Banana Bread Tres Leches Cake.
You might want to cover your ears for this one.
Because since taking a bite, I haven’t stopped shouting every expletive under the sun. Earmuffs!
Gah. This cake. It’s… that good. I just can’t.
I am a total basketcase over it.
That would be some fluffy whipped egg whites folded into batter up there. I was so freaking excited because I actually beat them BY HAND. I think my forearm still hurts. I don’t know why I did it but I thought hey… this might be fun. I’ve never done it the old-fashioned way and well, since I’m incredibly lazy and stuck inside this entitled generation, I should do something that requires work. So I did. And then? Well then I DUMPED THE EGG WHITES DOWN THE DRAIN. Yeah. By accident of course. That was awesome. Not. Actually, first I dumped the tail end of a can of beer in the bowl. THEN… into the sink.
So I ended up using an electric mixer anyway. What a crock.
Now, tres leches. I love love love. Um wait, something I don’t love? That “leches” continues to get auto-corrected to “leeches.” Uhhhh no. Never ever. I would not like to eat a cake of three leeches.
I am nuts over this one though. So much that I made it into cupcakes last year too. For someone who would never choose cake (unless it has the word cheese in front of it) as her drug of choice, you won’t find me turning down a slice of tres leches anytime soon. It’s just so gooey and delicious.
And, since I just can’t let anything in this world BE, I had to try this whole banana twist. I was wary, considering that banana bread is already somewhat gooey and soft (you can see I’m trying hard not to use the m word that ends in “oist”) to begin with. And then with that whole pouring three milks on top… yeah.
My inner skeptic was antsy.
Then… my inner skeptic was thrilled.
Banana Bread Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup 1 stick brown butter, cooled
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, separated
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2/3 cup whole, 2%, soy or almond milk
- 1/2 cup light coconut milk
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
caramelized bananas
- 3 firm, not too ripe bananas, sliced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking dish (I used an 8×11 dish) with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In another smaller bowl or using your electric mixer or hand-mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine egg yolks and sugars. Beat on medium speed until creamy and combined, then add in vanilla extract and bananas. With the mixer on low speed, add in cooled butter and mix until combined. Add in half of the dry ingredients, then add the 2/3 cups of milk. Finish by adding the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer base and using a large spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour batter in the greased dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cake is set in the center and slightly golden. [a 9×9 pan may require a little longer bake time;a 9×13 may require a little less – I would start with 20 minutes.] Remove and let cake cool slightly. You can either leave the cake in the dish to cool, or gently turn it over on a rimmed platter. Let it cool completely, then poke a ton of holes in the top with a fork.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together coconut milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk. Pour the milk mixture over the cake, letting it seep into the fork holes. Let set for about 45 minutes.
- To make the frosting, add the cold whipping cream to the bowl of your electric mixer and beat until stiff peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar and beat on medium speed to combine. Spread whipped cream evenly over the top of the cake.
- To make the caramelized bananas, heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and one sizzling, toss in bananas, salt, cinnamon and sugar, tossing well to coat. Cook for 4-5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until bananas are golden brown. Remove and let cool slightly. Serve cake with bananas on top or as a garnish. Note: you do want to store this cake in the fridge, but it can get slightly dense because of the bananas. I recommend letting it sit out for 30-60 minutes before serving!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Oh and PS: apparently that’s what happens when you put hot caramelized bananas on fresh whipped cream. Stuff melts.
154 Comments on “Banana Bread Tres Leches Cake.”
beating egg whites by hand??? girl, you’re my freaking hero. even if they ended up going to waste. :) banana bread and tres leches – i can’t think of a better way to start my Friday. esp with caramelized BANANAS!! tgif!
I’m not usually a huge fan of bananas but I have to say that this cake looks AMAZING!
OMG! I can see why your a basketcase over this cake! Hot dam it looks amazing!!!
Ughhhhh…why, oh why can’t you be my personal chef!? That looks…divine.
Umm yes please! You’ve outdone yourself once again! Especially with the egg white whipping by hand… in fact, I think that’s perfect justification for more cake! Happy Friday Jess!
Is it even possible for you to make something non-delicious looking? I think not. And now I have to try to make this at home. Can you please just come out with a cookbook already so i can have one and give it out to all my friends in the hopes that every time I come over, they have one of your concoctions waiting for me??? Seriously, you have the best recipes. Ever in life. That is all. The end.
I’m preeeeeeety sure you made this cake with me in mind. Not that you even know who I am but anyway – this is RIGHT up my alley! DELISH!
Ha! I laughed about the leeches!
I have to admit that I haven’t made your tres leches cake yet (I do plan to make for my next Mexican/Southwest theme party), and that said, I am normally not a fan of it, but this recipe is screaming “make me”! YUM!
Wow. That looks so moist.
Har har har.
I’ve done whipped cream by hand. I know the experience! Your arm juuuuust about falls off by the time you’re done.
Whipped cream by hand?!?! Props to you. It’s like getting your workout in before you eat cake. Sounds like a brilliant idea to me.
I look forward to reading your site everyday, but I have an extra spring in my step when it’s Friday, because you always post something entirely ridiculous and DELICIOUS! Loooove this cake :)
I wanna make your gin + tonic cake for two very soon. But, I have to get my lips off the gin bottle first!
omg! I love when you make desserts.
Beating egg whites by hand? Jess, you’re my.freaking.hero. Can I call you Jess? :$ Sorry.
I have to make this cake, I’ve only had Tres Leches once …. at a buffet. I don’t know why … It’s like eating imitation. I’ll fix this situation, I’ve got some bananas that are calling my name!!
Oh my GAH! This looks fab-u-lous!
Kind of dying over here.
What a superb idea!!! One of my favorites from you for sure! Tres leches cake is irresistible already, but now? Yikes!
That looks delicious!
xo Jennifer
http://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com
I love homemade whipped cream. I want to make everything you make! It always looks so amazing. So so amazing.
I’ve never made a tres leches cake but it’s on my list. And with bananas? Yes, please. You are so smart.
good lord this looks so fab. I just want to stay home all day and bake all of the things you post. gotta find a way to make that happen…
Caaaake!! (I think I write that every time you make a cake)
Also, I laughed so hard at you accidentally pouring egg whites down the drain, because it’s something I would do.
Wouldn’t this technically be quatro leches cake? Almond, coconut, condensed, evaporated? Sounds even better than tres! ;)
i admire you for beating ur egg whites by hand, I don’t know what I would do without my kitchenaid mixer
You whipped egg whites by hand?? That’s insanely amazing.Just like this cake looks.
I think I just shouted some four letter words too. And then I looked at that picture with the fork in the cake and died a little. This looks like maybe the best thing ever made.
Stop!!! I have been looking for a tres leches recipe to make, and haven’t been able to find “the one.” Now you post this?!?! I am so doing this tonight. Caramelized bananas are my idea of heaven.
I literally gasped when i saw this….YUMMY!!!! I have to try this out for sure! =)
I have a question! Usually when you brown butter it yields less than you start with (1 stick goes to 7 TBS or something). Are you looking for 1 stick of butter browned, or 1/2 cup of brown butter overall?
just 1 stick browned!
Wow! That cake looks incredibly moist and delicious. Love the caramelized bananas. I pretty much eat one every other day with my oatmeal. So goood!
Oh my goodness. My birthday is next month and corresponds with a potluck. This is going onto the list of “possibles” and is probably the “yes, please!”
This has birthday written all over it. It looks insanely amazing!
I just found my birthday cake! Now I just have to wait until August… or find another excuse to make this. Bumdinger about the egg whites- at least you can say you did it by hand one time!
Oohhh girl, what have you DONE. I can’t even handle how delicious this sounds. I am a tres leches cake fiend. This is happening like… this weekend.
Oooooo you … Miss Jessica .. are trouble … biiiiggg trouble!!! Love Love this!
%&@$ – that looks amazing!
I guess the expletives don’t just happen when you taste this cake but when you look at pictures of it too:)
I am in love with everything about this. From the fluffy frosting to the caramelized bananas to the coconut milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk mixture. And that’s is a banana bread base. You outdid yourself! Pinning!
And the egg white situation after all that hand mixing – that is something that would happen to me!
Amazing! I randomly whip things by hand just so I can call it my work out for the day.
Looks amazing, Jessica! What a way to start the weekend! :)
I feel like I could live in that cake. It’d be like living on a cloud. Until I ate my way through it in about 2.5 seconds.
This looks a-freakin-mazing. Holy moly.
You outdid yourself with this one, girl! Fabulous!
My bananas didn’t caramelize. They turned to mush. What did I do wrong? The heat appeared high enough, it was bubbling, but they didn’t caramelize and just got more mushy,
Regular tres leches is my favorite cake…but this?! Oh my freaking goodness, this looks awesome!
Umm this might be the most genious-delicious dessert I’ve ever laid eyes on. No other words.
It might be more “genius” if I would spell the word right! Oops!
Whaaaat!! This cake is insane. Seriously, sounds sooo good.:)
There is nothing i hate worse than whipping egg whites. I HATE IT and I would have died had they gone down the drain. Died. Of a bitter, broken heart.
Ugh, this looks amazing! For some reason the bananas are the part calling my name. So hungry now!
you should go to jail for this. imeediately. oh my god.
Ohhhhh my god. No [other] words.