Southeast Asian Cakes

In its simplest form, bibingka is a simple Filipino cake that consists of rice flour and water. It was initially prepared in clay pots that were lined with banana leaves, which would impart a distinctive, smoky flavor to the dish. Bibinka is belie... READ MORE

This traditional Vietnamese dessert consists of chewy layers that are typically made with puréed mung beans, tapioca starch, rice flour, and coconut milk or water. Traditionally, each cake has a pale yellow layer made with mung beans and a ... READ MORE

Kue lapis or kuih lapis is a traditional dessert that's also popular in Malaysia, Suriname, Brunei, and Singapore. It is usually prepared as a moist layered pudding-like cake consisting of rice flour, sago, sugar, salt, coconut milk, and red, gree... READ MORE

Lapis legit is a traditional layered cake originating from Indonesia, where it's been made under the influence of Dutch cuisine. The cake consists of 18 to 30 separately baked layers of egg yolks, sugar, flour, butter, and spices such as mace, nut... READ MORE

Although undoubtedly French in origin, the decadent sans rival (lit. without rival) is a classic Filipino dessert and an all-time favorite that truly lives up to its name. It is made with layers of dacquoise; a crispy, baked nut meringue ... READ MORE

Kutsinta is a sweet Filipino delicacy made with glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, and lye water. The mixture is steamed in small round molds and it is traditionally served topped with coconut flakes. These chewy cakes are usually infused with foo... READ MORE

Bananas are the star ingredient in this classic Vietnamese dessert which can be steamed (hấp) or baked (nướng). It usually consists of sliced bananas and a creamy combination of condensed milk, sugar, coconut milk, and optionally... READ MORE

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 smal... READ MORE

Bánh chuối hấp is a traditional dessert. This steamed banana cake is made with ripe bananas, rice flour, coconut milk, tapioca starch, and sugar. The bananas are peeled, mashed, then mixed with sugar, rice flour, water, and sometimes vanill... READ MORE

Kuih cara manis is a Malaysian dessert that is made with a batter consisting of eggs, flour, and coconut milk. The cakes are baked in specialized pans and are traditionally flavored with pandan leaves, which also give the cakes their distinctive g... READ MORE

Sanwin makin is a traditional dessert originating from Myanmar (Burma). It is usually made by boiling semolina, sugar, and coconut cream to make a thick dough, and eggs are added to aerate the mixture before it's baked in the oven. The list of ing... READ MORE

Khanom farang kutti chin is a traditional cake originating from the Kudi Chin community in Bangkok. This muffin-like cake was influenced by Portuguese and Chinese cuisine and it’s usually made with a combination of duck eggs, wheat flour, an... READ MORE