Japanese snacks are some of the best souvenirs you can get - and Tokyo Banana is probably one of the most classic treats one can buy from Japan. Since the halal status of Tokyo Banana products have always been a concern for Muslim travellers, it's definitely got people wondering what this popular snack tastes like. Well, we're here to change that today because with this halal Tokyo Banana recipe, you'll have the chance of savouring its light and fluffy sponge cake filled with delicious banana custard cream! So throw on your apron and let's get to baking ??
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the banana custard cream
- 1 medium-sized banana
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 tsp alcohol-free vanilla extract (or 1 ½ tsp vanilla essence)
For the sponge cake
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cake flour
- 1 tbsp milk (room temperature)
Equipment
- 9-inch square brownie pan
- Stand or hand mixer
- Pastry bag (or DIY one using a ziploc sandwich bag)
Directions
- Starting with the ingredients for the banana custard cream, mash the banana with a fork in a bowl until smooth and free of lumps.
- Add egg, cornstarch, sugar, milk and mix well. Then strain the mixture into a pan through a fine mesh sieve.
- Stir the mixture constantly over low heat. Once it starts to thicken, turn off the heat and continue to stir. Add a teaspoon of alcohol-free vanilla extract and mix.
- Leave the cream to cool completely before transferring into a pastry bag. Let it chill in the fridge while you prepare the sponge cake.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a brownie pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, beat eggs and sugar together. Then place it over a pan of hot water, continuously stirring until the sugar has melted.
- Remove from heat and using a mixer, beat the mixture on high for about 5 minutes until it becomes fluffy. Switch to low and beat for another 2 minutes to set the texture.
- Sift cake flour into the mixture and gently fold it in using a spatula. Add milk and continue to fold it into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the brownie pan and tap the pan on the counter several times to get rid of any air bubbles.
- Pop it in the oven and bake for about 11 to 12 minutes until lightly brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven, line a parchment paper on top of the cake and place another pan on top before flipping it over. Carefully peel the parchment paper and cut the sponge into 4 equal squares. While it's still warm, get ready to roll the cake! Check out this video from minute 4.05 to 4.20 to see how you can do it properly:
- Place a cake square on a plastic wrap (brown side up) and pipe the banana custard cream on top. Then roll it with the plastic wrap and twist the ends to secure it tightly. You can refer to the same video (from minute 4.45 to 5.12) to guide you on this. Do the same with the remaining cake squares.
- Pop them in the freezer and let it chill for about 1 hour before enjoying!
And there you go! A halal recipe for a classic Tokyo treat - so go ahead and start gathering your ingredients for a bite of this delightfully fluffy sponge cake with a dreamy filling of banana custard cream ?
Need more recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth? Check these out: