Banana and Caramel Poke Cake - Keke Maika me te Karamea
Celebrate Matariki with this delicious recipe, created in collaboration with Naomi Toilalo (Whanaukai). With a soft banana cake base, covered with sweet, golden caramel and iced with a lemony cream cheese icing, it’s the perfect sweet treat to share with your friends and whānau.

Tips & Tricks
Slice your cake into quarters - perfect for gifting with aroha!
Ingredients
- Banana Cake - Keke Panana
- 4 hēki (eggs, size 6)
- 3/4 Cup Pams huka one (caster sugar)
- 4 maika nui pirau (large overripe bananas, 450 g peeled bananas)
- 1/2 C Pams huka hāura (brown sugar)
- 1 tsp Pams tote (salt, fine)
- 2 tsp Pams wanira (vanilla)
- 3/4 Cup Pams noni ōriwa (oil)
- 2 tsp Pams pēkana paura (baking powder)
- 1 tsp Pams pēkana houra (baking soda)
- 2 1/2 Cups Pams puehu parāoa noa (plain flour) .
- Caramel - Keke Maika me te Karamea
- 90 g Pams pata (butter)
- 2/3 Cup Pams huka hāura (brown sugar)
- 1/2 tsp tote (Pams salt, fine)
- 200 ml (3/4 + 1 tbsp C) Pams kirīmi (cream)
- Cream Cheese Icing - Pani Reka Kirīmi Tīhi
- 100 g Pams pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- 3/4 C puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 2 tsp wanira (vanilla)
- 2 tbsp wai rēmana (lemon juice)
- 250 g kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese, room temperature)
Method
Banana Cake - Keke Panana:
- Line a 20 cm x 30 cm rectangle tin with high sides with baking paper. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees celsius.
- Add the hēki (eggs) and huka one (caster sugar) in to a medium bowl. Whip on medium high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy in colour. Leave to the side.
- Break the maika nui pirau (large overripe bananas) in to a large bowl. Add the huka hāura (brown sugar), tote (salt, fine) and wanira (vanilla).
- Mash all of the ingredients until the maika (bananas) are smooth. Add the noni (oil) and whisk it together.
- Add all of the ranunga hēki (egg mixture) and whisk it in until smooth.
- Sift in the puehu parāoa (flour), pēkana paura (baking powder) and pēkana houra (baking soda). Fold it together.
- Pour it in to the prepared tin and smooth it out.
- Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until it springs back in the middle. As the keke (cake) is baking, make the simple karamea (caramel).
Caramel - Karamea:
- Add the pata (butter), huka hāura (brown sugar) and tote (salt) into a medium pot. Set over medium-high heat. Melt it all and boil for 3 minutes until all the mixture has combined into a smooth consistency.
- Pour in the kirīmi (cream) and stir. Boil this mixture for 5 minutes until it begins to thicken. Remove from the heat.
- Once the keke (cake) has baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon (2 cm wide) gently poke deep holes around 2 cm apart all over the cake. Do this gently but twisting the handle side to side to help it move cleanly in and out of the cake.
- When the holes are created, pour the karamea (caramel) all over the cake. Using a spatula, smear it all over the cake making sure it goes into the holes. Allow to cool completely before adding the icing.
Cream Cheese Icing - Pani Reka Kirīmi Tīhi:
- Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar), wanira (vanilla) and wai rēmana (lemon juice) in to a large bowl. Whip on high for a few minutes until light and fluffy in colour.
- Add the room temperature kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese). If it isn't quite at room temperature, gently smooth out the cream cheese on to a plate with your spatula to remove the lumps before whipping. Whip for a minute or until smooth.
- Smear half of the icing all over the keke (cake) and use the rest to pipe decorations all over top.
- Finish it off with shavings of tiakarete (chocolate).
Ingredients
- Banana Cake - Keke Panana
- 4 hēki (eggs, size 6)
- 3/4 Cup Pams huka one (caster sugar)
- 4 maika nui pirau (large overripe bananas, 450 g peeled bananas)
- 1/2 C Pams huka hāura (brown sugar)
- 1 tsp Pams tote (salt, fine)
- 2 tsp Pams wanira (vanilla)
- 3/4 Cup Pams noni ōriwa (oil)
- 2 tsp Pams pēkana paura (baking powder)
- 1 tsp Pams pēkana houra (baking soda)
- 2 1/2 Cups Pams puehu parāoa noa (plain flour) .
- Caramel - Keke Maika me te Karamea
- 90 g Pams pata (butter)
- 2/3 Cup Pams huka hāura (brown sugar)
- 1/2 tsp tote (Pams salt, fine)
- 200 ml (3/4 + 1 tbsp C) Pams kirīmi (cream)
- Cream Cheese Icing - Pani Reka Kirīmi Tīhi
- 100 g Pams pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- 3/4 C puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 2 tsp wanira (vanilla)
- 2 tbsp wai rēmana (lemon juice)
- 250 g kirīmi tīhi (cream cheese, room temperature)