Banh Chuoi — Vietnamese banana cake

i. Origin & history

Banh chuoi reflects French colonial influence on Vietnamese baking — the technique of using bread or flour with eggs is European; the bananas and coconut sauce are Vietnamese.

ii. Ingredients

Makes 8 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 6 ripe bananas, sliced
• 200 g day-old white bread, cubed
• 250 ml coconut milk
• 250 ml whole milk
• 100 g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch salt
• 60 g unsalted butter, melted
• 200 ml thick coconut milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp rice flour
• Pinch salt

iii. Method

1. Heat oven to 180 °C. Grease a 22 cm tin.
2. Combine bread cubes and banana slices in the tin.
3. Whisk coconut milk, whole milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and butter. Pour over.
4. Bake 40-45 min until set and golden on top.
5. Make sauce: simmer coconut milk with rice flour, sugar and salt to a thin sauce.
6. Serve warm with coconut sauce poured over.

iv. Tips & common mistakes

• Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
• Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
• Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.

v. Variations

Banh chuoi hap is the steamed version. Banh chuoi nuong is the baked version (this recipe). Banh chuoi chien is the deep-fried Vietnamese banana fritter.

vii. More from Vietnamese

• Baked Banana Fritters — Indonesian oven-baked banana
• Turon — Filipino banana lumpia
• Banana Foster — American rum banana flambé
• Sticky Rice with Durian — sticky rice with durian
• Banh Da Lon — Vietnamese layered tapioca cake
• Dadar Gulung — coconut pandan crêpes