[Camp Sweets] Crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside! The miraculous "baked chocolate" mess tin banana cake born from failure.

The explanation of the “tips to avoid burning” unexpectedly turned into something completely charred!? At the campsite, coffee and sweets are the best delicacies. Using pancake mix, the entire process of making “chocolate banana cake” over an open flame in a mess tin— is this delicious?

"What shall we make at the next camp?" Preparing a mess tin banana cake is easy

It’s a banana cake that can be made at the campsite, but since we didn't have a burner pad, we had to improvise with a barbecue plate— a "let's see what happens" method. Major failure! Or so I thought? The supposedly burnt bits turned out to be the melted chocolate that became crispy, creating the delicious incident of the "best baked chocolate."

Even if you lack tools or if things get burnt, it’s fun. Here’s a recipe for you.

This time I brought a familiar measuring cup, but using a small store-bought paper milk carton (200ml) makes it even easier and reduces the load.

【Tools and Ingredients Used】<

Mess tin (regular size)
Single burner
Barbecue plate (as a substitute for the burner pad. We'll manage with what we have)
Cooking sheet (to prevent sticking instead of using butter)
Measuring cup (using a mini size milk carton makes it even easier, no measuring needed!)
Bowl
Rubber spatula (an essential item for gently mixing the batter while keeping the banana slices intact)

1 bag of pancake mix (150g pack)
1 banana
Chocolate chips for baking, to taste (about 50g as a guideline)
Sugar 1-2 tablespoons (a hidden flavor that brings out a solid sweetness!)
1 egg
100ml milk

【Tips to Avoid Burning】 Two logical tips to prevent failure

Since the flame of a single burner tends to concentrate in one spot, if you cook normally, the bottom is likely to turn black. This time, we took two measures.

【Tip 1】Use a barbecue plate to distribute heat

Personally, I found Daiso's barbecue plate to be just the right size.

The single burner’s direct flame delivers intense heat in a "pinpoint" manner. However, since I didn’t have a dedicated burner pad at hand, I tried placing a barbecue plate (aluminum dish) between the burner and the mess tin. This is aimed at blocking the direct flame and dispersing the heat throughout.

【Part 2】I wanted to properly lay down the cooking sheet...

Since I’m not using any butter or oil to prevent sticking, the cooking sheet laid inside the mess tin becomes a lifeline. According to the logical manual, it should be "fold the sheet to fit the shape of the bottom and sides, and make cuts at the corners to lay it neatly," but this is quite difficult! On site, it doesn’t fit well, and the paper tends to float up.

However, this is camping. "If I pour in the batter heavily from above, its weight will surely press it down onto the bottom of the mess tin!" So, I push forward without worrying about the details.

Let's put it into practice! An exquisite recipe that results in a crispy outside and fluffy inside.

【Step 1】Dump it into a bowl with great abandon! Making the base for the fluffy batter.

Pour the pancake mix, eggs, sugar, and milk into a bowl generously. Mix thoroughly to create the fluffy cake base.

【Step 2】Add chocolate chips to finish the batter

Once the base batter is ready, add the chocolate chips. Gently fold everything together with a rubber spatula to ensure the chocolate chips are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

【Step 3】Pour into the mess tin and top with bananas

Pour the batter from the bowl into the mess tin lined with cooking paper all at once. Once the weight of the batter presses the sheet tightly to the bottom, arrange the sliced bananas on top of the batter.

【Step 4】Prevent sticking to the lid! Cover with cooking paper from above

Here’s the ultimate trick! Place another sheet of cooking paper on top of the poured batter. Since pancake mix expands greatly when cooked, if you simply cover it and flip it, the batter tends to stick to the underside of the lid, resulting in a disaster. By covering it with a sheet from above like this, you can prevent sticking to the lid.

Controlling the heat at low flame is surprisingly difficult...

【Step 5】Cook both sides using a barbecue plate

Cover the mess tin with its lid and place it on a burner with the barbecue plate in between. Control the heat to "super low" and cook thoroughly for about 10-12 minutes. Once the surface has started to firm up, use the lid to flip the mess tin over and cook the other side for about 3-5 minutes on low heat. When the entire dish is cooked through and a bamboo skewer comes out clean without sticky batter, it's done.

A camp-exclusive happening! The miracle brought by "burnt"

Even though I tried to control the heat with a barbecue plate and super low flame, mishaps are inevitable in direct cooking. When I flipped over the finished mess tin and looked at the bottom, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh no! I've messed this up!" as the bottom was quite blackened.

I meant to give a lecture on how to prevent burning, but it turned out to be a major failure. Despite feeling completely discouraged, I tentatively brought that blackened part to my mouth.

Then, in the next moment, my disappointment turned into surprise and excitement.

What looked like a completely burnt part was actually the chocolate chips and sugar that I had mixed into the batter beforehand, which leaked out from the gaps in the cooking sheet and baked to a crunchy "perfect baked chocolate" at the bottom of the mess tin!<

Thanks to using a cooking sheet instead of oil to prevent sticking, the sugar and chocolate chips were directly heated, evolving into crispy "baked chocolate"! The fluffy batter, juicy bananas, and bitter baked chocolate combined in my mouth, resulting in a perfect finish that seemed like it was planned from the start.

This "unexpected miracle," which turns even a grand failure into a delicious feast, is the true essence of outdoor cooking.

Additionally, this time, we're topping it off with store-bought whipped cream! The fragrant banana cake, made to resemble baked chocolate, combined with the cold and sweet whipped cream, elevates both its appearance and flavor to authentic café quality. This alone will take your usual camping experience up a notch.

Enjoying even the mishaps deliciously, the ultimate camping dessert

The moment you open the lid of the mess tin, a rich aroma of sweet chocolate and ripe bananas spreads out. A dish of freshly baked banana cake served with cold whipped cream is a special luxury that can only be savored outdoors. Even without specialized tools and even if it ends up being completely burnt, the joy of outdoor cooking lies in how it all transforms into deliciousness. If you’re wondering, "What should I make for the next camping trip?" definitely give this baked chocolate-flavored banana cake a try to accompany your coffee.

Reporting and text by Yu Haru

Search Camp burner on Amazon