Keke siaine is the banana cake of every Tongan household and bakery. Overripe local bananas — fat, sweet, and spotted — are mashed into a simple butter cake with coconut milk and vanilla, then baked until the top turns deep golden. It is baked for school fundraisers, church mornings, and afternoon tea, and it is always the first tray to empty.
What makes it great: incredibly moist, intensely banana-sweet, with a tender crumb and a faint coconut richness in every bite. It is the perfect way to use up overripe bananas, and it somehow tastes even better on day two.

