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What is Bánh Chuối Hấp?

Banh Chuoi Hap is a traditional Vietnamese steamed banana cake.

It’s the Vietnamese equivalent of banana bread as the go-to recipe to use up ripe bananas.

Banh Chuoi Hap is a not-too-sweet and bouncy cake, topped with creamy coconut sauce with small tapioca balls, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and crushed peanuts.

Vietnamese Steamed Banana Cake (Banh Chuoi Hap) with coconut milk sauce — Vietnamese steamed banana cake with coconut milk sauce

What You Will Need

To make Banh Chuoi Hap, gather the following:

Steamer: Make sure the steamer fits the baking pan completely when covered.

Cake/baking pan: I’m using a round 9-inch cake pan for this recipe.

Neutral oil: A tiny bit of vegetable oil to grease the baking pan.

Overripe bananas: The star ingredients. You want dark speckled bananas. The darker the bananas, the sweeter they are.

Tapioca starch: The base of the steamed cake. Tapioca starch adds elasticity and a glossy finish.

Rice flour: The Vietnamese equivalent of American all-purpose flour. A little rice flour is used to provide structure to the bouncy cake. Look for rice flour on the label and not glutinous rice flour. It’s typically in a clear bag with red letterings in Asian grocery stores.

Salt: A little sea salt (pinch) to enhance all the flavors.

Sugar: I’m using granulated white cane sugar.

Yellow food coloring (optional): Adding yellow food coloring enhances the cake's appearance and helps clearly identify it as a banana cake. I’m using lemon yellow gel food coloring.

Coconut sauce:

unsweetened coconut milk (I’m using a whole 165 mL canned coconut milk which is the smallest can available)
water
sugar
small tapioca/sago balls
fresh pandan leaf for steeping

Toasted peanuts and/or toasted sesame seeds (optional): For more pizzazz, sprinkle toasted peanuts and toasted white sesame seeds on top of the coconut sauce.

Vietnamese steamed banana cake (Banh Chuoi Hap)

How to Make It

Step 1: Prepare the Batter

In a medium bowl, combine tapioca starch, rice flour, sugar, salt, yellow food coloring, and water until completely dissolved.

Smash 2 of the 3 bananas with a fork. Mix this into the batter.

Peel the last banana and slice into ⅛-inch thick circles. Set aside. This will be used to decorate the top.

Step 2: Steam the Cake

Grease a 9-inch baking pan with a bit of vegetable oil and pour the batter in. Place the banana slices across the top. Gently press them down into the batter so that batter thinly covers the top.

Steam over medium heat for about 35 minutes or until the cake is firm and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Wipe down the inside of the lid at the halfway mark to prevent water droplets from falling onto the cake.

Step 3: Make the Coconut Sauce

In the meantime, in a small sauce pan, bring water to a boil. Add tapioca/sago balls and cook on a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes or until tapioca/sago balls are translucent/clear.

Discard pandan leaf. Add coconut milk, salt, and sugar. Simmer for 2 more minutes. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly to thicken..

Step 4: Serve

Allow the banana cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan then cut into pieces. Drizzle the coconut milk sauce over the cake before serving.

Top with toasted crushed peanuts and sesame seeds (optional) and enjoy.

Vietnamese steamed banana cake (Banh Chuoi Hap) with coconut milk sauce, tapioca balls, toasted sesame seeds and crushed peanuts.

FAQs

What if I don't have pandan leaves?

Replace with vanilla extract or simply omit.

How to store leftovers?

Wrap any uneaten portions up tightly or store in a air-tight container in the refrigerator.

To reheat the cake, microwave on high for 15-20 seconds. To reheat the coconut sauce, stir in some hot water to loosen it up and then microwave on high for 30 seconds or reheat on the stovetop until warmed through.

Tips for Success

When removing the lid off the steamer, quickly invert it so water droplets don’t fall back onto the cake, which may ruin the texture when it’s still cooking.
If using different size pans or molds, the steam times will vary. Generally, steam the cakes until they turn translucent and no longer wet. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.
When cooking the coconut sauce, be sure to stir every minute and scrap the bottom of the pan to prevent the tapioca pearls from sticking to it.
Ensure your bananas are ripe for the best flavor.
Let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting. It will be very soft and hot straight from the steamer and removing and cutting will be difficult.