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Banh Chuoi Nuong
(Banana Cake)


MAY 2020

            COOK TIME 1.5 hours
            BACKGROUND Growing up, we would always have a surplus of bread and bananas around the house; they were my dad’s easy on-the-go snack or breakfast before he headed out for his 5am shift. This baked banana bread pudding uses up both of those when they’re a bit past their prime — yes, especially for all that leftover bread you’ve been baking in quarantine.
            NOTES There’s so many things you can swap in with things you have in your pantry, and it still comes out so satisfying — baguette is traditional, sourdough makes it a bit tangy, but even white sliced bread works; almond flour or coconut flour for AP flour; coconut or brown sugar for white sugar; almond or oat milk for whole milk; coconut milk for condensed milk; red wine vinegar for red wine. 

INGREDIENTS

            2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
            8-10 bananas, sliced
            1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for topping
            1 tbsp red wine (sub: red wine vinegar)
            1 tsp vanilla extract
            2/3 cup whole milk (sub: almond or oat milk)
            2 tbsp all-purpose flour (sub: almond or coconut flour)
            1/2 tsp salt
            2 large eggs
            1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk sub: coconut milk)
            10 oz stale bread (baguette, sourdough, rustic, white), torn into 1-inch pieces



DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round or square cake pan with butter and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss the bananas with 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the red wine, and vanilla and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter with the remaining sugar, the milk, flour, salt, eggs, and sweetened condensed milk. Add the bread and toss to combine, then toss in almost all of the bananas. Leave around 20 slices or so separate to decorate the top with. Set aside for 15 minutes.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and decorate the top with the remaining bananas. Sprinkle evenly with sugar and bake until golden on top, about 1 hour. Cool slightly, then serve. This is also delicious served cold the following day.


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