Steamed Banana Cake
It is supposed to be a cake meet day, but Polly had postphoned the cake meet because she has an appointment to bring her car for service. However, at the last minute, she got a call to inform her that the parts needed for her car service has not arrived. So, Polly decided to drop by my place for a chit-chat instead of going out because it was the hottest day of the week, temperature was up to mid twenties.
Polly brought a couple of ripen banana to show me how to make a very simple Steamed Banana Cake which is her family’s favourite. It is a very good idea to steam the cake as I do not want to heat up the whole place by using the oven, especially in a hot summer day.
The Steam Banana Cake came out just perfect and smelt so good. Arkensen likes it so much that he finished three quarters of the cake in a day.
The best part of her recipe is that she steamed the cake in the same mixing bowl she used to prepare the cake. No extra dishes to wash. For this demonstration. I had to show the ingredients in individual bowls but when you are making this at home, you just measure all the ingredients into the mixing bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 1 egg (can be substituted with 50ml of milk or water; I once ran out of egg and substituted with water and it worked fine)
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup icing sugar
- 100g (close to 1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons of semi-sweet chocolate chips or raisins, optional
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
- Mix the ingredients with a fork until well blended.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Steam the cake on a rack for 15 to 18 minutes until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the steamer and let the cake cool for a few minutes. Use a knife to loosen the sides of the cake and pop the cake out of the bowl. Here you are, a warm and fragrant cake ready in less than 25 minutes. You may add some chocolate chips if you prefer.
Polly, thank you for sharing such a simple, healthy and quick to prepare recipe. So, when you have ripe banana on hand and crave for banana cake, this is the just the right recipe for a hot summer day.
I shared this recipe in the Gilmore Park Church community kitchen and it was well received as the members loved the fact that it is steamed and not baked.
If you like steamed cake recipes, check out the following:
- Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake
- Steamed Mah Lai Ko
- Steamed Rice Cakes (Pak Thong Koh)
- Another Steamed Rice Cake
- Chinese Sponge Cake
I tested the recipe with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and it turned out as spongy and soft and no hint of bitterness.
Popularity: 88% [?]
Technorati:
About the Author: 
Rachel | Jun 8, 2007 | Reply
Hi Suanne & Polly
This looks great and it is easy to make. I love simple & healthy recipes. I shall try it. Thank you for sharing.
cocoa | Jun 8, 2007 | Reply
Right on time.. I have a few ripe banana that i need to get rid off quickly!
Will try tonight!
RobynT | Jun 8, 2007 | Reply
yes, looks good! i especially like that it’s lactose free.
Polly | Jun 8, 2007 | Reply
Hi Suanne
Most of my friends loved it. I think it’s because it taste so good like a real banana. I hope Rachel’s children will love it too.BTW, I’ve another steam cake recipes,till next time, ok?
Maninas: Food Matters | Jun 9, 2007 | Reply
Hi, do you think it would work to substitute bananas with mango?
Thanks!
Windy | Jun 11, 2007 | Reply
Wow! When I read the comments (by the right hand side of the Chowtimes front page), a few people said that it was a very good cake. I am amazed how simple it seems to make. I will need to try it and better print out the recipe now. :)
Suanne | Jun 12, 2007 | Reply
Hi Maninas, I just tried to make it with mango this morning. It turned out to be more like a mango custard as the mango I used was big and yielded slightly more than a cup of pulp. The mango cake is very moist and rich in mango flavour. Give it a try as it does not take long to make.
Karina | Jun 12, 2007 | Reply
I think there might be too much baking soda/powder used, I put two teaspoons as you mentioned, and it tasted bitter! Perhaps you meant 1 or 1/2 teaspoons?
Suanne | Jun 13, 2007 | Reply
Hi Karina, I had made this cake numerous times and it’s not bitter. Could it be there is a mixup in the baking powder with baking soda. It should be two teaspoons of baking powder.
Jennifer | Jun 14, 2007 | Reply
Oh this is something I am bookmarking. It sounds healthy and absolutely delicious! What a wonderful idea for a summer dessert. Thank you for sharing.
Windy | Jun 15, 2007 | Reply
Hi again, I made it last night but was not successful. I guess it’s because I don’t have a good steaming device. So I wonder, is it possible to oven it instead? If so, what is the temperature and the time?
Suanne | Jun 15, 2007 | Reply
Hi Windy, I used a wok with lid and a rack to steam the cake on high heat. Give it another try. I do not know the temperature and time to bake it. My guess is that you can try to bake it at 350F for 15 minutes (because it’s a small cake) to 30 minutes, check the doneness at 15 minutes and 5 minutes intervals after that.
Celia | Jun 15, 2007 | Reply
Hi Suanne, Just made the cake and it came out wonderful, follow the recipe to the dot. Is a hit!!! Also thank you for the recipe to make the dough by hand for the chives pocket, it will be the next thing to try.
Maybe Windy can try covering the lit of the steamer with a piece of cloth so the drops of water from the steamer won´t fall into the cake. Is what i did and as i told you it came out perfect.
Jamie | Jun 19, 2007 | Reply
Hi Suanne, I love your site and have already printed quite a few of your recipes. THANKS! I made this cake over the weekend, but mine came out a little dry. Do you think I should use 3/4 cup flour versus a little less than a cup?
Suanne | Jun 19, 2007 | Reply
Hi Jamie, I usually weigh the flour but if you dont have a scale, try one cup less two tablespoons and you can add another half to one teaspoon of water.
Anu | Jun 20, 2007 | Reply
Hi,
Thanks for your brownie recipe and it turned out awesome.. i am a big fan of your recipes now..doyou have a recipe for simple/easy white/yellow cake.. can you share it with me
thanks
Anu
Jamie | Jun 20, 2007 | Reply
Hi Suanne,
Thanks for the tip. I was too anxious and made it again last night using 3/4 cup and added chocolate chips. My co-workers are gobbling it up as I type this. That recipe is a keeper!!
Mandy | Jul 8, 2007 | Reply
Hi,
My steamed banana cake came out very hard. Why is it so ?
Ron | Jul 12, 2007 | Reply
I had to add extra liquid - the dough was too dry (bread dough-like, rather than cake batter-like) without another few tablespoons of water. It turned out well though.
WRT turning out hard - do not over-mix the batter (don’t use an electric mixer). Over-mixing will yield a tough texture (i.e. just like pancake batter, mix until ingredients are just mixed).
Bevelyn | Jul 16, 2007 | Reply
Hello there Suanne..
I am a huge fan of banana cake. My mother always buy me that. It’s my ever favorite. I never knew that it’s good to steam it too.. :D
I haven’t tried it yet, but since we have a steamer at house, I’ll definitely try it on Saturday.. :D
I’ll tell you right away.. :)
Thanks
Maria | Jul 17, 2007 | Reply
I made this banana cake on the weekend and it turned out nice. It’s a mild and light tasting cake which was exactly what I was craving… it was a quick fix too! It reminded me of the Chinese ‘Malay cake’ but made with banana. I made one with chocolate chips and the other without… I preferred it without. I added a little extra water and my cake puffed up nicely.
pookie | Sep 4, 2007 | Reply
Thanks again! I just made this cake and it turned out very moist and soft. I especially liked the fact that it’s healthy AND tasty!
Nora | Nov 9, 2007 | Reply
This is a keeper! Delicious and very easy to make.
I have made this already 4 times in the last 2 weeks! Even with slight variations - coconut water or milk instead of water and adding nuts and raisins - it came out perfectly every time.
One thing I have done which is not mentioned in the recipe is to cover the cake pan tightly with aluminum foil. Could this be why it did not turn out for some?
Thank you so much for the great recipe.
Janice | Dec 10, 2007 | Reply
I am very keen to try out the recipe but I do not have a steamer at home. Can I use normal wok? Nora mentioned that we should cover the cake pan tightly with the aluminium foil, how could this be done if I am using a wok? Also, I am new comer into this cake baking thingy.. Is multipurpose flour same as self raising flour?
Suanne | Dec 10, 2007 | Reply
Hi Janice, I actually used a wok to steam the banana cake. I never cover the pan and the cake comes out alright all the time.
All purpose flour is not the same as self raising flour. Self raising already contains leaving agents like baking powder and salt.
Annette | Dec 11, 2007 | Reply
I tried to make this today but it took almost 30 mins to be ready. It tasted good, but had a bit of a flour-y taste. Do you know what went wrong? Perhaps I should use less flour next time? I actually weighed the flour so it was exactly 100g.
suanne | Dec 12, 2007 | Reply
Hi Annette, I steam mine on high heat and the heat has to be the factor for how long to cook the cake. As for the flour, of late, I just use 3/4 cup of flour instead of measuring it. One more thing to consider is the size of the banana which contribute the moisture to the cake. You may add a bit more water if you find the batter too dry.
Annette | Dec 13, 2007 | Reply
I steamed on high heat too. I think it was the banana. It was quite dry. I will add more water next time I try. Thankes for the tips! BTW, great site, and great recipes!
mei | Dec 17, 2007 | Reply
i cant get any multipurpose. can i use plain flour instead of multipurpose flour? thanks…
Suanne | Dec 17, 2007 | Reply
Hi Mei, you can use plain flour or cake flour.
Jessica | Dec 17, 2007 | Reply
Do you think I could use a metal bowl instead of a steamer? I don’t have a wok. I want to try to make this on Saturday but I suck at cakes so Im a little nervous!
Suanne | Dec 17, 2007 | Reply
Hi Jessica, you can use any utensils as long as it generates the steaming effects. Let me know how it turns out.
eileen | May 20, 2008 | Reply
Hi,i will definitely try this recipe.It is steamed,not baked.It will b more healthy.thanks
JANE ZaM | May 21, 2008 | Reply
I LOVE BANANA CAKE since i was a child.. but no idea how to make it… i thought making such cake cost u much and/or hard to make. But after finding this blog site of urs, makes me realized that this banana cake is “no u say, u can’t make it”… its so easy… from ingredient, to cook procedures, to cooking ware ( steamer, thank god…)AWESOME… :)
Analyn | Jul 27, 2008 | Reply
Hi Suanne,
my first time to drop by your site and i find it so interesting. Currently, i am looking for steamed recipes, since we don’t have an oven. Will sure try this recipe! BTW, what’s the substitute for the icing sugar? can i use white sugar instead? and for much i should use? Suanne, will you please share me more cakes or dessert recipes that can be cooked by means of steaming than baking, we don’t have an oven.
Hope to hear from you!
suanne | Jul 27, 2008 | Reply
Hi Analyn, you can substitute the icing sugar with granulated sugar, use 2 to 3 tablespoons, depend on how sweet you like it. Since granulated sugar does not dissolve as easy as icing sugar, you might want to whisk the sugar with other wet ingredients first until the sugar is dissolved. There are more steamed cake recipes in my blog. You can check them out in the recipe section under cakes category.
Doreen | Aug 14, 2008 | Reply
Wow… the steamed cake looks yummy & also simple to make one without using the oven!!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. :)
Pearlyn | Aug 26, 2008 | Reply
Hi Suanne,
Can I use wholemeal flour or corn flour to make more healthy? If yes do I need to add extra water or others thing to make sure it’s not so hard.
Pearlyn1goh | Aug 26, 2008 | Reply
Hi Suanne,
I also lkke to know how to make steam pandan cake. Do u have any idea?
Suanne | Aug 26, 2008 | Reply
Hi Pearlyn, you can always mix in some other flour and adjust the moisture accordingly. I think if you use wholewheat flour alone, the texture will be too coarse. Sometimes, I do add a tablespoon of ground flax seed in my cake or bread for a healthier version.
I found a steamed pandan cake recipe from this forum (http://jodeli.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=SEA&action=display&thread=394) and it looks very simple. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out.
Mikolotski | Oct 1, 2008 | Reply
Hi! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It seems to be easy to prepare and delicious. I was wondering if I can substitute the icing sugar with plain white sugar. Would this affect the cake’s quality? Thanks for your reply in advanced. ^_^
Suanne | Oct 1, 2008 | Reply
Hi Mikolotski, I have not personally try using plain white sugar as I always have icing sugar on hand. You can always substitute with other type of sugar as long as you make sure the sugar dissolved before you add in the flour. You need less plain sugar to substitute icing sugar, i.e. reduce the amount base on your preference. Hope this help.
renet13 | Oct 5, 2008 | Reply
thks for sharing this simple & possible for me to try recipe. Will try out one weekend.
marylou | Oct 21, 2008 | Reply
I love looking at your steamed cakes…I hope i’ll be able to try them one of these days…my husband is a big cake eater!!!! I am so glad I found your blog!
Zarina | Oct 31, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for the recipe! I steamed these in custard cups and served with steamed grated coconut. YUMMY!!
Maznah | Nov 1, 2008 | Reply
I have the same problem like Karina…The cake is beautiful but sadly it has a bitter taste. Please help…Perhaps the baking powder I used is not a good one…..right?
Suanne | Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
Hi Maznah, I used the brand called Magic baking powder. I’m not sure if it’s the brand that caused the bitterness. But I know that if you use excessive baking soda, the cake will tastes bitter. I would suggest you reduce the amount of baking powder to 1 1/2 teaspoons the next time you try to make this cake.
Suzette | Nov 4, 2008 | Reply
Hi! Suzanne, thanks for sharing this great recipe. Need your advice a lil here. I tried making this twice, with exactly the measurement and method. But both resulted in flat cakes. I think they rised about half of your size only. The texture is not fluffy, but more like the malaikou. I wonder if there is any way I can improve it? I actually used pisang emas (3 because of the mini size). Wonder if that makes a difference?
mommy to chumsy | Nov 6, 2008 | Reply
hi there! thanks for dropping by my blog. how did you know that I posted about your famous steamed banana recipe? :D anyway, thanks again for sharing this recipe. I must say, your post on this is very popular in the blogsphere. Many bloggers have tried it :D
mommy to chumsy | Nov 6, 2008 | Reply
hi ben :) thanks for the info. btw, i got the same corelle plates when i was staying in toronto about 15 years ago. guess they only have this design for north america :D