Malaysia · Malaysia

Layered Steamed Cake

Name: Layered Steamed Cake
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 44 min
Total time: 134 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Malaysia
Ingredients: rice flour 250 g; tapioca starch 60 g; coconut milk 400 ml; granulated sugar 150 g; water 200 ml; pandan leaves, knotted 4 piece; pandan extract (green color) 5 ml; fine salt 2 g

Coconut rice cake with alternating green and white layers — vivid, chewy, lightly sweet.

134 minutes · 8 servings · Moderate

This layered steamed cake follows a pattern found across Southeast Asia, where a rice-flour batter is settled into a thin layer at a time over a lined pan, building a striped cross-section as it cooks. In Malaysia it is often coloured with pandan and appears at weddings and at gatherings of all sizes. Light and chewy rather than sweet, it is usually served alongside drinks and savoury snacks.

Ingredients

rice flour250 g
tapioca starch60 g
coconut milk400 ml
granulated sugar150 g
water200 ml
pandan leaves, knotted4 piece
pandan extract (green color)5 ml
fine salt2 g

Directions

1
Simmer the coconut milk with sugar, salt, water and pandan leaves 5 minutes, then discard the pandan. Whisk in both flours until smooth.
2
Split the batter in half and stir the pandan extract into one half.
3
Steam a 20 cm square pan 2 minutes. Pour 4 cm of white batter and steam 4 minutes. Pour 4 cm of green batter and steam 4 minutes. Repeat for 6 alternating layers, finishing with white.
4
Top up the final layer to 4 cm and steam 5 more minutes.
5
Cool completely before slicing into neat rectangles.
6
Refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours at 4°C or below; use within 3 days.

Source: WorldBite Editorial · WorldBite Proprietary Editorial Content