How to Make Soft and Delicious Shanghai Banana Cake Easily at Home

How to make Shanghai Banana Cake

• 1

  Mix the egg mixture

  First, separate 1 egg yolk into a bowl, beat the egg yolk with 15g of all-purpose flour and 15g of sugar until the yolk is light and pale in color.

  Next, add 5g of cornstarch and 5g of banana powder, mixing until the mixture is smooth. Then, gradually add 80ml of unsweetened fresh milk and 40ml of coconut milk while stirring for about 1 minute until fully combined.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Make the banana cake filling

  Pour and filter the egg milk mixture through a sieve into a pot. Stir constantly over low heat until the cream thickens and the smell of raw flour is no longer present.

  Transfer the cream mixture to a bowl, wait for it to cool completely, and cover it with plastic wrap. Then place it in the refrigerator.

  

  

  
• 3

  Mix the cake batter

  Separate 4 egg yolks into a bowl and mix well with 10g of sugar. Whisk until the eggs are lightly frothy and turn a pale yellow.

  Add 30ml of cooking oil to the bowl and mix well. Then add 40ml of unsweetened fresh milk to the egg yolks and whisk continuously.

  Continue adding 30g of all-purpose flour, 30g of cornstarch, and 5g of banana powder, mixing thoroughly with the egg yolk mixture until everything is well combined.

  Tip:

  • You should separate the egg whites into a small bowl to avoid the egg yolks breaking and mixing with the whites, which would ruin the batch.
  • Using an eggshell to scoop out the yolk is easier than using a spoon, especially if the amount is not significant.
  • For a more fragrant cake when baking, you should mix the cake batter with orange zest.

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Whipping the eggs

  Add 5g of salt to the bowl containing the egg whites, beat on low speed until the egg whites start to foam, then add 2.5g of cream of tartar or you can substitute with lemon or vinegar.

  Continue beating until the foam becomes smaller and thicker, then add 70g of sugar. Beat for another 30 seconds at the highest speed until it is nearly stiff, the egg whites are glossy, elastic, and smooth, and when you lift the whisk, it has a peak that bends slightly downwards.

  

  

  
• 5

  Mix the cake batter with egg whites

  Divide the egg white mixture into 3 equal parts. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the bowl containing the egg yolks and mix well until the mixture is uniform in color.

  Then, add the remaining egg whites to the bowl and use the folding technique (mixing by turning and lifting from the bottom of the bowl upwards in one direction) to combine the batter until the mixture is even.

  Tip: To prevent the cake from being sticky while baking, you should scrape deep to the bottom of the bowl to mix the batter that may have settled.

  

  
• 6

  Bake the cake

  Pour the cake batter into a baking tray lined with parchment paper and spread the batter evenly over the surface of the tray. After pouring, gently tap the tray on the table to help the batter spread more evenly and the surface of the cake to be flatter.

  Put the cooled banana cream into a piping bag. Cut a hole about 0.5 cm to create parallel diagonal lines on the surface of the cake. Once finished drawing, evenly sprinkle 50g of dried coconut flakes over the cake.

  Bake the cake at a temperature of 155 to 165 degrees for about 30 – 35 minutes until the cake rises and the surface is evenly golden.

  

  

  

  
• 7

  Shaping Shanghai Banana Cake

  When the cake is done baking, take it out of the tray, remove the parchment paper, and place it on a rack to cool completely.

  Once the cake is completely cool, use a knife to trim the edges. Cut the cake into rectangles measuring 13 x 15cm.

  Use a brush to apply a thin layer of milk on the surface of the cake, then place the cake in the refrigerator for about 3 hours to help soften it so that it doesn’t crack when rolling.

  Whip 50g of cream until fluffy, then use the fold technique to mix it evenly with the filling mixture. After that, spread a layer of cream on the inside of the cake, leaving the edges bare.

  Roll the cake into a circular shape and place it into a mold to shape it.

  Tip: Roll the cake so that the cream swirls are aligned with the direction of the roll. If rolled against the grain, the cake will crack and break at the cream swirls.

  

  

  

  
• 8

  Final Product

  Shanghai banana cake has a soft, fluffy outer layer, with a sweet and fragrant characteristic from eggs, milk, corn flour, and banana flour. The cream filling inside is rich and refreshing.

  It truly is an attractive dessert after meals, or you can also serve the cake to guests or friends whenever they visit.