Pastel de banano

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

A simple dessert typical of Guatemalan cuisine, pastel de banano is a homemade banana sponge cake. With a mild banana flavor and a subtle sweetness, the cake is typically made with a combination of bananas (both mashed and sliced), flour, eggs, butter, baking soda, sugar, and salt. The mixture is often enhanced with the addition of vanilla essence, although banana essence, chocolate, or even chopped nuts may also be used. Slices of the baked banana cake are usually eaten for dessert or as a sweet snack at any time of the day, and they’re commonly served dusted with icing sugar. Pastel de banano also goes well with yogurt-flavored ice cream.