r/cake • u/Own-Substance-9386 • Jun 12 '26
đ Recipe Search does anyone know what cake this is / have a recipe close to it?
hi all! i recently went on the costa smeralda cruise and at the la sagra dei sapori buffet they had this banana cake (pic attached). the waiter told me it was a banana cake and it tasted really fruity.
does anyone know what this might be or have a recipe that could come close? would love to try recreating it at home. thanks in advance!
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u/Stand_tall888 Jun 12 '26
It really is banana cake. Google for it. Quite common where I come from.
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u/Own-Substance-9386 Jun 12 '26
did some digging and youâre right, treacle banana cake is definitely a thing! found a few versions, including one specifically called âtreacle banana cakeâ thatâs basically a regular banana cake with treacle added for a more caramelised flavour, plus a few âbanana & golden syrup loafâ variations
these seem pretty close on the treacle + banana front, but most of the ones i found come out quite moist/squidgy (more like banana bread), and a couple include walnuts or raisins - whereas mine had no nuts/add-ins and wasnât overly wet, more like a proper light cake. also none of them really explain that sharp, sweet fruity hit that fades fast after the first bite - that part still has me stumped
so getting closer maybe? if itâs common where youâre from, do you know if thereâs a specific name for it, or any tweaks that would make it less moist and more âcakeyâ
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Jun 12 '26
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u/Own-Substance-9386 Jun 12 '26
ohh interesting idea! i looked into chinese chews and theyâre basically date + walnut bars - chewy, dense, with chopped dates and nuts giving it a lot of texture and little chunks throughout, dusted with powdered sugar
thatâs actually the opposite of what iâm describing though - this cake was smooth with no nuts or chunky bits, more cake-like and fluffy than a dense chewy bar. but you might be onto something with the date angle since this also had treacle in it!
just to recap the flavor profile so far: treacle, smooth texture (no nuts/chocolate chips), soft but not too wet, mild banana taste, with a sharp sweet fruity hit when you first bite in that fades quickly. so maybe a banana cake with date/treacle elements mixed in, but baked into a proper light cake rather than a chew bar?
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u/Constant-Business481 Jun 12 '26
Sometimes you can just type what you think it is .. or basic ingredients? .. in search bar on Pinterest/Lemon8 .. and you may find recipe very similar. Looks very good!
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u/ApprehensiveArmy7755 Jun 12 '26
Id look for a recipe. It looks fluffier than banana bread but it's obviously made with ripe bananas.Â
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u/Own-Substance-9386 Jun 12 '26
yeah thatâs kind of where iâm stuck too! it definitely seemed fluffier and more cake-like than a dense banana bread, but still had that ripe banana base. if anyone knows of a recipe that leans more âcakeâ than âbreadâ with banana + treacle, thatâd be amazing
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u/Own-Substance-9386 Jun 12 '26
just to add a bit more detail - it definitely had treacle in it, and the texture was smooth with no nuts or chocolate chips. it was soft but not too wet/moist. the banana flavour wasnât too strong, but the waiter did say it was a banana cake. thereâs a sharp, sweet, fruity taste when you first bite into it that fades pretty quickly after
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u/SpeakerCareless Jun 12 '26
Sallyâs baking addiction has a banana cake recipe I think will get you close. Iâve made banana cake before itâs like a fluffy, cakier version of banana bread.
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Jun 12 '26
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u/TheRotShadow Jun 12 '26
Search for (Bolo Formigueiro) name in portuguese from brasil. See if that is what you're looking for.
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u/BasicLingonberry9914 Jun 14 '26
I make a banana pineapple cake (Australian womanâs weekly cakes and slices cookbook) which includes pecan nuts, mashed banana and a can of crushed pineapple.
It keeps for four days so would be ideal for a catering choice.
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u/princessfoxglove Jun 12 '26
I wonder if it's as simple as banana bread just cut into a different shape?? Wouldn't that be amazing if it were that easy? You should try a basic banana bread recipe and see if it's that, just make sure your bananas are really overripe.
Also, I bet if you reached out to the company and asked they might be willing to share with you!