Baked Tapioca Cake (Kuih Bingka Ubi)

Unknown Tuesday, July 29, 2014 Snacks 1 comment

This traditional Malay/ Nyonya kuih is semi-soft, chewy and fragrant. It has an inviting aroma from the pandan leaves, eggs and coconut milk. More importantly it's extremely easy to make and it's super delicious.

Ingredients:

1.3 kg yellow tapioca tubers, ( 1kg after peeled and grated )
2 eggs, lightly beaten
300g sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 screw pine leaves (pandan leaves), rinse and drain well
375 ml/ 400g undiluted thick coconut milk, at room temperature (from 2 coconuts)
125 ml water
Banana leaves, rinse and drain dry (or parchment paper if banana leaves are not available)

Method:

Line a 23x5 cm square cake tin with banana leaves (oiled on shinny side). Preheat oven to 170 degree C. (375 degree F)
Peel yellow tapioca tubers and grate finely. Place the grated tapioca in a strainer over a bowl. Leave for 30 minutes to allow juices to drain into the bowl. Pour off the liquid in the bowl slowly, leaving behind the tapioca starch at the bottle of bowl.
Put the grated tapioca into a large mixing bowl. Then add the reserved tapioca starch. Add sugar, beaten eggs and salt.
Stir well until the sugar dissolved. Knead, squeeze and twist pandan leaves into mixture till completely crushed.
Then add in the coconut milk and water. Mix thoroughly. Discard the pandan leaves after that.
Pour batter into cake tin in a circular motion as you pour. Smooth the top with a spatula and make sure batter is evenly mixed.
Bake in preheated oven for about 1 1/2hours or until top is golden brown. Do not over bake or the cake will be dry and tough.
Remove cake from oven and cool on wire rack about 30 minutes. Unmould and leave the tapioca cake on wire rack till cool, about 1 hour.
Using an oiled knife cut into neat cube or rectangular pieces. Serve at room temperature.

Notes:

For leftovers, wrap and refrigerate. Cut and rebake till thoroughly heated and soft.
Avoid grating the tough fibre that runs down the centre of the tuber. It's best to remove this fibrous core as it will cause bitterness in the cake if the tapioca is not fully baked.

To bake tapioca cake:

First, line a 23 x 5 cm square cake tin with banana leaves. ( Oiled on shiny side )

Preheat oven to 170 degree C.

Peel the yellow tapioca tubers.

Grate finely the yellow tapioca tubers.

Place the grated tapioca in a strainer over a bowl. Leave for about 30 minutes.

This allows the juices from the grated tapioca to drain into the bowl.

Pour off the liquid in the bowl slowly, leaving behind the tapioca starch at the bottom of bowl.

Measure ingredients to be added into the grated tapioca.

Put the grated tapioca into a large mixing bowl. Then add the reserved tapioca starch. Add sugar, beaten eggs and salt. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved.

Knead, squeeze and twist pandan leaves into mixture till completely crushed.

Then add in the undiluted coconut milk and water. Mix thoroughly.

Discard the pandan leaves after that.

Pour batter into cake tin in a circular motion as you pour. Smooth the top with a spatula and make sure the batter is evenly mixed.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 1 1/2hours.

Remove tapioca cake from oven and cool on wire rack for 30 minutes.

Unmould and leave the cake to cool for about 1 hour.

Using an oiled knife cut the caramelized golden yellow tapioca cake into pieces.

You can cut the tapioca cake into neat rectangular pieces.

The tapioca cake is semi-soft and moist with a springy, elastic texture. The caramelized top and edges of the tapioca cake after it's baked give it such a special and inviting taste.