Banana cake is one of those pastries that’s almost impossible to mess up. All you need are three pretty basic things—a moist crumb, plenty of banana flavor, and just enough sweetness to have you hankering for another bite. But when you put 11 slices side by side, it’s a different story altogether as only then do the differences become easier to point out.
For this first edition of Editor’s Picks, the Delish Philippines team tasted 11 banana cake slices from coffee and pastry shops around Manila to find the standouts. We judged them on three things: flavor, texture, and value for money, before landing our overall favorites.
Some had close-to-no banana flavor while some won us over with their moist texture. And less than a handful proved that a good slice of banana cake doesn’t have to burn a hole in your pocket. Here’s how they stacked up.
How We Chose the Banana Cakes
To level the playing field, we established two simple rules.
First, the banana cake had to be available by the slice rather than exclusively as a whole loaf. Second, it had to come from a coffee shop, bakery, or pastry shop rather than a restaurant. The latter can be for another debate. That left us with 11 contenders representing everything from longtime neighborhood bakery chains to specialty cafes.
With the lineup assembled, members of the Delish Philippines tasted each, weighed in on their preferences, then chose their favorites in four categories.
The Verdict
Best in Flavor
A good banana cake should naturally taste like banana. But we were also looking for balance: enough sweetness without becoming cloying and making sure that the sugar doesn’t overpower the fruit itself.
The votes were split. There wasn’t a unanimous winner, proving that flavor can really be subjective. But after much discussion, the team chooses Pick Up Coffee. Its fruit flavor was among the most prominent in the bunch.
Best in Texture
When it comes to cake, banana or otherwise, nobody wants a dry slice. That’s why we were looking for cakes that were moist and tender while still maintaining enough structure to feel like cake rather than pudding or an undercooked pastry. Once again, preferences differed.
Each member raised their points, opinions were heard and considered, and after a quick deliberation, the team rewards Starbucks for retaining its ideal texture an hour after it has left its packaging.
Best Value for Money
The prices of the cake slices varied—P30 being the cheapest and P230 being the most expensive. That wasn’t the sole consideration for this category. Along with the price, we also determined which had the most balanced combination of portion, flavor, texture, and price.
As anticipated, the choices varied, which prodded to another round of discussion. In the end, the team gives the title to Pick Up Coffee. For less than P100, you get a snack that not only satisfies but also doesn’t hurt the wallet.
The Overall Best Banana Cake Slice
After tasting all 11 cakes and considering flavor, texture, and value, each editor chose the slice they would most happily order again. There was not one banana cake that impressed the entire panel, but that might be the most useful result of all. Some people want their banana cake intensely flavorful, others prioritize an exceptionally moist crumb, while others simply want a satisfying slice that won’t put too much of a dent in their wallet.
Ultimately, the banana cake of Pick Up Coffee was the one the team collectively voted as the overall best. Of the lot, it is the most well balanced in terms of texture, flavor and price.
Judging by how differently the tasters voted, finding Manila’s “best” banana cake depends on what you want from your slice.
Frequently Asked Questions
In our taste test of 11 banana cake slices, Pick Up Coffee was our overall winner for its balance of banana flavor, texture, and price.
Our taste test featured banana cake slices from cafés, bakeries, and pastry shops around Manila. Pick Up Coffee emerged as the overall favorite, while Starbucks won for texture and Pick Up Coffee also took the title for best value.
A good banana cake should have a moist but structured crumb, noticeable banana flavor, and enough sweetness to complement rather than overpower the fruit.
Based on the 11 slices in our taste test, prices ranged from P30 to P230, showing that a satisfying slice doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive.
The team set two rules: the cake had to be sold by the slice, not only as a whole loaf, and it had to come from a coffee shop, bakery, or pastry shop rather than a restaurant. This narrowed the field to 11 contenders from around Manila.
