Back
cuca de banana

Hailing from Southern Brazil, this delicious cake has a layer of banana and a sweet crumb topping. It is somewhere between banana bread, coffee cake and a German streusel, making it one of the most mouth-watering treats around. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week (though it will probably be eaten in a day!)

Ingredients 

For the cake:

  • 4 eggs (separate yolks and whites)
  • 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter 
  • 400g sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 375g flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 4 bananas, peeled and sliced
  • 180ml milk

For the crumb topping:

  • 150g dark brown soft sugar
  • 90g plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

  1. Grease a springform cake tin and preheat your oven to 180C.
  2. Mix all the ingredients for the crumb topping together until the crumbs are pea-size. Set aside to use later.
  3. Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks which hold their shape. Set aside.
  4. Mix together the flour and baking powder in a medium sized bowl, set aside.
  5. In an electric mixer (or by hand in a large bowl) beat together the egg yolks, sugar and butter until creamy, then add vanilla.
  6. At a slow speed add the flour mixture a little at a time, then a little milk, alternating between the two. Fold your egg whites into the mixture.
  7. Pour half the cake mixture into your prepared cake tin. Add a layer of half the bananas, then half the crumb topping. Pour the remaining cake mixture on top and add the rest of the bananas, then the rest of the crumb topping.
  8. Bake at 180C for an hour. Check the cake is fully cooked by piercing it with a skewer- if it comes out clean, the cake is ready. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

 

Tailor-made holidays

Flexible, custom-made holidays to Latin America created to match your exact requirements: our tailor-made itineraries are as unique as the clients for whom they are designed.

Design my trip

Papagaio

Your edit for Latin American inspiration

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

View Extraordinary Inspiration
Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

  • Sophie
    Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

  • Maggie
    Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

    Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • Carrie
    Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

    A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.

  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

0 1 2 3 4 5