This steamed Malaysian dessert is prepared with a combination of rice and tapioca flour, white sugar, alkaline water, and usually dark palm sugar, which gives these cakes their characteristic dark-brown color. The batter is usually steamed in small Chinese cups, and the cakes are traditionally served topped with freshly grated coconut.

Instead of brown sugar, modern varieties are often flavored with pandan leaves that give kuih kaswi an appealing, vibrant green color.