Don Signature Crab - Singapore Food Guide

Banana Walnut Cake (Moist)

A Singapore-style moist banana walnut cake, baked with ripe bananas and toasted walnuts for a tender, buttery loaf perfect for kopi and teatime in the heartland or CBD.

Banana Walnut Cake (Moist)

About this dish

This moist banana walnut cake is the kind of loaf you’ll find cooling on a kopitiam counter in a cosy neighbourhood like Tiong Bahru or served at a family potluck after a zi char dinner. Made with very ripe bananas, a touch of brown sugar and chopped toasted walnuts, it sits comfortably between Western baking and local kopi-shop comfort — great for breakfast with kopi O or as an afternoon snack during rain-watching by the HDB corridor.

The cake has a soft, almost custardy crumb and a caramelised banana flavour with crunchy walnut pockets. For a Singapore twist, try a light drizzle of gula melaka syrup or brown sugar glaze, or swap half the buttermilk for coconut milk for extra tropical richness — flavours that nod to our hawker and Peranakan influences. It’s forgiving, low-fuss baking that suits busy parents, home bakers in flats with small ovens, and anyone bringing something homely to a potluck or Raya/Deepavali spread.

Texture-wise expect a dense-but-moist slice that holds together for lunchboxes and goes beautifully with a cold glass of barley or a cup of teh tarik. Toasting the walnuts and using very ripe bananas are the two small steps that make the flavour sing — little tricks common in Singapore kitchens where flavour is everything, even for simple treats.

Ingredients

  • 350 g very ripe bananas (about 3 medium), mashed
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice (toss with bananas to prevent excess browning)
  • 250 g plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 120 g unsalted butter, softened (or 120 ml vegetable oil for a lighter crumb)
  • 100 g light brown sugar (or 80 g gula melaka, melted, for a local twist)
  • 50 g caster (superfine) sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 120 ml buttermilk or plain yoghurt (or 100 ml coconut milk + 20 ml water)
  • 100 g walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
  • Extra walnut halves for topping (about 8–10 pieces)
  • Optional: 1 tbsp dark rum or 1 tbsp gula melaka syrup for soaking/finishing

Step-by-Step Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan) / 180°C (conventional). Grease and line a 22 x 12 cm loaf tin with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to lift the cake out.
  2. Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and lightly browned; set aside to cool (this brings out the oils and crunch — a common home-baker trick in Singapore kitchens).
  3. In a bowl, mash the ripe bananas with the lemon juice until mostly smooth (small lumps are fine). Stir in the mashed banana, vanilla and the rum or gula melaka syrup if using; let cool for a minute.
  4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until evenly combined.
  5. Cream the softened butter and both sugars together until pale and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes) using a hand mixer or whisk. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  6. Fold the mashed banana mixture into the butter-egg mix, then gently fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk: add one-third flour, mix lightly, add half the buttermilk, repeat, finishing with the last of the flour. Do not overmix — stop when you see no dry streaks.
  7. Fold in the toasted walnuts, reserving a handful for the top. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top; scatter the reserved walnut halves and a sprinkle of demerara or caster sugar on top for a crusty finish.
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for 55–65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil after 35 minutes.
  9. Cool the cake in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment overhang and cool completely. For a local finishing touch, brush lightly with warm gula melaka syrup or a simple brown sugar glaze before serving.
  10. Slice and serve with kopi, teh tarik or a glass of chilled barley — store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days in Singapore humidity, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Tips & Serving Ideas

  • Use very ripe bananas (lots of brown spots) for maximum natural sweetness; check NTUC or Sheng Siong for ‘cooking bananas’ becoming cheaper in bulk.
  • Toast the walnuts before mixing to intensify the flavour — do this in a dry pan on medium heat and cool completely to avoid releasing oil into the batter.
  • If you prefer a more local flavour, replace half the brown sugar with melted gula melaka (found in wet markets or Cold Storage) and add a tablespoon to the glaze.
  • To keep the crumb moist in Singapore’s humid climate, store the cooled cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for longer; warm slices briefly before serving.
  • Don’t overmix once the flour is added — mix until just combined to avoid a tough cake. Light folding keeps the crumb tender, like the soft bakes at neighbourhood bakeries.
  • Make-ahead: Bake the loaf, wrap well and freeze slices for up to 1 month — defrost at room temperature or warm in a toaster oven.
  • Adjust sweetness to taste: local palates might prefer slightly less sugar if using very ripe bananas or gula melaka, so taste the batter sweetness before baking if you can.

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