmother, and my aunties would get together at my parents’ house to make this, and they made lots of them to share and to take them to the temple, and that how I learned to make steamed banana cake. Though the different type of banana were used (Gluay Naam Waa), but any types of banana would work as well, for my opinion, but the level of sweetness may be differ.

Originally, banana leaves were used as a “wrapper.” Just like Mexican tamales that wrap dough stuffed with meat/cheese with cornhusks, and then steam. However, “how-to” cut banana leaves to wrap the banana cakes depends on how creative you are. Some people make banana “cup” or “cone” and fill it with the banana cake batter and then steam; some people just wrap them all around (like tamales), and then steam. 

 

 

Instead of using banana leaves this time, I filled the batter into the silicone muffin cups and the mini tin tartlets, and then steamed. I didn’t used banana leaves to wrap my banana cakes because I didn’t have enough banana leaves left on my banana plants as the freezing weather had destroyed them all from the last winter. Luckily, they started to come back with a few green leaves in the last two weeks, whew!  

What I was missing when finished making this was the aroma of banana leaves that give banana cakes an earthy flavor when eating. Overall, there were great and I just couldn’t stop eating them.  

Dessert snacks for children on Easter Day? YES! Absolutely!  

 

*Notes: if used the paper muffin cups, they have to have a sturdy cups or plate to hold its shape, otherwise it will collapse to the side. Or using small ramekin cups, loaf pan, or round cake pan to steam the batter and then cut into pieces to serve. 

 

 

 

 

What you need:

3 banana, mashed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 c coconut milk
1 cup rice flour
1/4 cup tropioca flour
1 cup coconut flaked, divided
Pint of salt

 

 

 

 

 


How to:
- Sprinkle a pint of salt in 1/4 cup shredded coconut and set aside for topping
- Stir in sugar and a pinch of salt into mashed banana
- Whisk in coconut milk, rice flour, tropioca flour, and another 3/4 cup shredded coconut until it - well combined
- Fill the batter in the silicone muffin cups (if used – see notes) and sprinkle some of coconut topping on the top of each one, and bring them to steam on high-heat for 20-25 minutes
- Let them cool down before handling and serving with tea or as dessert snack
* It’s ideally served at room temperature but I like to eat it warm, not too hot. 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

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