I really do try my best with being earth conscious. I separate all of my garbage, I buy biodegradable items, buy local produce, make our home energy efficient, Mr NQN rides to work and we’ve started our own worm farm. This is slightly offset with my love of designer goodies, skincare and perfume which inevitably come within tonnes of packaging imported from a great distance. There is a little devil that sits on my shoulder that tells me “See all of that ribbon and tissue paper? How wasteful!”.
One thing I am rather adamant about is wastage, especially food. I hate to throw things away and luckily I have a man-sized garbage disposal in the shape of Mr NQN. He eats most things. One thing of course that one generally doesn’t eat is banana skins. Until he told me about a television show on SBS that featured a woman who makes a cake from banana skins. Yes banana skins!
I was skeptical. I mean, banana skins are usually the kind of thing that you avoid with a vengeance. Once they’re off the banana their smell is so strong, I can’t wait to get the garbage out of the house so the idea of baking with them seemed completely at odds with my olfactory senses. As instructed, I soaked the skins for days. The smell on the first day was quite strong but by the second and third day they didn’t smell like anything at all. I only used three skins-I didn’t want to waste too many ingredients if it turned out to be unpalatable.
I followed the instructions and blended them and them mixed them in like a regular cake ingredient and then set about making the jam topping. Jam is really a misnomer for it. It’s like a liquidey caramel topping with an unusual push and pull viscous texture rather than a thick jam. Once the cake was baked, I poured the sauce over it and brought it along to a gathering with some of Mr NQN’s family. I knew if anyone would appreciate a banana skin cake, it was them.
“I’d like you to try this cake and tell me what you think of it” I told them. “What is it?” they asked and I answered “I’ll tell you afterwards, I want to know what you think of the taste”. There were some skeptical glances but they seemed happy to trial it. I tried a piece too and it was delicious. Similar to a bread and butter pudding in texture crossed with a sticky date pudding, it was liked by all that tried it, especially with the sauce. And would I make it again? Absolutely! As Edna described it “It is luxury made from rubbish”.
So tell me Dear Reader, would you try this cake if you knew it contained banana skins?
Banana Skin Cake
Recipe adapted from Edna Toledo
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 banana skins (orange skins or other fruit peels can also be used)
- Water
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Oil
- Self-raising flour
- Yeast
- Cinnamon
Method
1. Cut off the ends of the skin. Leave the skins soaked in water, changing the water every day, until they become soft and water is clear. Process the skins in a blender or food processor with enough water to help the blender cut them up. I used 1/2 cup of water for 3 banana skins.
2. Strain the mixture to get rid of any hard bits, but retain the puree and the liquid.
3. Line a cake tin with baking parchment-for the three banana skins I used a round 11cms tin but double that adjust it according to how many banana skins you use. Measure the amount of puree mixture in a cup and for every cupful, add one egg, 3/4 a cup of sugar, one teaspoon of salt and half a cup of oil. Beat until well incorporated.
4. Add one cup of flour and one tablespoon of yeast, per cupful of the original puree, and mix. Place batter into the prepared baking tin
5. Bake in a moderate oven (180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4) for 40 minutes or until it looks ready and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
The sauce boiling and reducing
To become a thick syrup
6. Meanwhile use the strained liquid part to make a glaze. Measure the amount in a cup, then for every cupful, add a cup of sugar into a pan with the liquid. Add cinnamon and a pinch of salt and heat. Stir to avoid sticking until thickened enough to spread on the cake. It will become quite viscous and I boiled mine for about 25 minutes. Cool slightly.
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112 Comments | Add your own
I’m with you Lorraine, I can’t believe how some people don’t seem to care at all when it comes to consuming and waste! I’d most definitely eat this cake, but preferably would use organic bananas
Thank you for this inspirational recipe! x
What a fascinating cake and I love the idea of making “luxury from rubbish.” Thanks for testing this, Lorraine!
I love experiments and this one is terrific! Hating waste like you, what a great excuse to try this cake! It looks so stylish too! Really Lorraine, this is a cake that I can see a creative person like you producing. Hurray!
Wow, banana skins, thats a new one, but it sure looks delicious, so I’d totally eat this
*kisses* HH
Oh dear heavens. I’ll be honest, probably not!
wow really?! I have to try this. Do we have to use the “black” skin or just the yellow one will do?
oh my – how wonderful is this cake!!!
“luxury made from rubbish” cracked me up. I don’t know if I’m brave enough to make one, but you did it proud! xoxo Mum
How fascinating! I always like looking for ways to reuse things and this is a great example. I’m not sure if it would make me eat it but I might give it a go!
Wow this is very virtuous use of leftovers – I usually feel good enough about using a browned banana in banana loaf. You have really gone one step further here!
how cray cray!
i usually just put my banana skins on my plants but this sounds promising.
That is pretty cool Lorraine – who would have thought something as gross as banana skins could be a pudding ingredient? Love the sauce – it makes the cake!
Wow! This is awesome.
At a Dr of TCM… I might not tell you what we use banana skin for. You might want to eat first and I can get back to you.
But these look delicious!
Very very interesting~! Who would have thought?
Wow how cool is this cake! I never thought about using skins!!
mmmmm amazing i must make this one..what a great way to start my day ta!!!
My gosh Lorraine, you’ve succeeded in completely surprising me!! I’m curious – you say it resembles a sticky date pudding in taste – but does it taste like a banana cake at all or more just bready (with the flavour coming from the sauce)?
And I rarely refuse to try anything, but trying it with enthusiasm would depend entirely on context. If my stepmother served it (she’s a bit like the badly adventurous cook on the Vicar of Dibley) I’d have to force an enthusiastic smile, but if it was you I most definitely would (I trust your taste entirely).
Briony xx
To be honest I would rather make the cake from the bananas and give the worms the banana skin which they love.
I love this idea. It is so strange that I just have to have a go. And I am inspired by the idea of using something I usually think of as rubbish.
Love it!!
Hi Lorraine,
Do the banana skins have to be from ripe bananas? Can you use over ripened bananas usually reserved for banana bread? Thanks and sorry if it’s already been asked, reading on my phone!
P
Now this is right up my alley – I have organic bananas ready to be made into banana bread, so now I can also use the skins! Thought I might add some grated orange or lemon peel.
Maidenhair ferns also love chopped banana skins
Wow – I’ve never heard of this before! What a fantastic use of a waste product. Will have to give it a try next time I have some bananas to use.
of course i’d eat it. try everything once i say!
Very interesting concept! For me though I think we would be on banana overload – I usually rescue the bananas when they are on their last legs to make a cake – but then to make a skin cake afterwards – they would all be going ape on me!!!! LOL
I don’t think I can do it
NQN has gone banana’s!
I was very curious to read this because our compost heap is always full on banana peels and once again you have made it sound deliciously chic! “luxury made from rubbish” indeed.
I would try it of course, but it may bring back memories of mushy banana’s left in my lunchbox over the weekend from when I was an irresponsible primary schooler.
Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this before! I’m so intrigued that it actually turned out well and tasted great too!
Wow! Now there’s something different! Great use of something that would otherwise be tossed
Am very curious what it would taste like, will def try next time buy some bananas!
I would not eat it if I knew banana skins were the main ingredient. I’d have to be kept in ignorance until AFTER I’d tried it! My husband knows this, and has gotten me to eat MANY, MANY things in our foreign travels which, had I known what they were, would have stayed on the plate.However, this has so intrigued me that I think I’ll be the one with the secret,because I have GOT to try this recipe!
Oooh I must try this out! Do you think it matters on the ripeness of the banana/banana skin?
Very interesting idea… I don’t know why I should be surprised when orange cakes make from peel are delicious.
I would absolutely bake and eat such an intriguing cake! All i would do is call it “banana de peau”( skin of banana)-anything french sounding is always good enough to eat!
I would definitely think twice knowing it had pureed banana skin. If I didn’t know any better though, with a cake this gorgeous and caramel sauce, you can’t hand me a fork any quicker! : D
I trust your judgment Lorraine, and if you say it tastes good then it must be awesome! I think it’s a great idea. I make a cake that uses whole oranges, peel and all, so don’t see how this would be any different. Just one question, should the soaking skins be in the fridge, or will that slow down the effect, or will they ferment on the bench in warm weather?
What a great idea, I’d definitely give this recipe a try. YUM!
Well I just learnt something and I like it
How did the taste compare with normal banana cake?
Interesting! I’m like you in disliking and avoiding waste as much as possible, but I admit I always thought of banana peels as a good item for the compost bin, not something that’s (rightfully) considered ‘waste’. I may try this cake once or twice, but am not sure the effort (3 days of soaking and changing) + straining & measuring is worth it for something that benefits my veggie garden anyway.
Would definitely try it…and would be interested to try other skins…wow…I can hear my compost crying out in horror already!
I so want to try this! Love the lack of wastage. How fabulous! It looks super moist. Love the spoon too, so sweet.
Heidi xo
This is great! I’ll have to try it.
Wow, this is so clever! You really are a domestic goddess miss NQN
I’d eat it definitely! We eat citrus peels, pickle watermelon peel and potato skins are a popular bar menu item so if we add enough sugar, why not? Though my two worm farms would be deprived of their fruity repast,citrus being the only fruit they won’t eat, hehe!
Wow… at first I thought you had gone a little nutty on us, but this is absolutely tempting!
Wow. My first reaction is “bananas skin = gross!”. But I would try it, feeling a bit weird until after the first bite
Wow! I’m so impressed that something so lovely can come from what we normally just toss away without thinking about. One man’s rubbish is another man’s dessert, indeed! This little cake is gorgeous — I’ll have to try this out.
I’d have to try this out of curiosity. I wonder if I can include the skins with the flesh in my usual banana cake or just in this particular recipe?
I absolutely would! Love desserts and cake, and I think this is a brilliant idea! I almost never buy bananas but next time, I might have to try this
How interesting! Yes, I would definitely give it a try!
Banana skin – I will eat it since like you said, it is delicious! No wastage on bananas!
This gives new meaning to “going green”
Love the idea
Good on you for trying this (better you than me!). I’m not sure about it, though the finished cake looks really nice
I’d certainly give it a try just to satisfy my curiosity, too. Not sure about waiting 3 days for a cake though. With 3 teenagers in the house the need for cake can be somewhat urgent at times!
I did a double-take when I read the title of the post. Looking at the cake, you would think it was just a classic banana cake with caramel sauce! But what a way to use up something that usually ends up in the rubbish bin. Bananas are practically a staple at our house, so I now know what to do with all those skins! Thanks for the idea!
Wow.., I have never seen anything like this but love your description ofbread and butter pudding in texture crossed with sticky date pudding… Wonderful…, I’m in
wow. Really got me curious, but I’m just not quite ready with the idea yet….. Hmmm reminds me of a story about someone making sweet soup from durian pips….!!
Well that is very original! I wonder how it tastes… That cake looks mighty delicious.
Cheers,
Rosa
I’ll eat anything that smells good and tastes good. But does it taste of bananas at all? Not a fan of them.
I’d probably try a little for the novelty of having done so but I probably couldn’t eat a lot. Besides which, our worms love their banana skins (yes they’ve become pet-like so we think about what we feed them, he he) and I just couldn’t deprive them!
What a brilliant idea! I hate wasting food. If it weren’t for the not very practical part of soaking the skins for days I would probably never throw away another banana skin.
Wow, a non-comedy use for banana skins. Excellent. Love the idea and would love to see the looks on people’s faces when they are told what it is!
What an interesting recipe! At first, I would probably be a bit intimidated, but I’ve always lived by the motto “to try everything once” and so I definitely wouldn’t shy away from eating this!
I’d have a taste – but a kitchen with soaking banana skins sitting in it puts me off a bit!
I love this idea, Lorraine. I don’t have a compost pile of my own these days so I take it to the green market on Saturday ( it lives in a giant antique pottery bread jar as it collects). This way I feel slightly righteous about all the stuff I throw away as a mad chef. Using the peels ( although they do make your rosebushes happy!)is an amazing idea. Thanks for the tip and for being brave enough to try it!!!
It has to be worth a try!
Wow how unusal. I’d try antyhing once. It looks delicious. You’re only using the essence of the skin, but the whole thing so I don’t see it as being a problem. Especially if it tastes as good as it looks
Haha one man’s garbage is one man’s treasure. Or something like that. Looks divine and I’d eat it any day!
I’ll eat pretty much anything, so yes! Tis the cake for me – I hate waste with a vengeance too ^_^
NO WAY. i’m not sure if i could stomach it really. am not a fan of bananas unless it’s been mashed and then cooked beyond recognition. or doused in so much rum and ice cream (in my version of a banana split) that i’m too heady to realize. But nevertheless, i might try this! too beautiful to resist x
I would definitely try this cake! And want to! Even better if I use the bananas to make banana bread & the skins to make cake – it’s like two cakes from one
Oh & I have the exact same spoons as you! Handed down from my Nan
Oh goodness, what a great idea for a recipe!!! I love that nothing is wasted, eat your banana in oatmeal for breakfast, soak the skins for a cake the next day..brillant, I would totally devour this..
sweetlife
bookmarked
This looks absolutely delicious! Must try it!
Wow, this is so unique! I will try it for sure because you already tried it and I trust your taste buds!
It will be fun to see how people react when they find out what it is:) Thanks, Lorraine!
i will love to give this a try.. it looks really amaizing.
Lorraine, this is such an interesting recipe! I definitely would try the cake, even knowing the “secret” ingredient – my grandmother (who took care of us for a few years after my mom died) used to make breaded banana skins for dinner.
One of my friends had dinner in my house once and thought it was breaded fish fillet.
I absolutely love this, Lorraine! I love how I always find so many unique recipes on your blog. I also hate wasting, so to me the idea of being able to use banana skin is really fantastic! Bookmarking. And adding bananas to my grocery list.
Lorraine this is such a genius cake. Who would have thought….
I would definitely make this and think i will. Sounds yummy! What a great result!
Wow … I don’t like the sound of this cake, but the fact that Mr NQN’s family have given it the thumbs-up will make me try it. I’d like to make one from orange skins too ….
That’s so interesting! Who would have thought of using banana skins in a cake, I’ll have to keep it in mind for next time..
Did you know that in the Phihlippines. all the local brands of catsup is made from raw green banana and banana peel?
What a lot of comments too many to trawl through to read if someone else has already responded like me – very kooky idea but not sure if I will ‘enjoy nurturing’ banana skins on my bench for three days but if you think the taste is far superior to real banana let me know or if you really think it is all about the texture, I am a devout texture person
How unusual to use banana skins in a cake! I usually just put them in the compost heap or bury them around my roses. I’ll look at them in a different way from now on!
I would try it actually, banana cake is my favourite, I’d try it just to satisfy curiousity, and when i get some ‘spare time’ I WILL try it! Thanks for the recipe!
x
Wow, that’s definitely a new one for me! The cake does look terrific – I would love to try it for sure!
I’d try it if it was offered, much more palatable than some delicacies when you think about it. How very Enviro of you.
I am puzzled and yet really excited by this cake. Banana skins? In cake? I must try this now!
You make it look good Lorraine but I’m sitting on the fence for this one. ;-0
that cake sounds so bizarre that I am trying to get my head around it – don’t worry will come back and puzzle over it again and I hope eventually I might try it – it is too strange to not try!
I had NO IDEA banana skins were edible never mind that you could make cake with them. I’d definitely try it!
I am very, very intrigued. Will bookmark this for future use. Might just have to do a direct comparison of banana vs banana skin cake. Lol.
interesting recipe, lorraine! it had never occurred to me to ever use banana skins.
and yes, YES i would try it!
This is funny actually! I would try it if, when I broke it open I saw no visible chunks of skin. Intriguing indeed!
This is sooo cool!! I also hate waste. When I lived at home, I used to throw banana peels into the woods behind my parents house.
I don’t think I would be able to. I’m pretty non adventerous when it comes to food. Totally opposite in real life though!
i eat a banana a day, and it has NEVER occurred to me to make use of the peels. bravo to you, and thanks for the idea!
Wowee – a link from Dateline – you go girl!
Love to hear from those who have actually cooked and eaten this please
FANTASTIC AND interesting recipe, Lorraine! it had never occurred to me to ever use banana skins.
and yes, YES i would try it!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Thanks for this recipe. I saw it a while ago and have been wanting to try it since then (I have four kids and they all love bananas, so our compost is always full of peel). Finally today I cooked it. YUM! The syrup is what makes it so amazingly yummy, but the cake is lovely and moist. I used a combination of banana peel and rockmelon skin. It turned out great. And my family loved it. Thank you.
Actually as I was eating it, I was wondering if you have tried watermelon rind pickle? I love it – both because of the taste and because it uses something that would otherwise be thought of as scraps.
Thanks again for a great recipe
This is a fantastic recipe . I love the format , for one cup of puree, add one cup of etc. It makes the amounts so much easier to control .I usually measure everything by the gram as this is the norm where I live and the cup size is different,too ,200 c.c.s but I just followed the recipe using my own cup and it worked out perfectly .
We dont have self raising flour either so I had to add baking powder .
I never would have thought it was possible to make a cake from banana skins ,it amazes everyone I know .
You have made me a real convert to ‘Eco recipes’ !
JP
That is definitely one way to use up banana skins. I never would have thought of it! How interesting for sure. Nice pictures as well.
thanks to nun for the recipe and commenter 99- anna. I had wondered if anyone had finally made the cake. will give it a try
For God’s sake only use organic bananas – or any other fruit for that matter – for this recipe. The things they spray on fruit these days are terrible.
I made this recently and it tastes amazing! Thanks for sharing
http://themorethanoccasionalbaker.blogspot.com/2012/02/banana-skin-cake.html
Hi Lorraine, I’m planning to make this cake on the weekend (I will make some banana muffins today), but I have a couple of questions. There is yeast in the recipe, is it the dry yeast that we normally use when making bread? The other question is about flour, it should be Self-raising, even though we are using yeast?
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