Description
A colorful green and yellow Vietnamese steamed layer cake that’s semi-sweet, springy, and perfectly chewy. It goes great with tea. Separate the layers one by one for some eating fun! This recipe makes a 9-inch round cake.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Yellow Mung Bean Batter
- 100 grams peeled and split dried mung beans
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 50 grams tapioca starch
- 30 grams rice flour
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 grams granulated sugar
Green Pandan Batter
- 90 grams fresh pandan leaves
- 1 cup water
- 125 grams tapioca starch
- 125 grams rice flour
- 25 grams glutinous rice flour
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 2 drops pandan gel extract
Other Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
Make the Yellow Mung Bean Batter
- Wash dried mung beans until water runs clear then transfer to a small pot. Add water to cover by 1½ inches. Cook until softened on medium-low heat, uncovered (about 20 minutes).
- To a blender, add cooked mung beans, salt, tapioca starch, rice flour, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and sugar. Blend until smooth. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove clumps. The mixture will have the consistency of pancake batter.
Make the Green Pandan Batter
- Rinse the blender. Cut pandan leaves into small pieces. Add cut leaves and water. Blend until smooth. Strain liquid through a sieve to extract the liquid and set it aside. Discard the pandan pulp.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together pandan water, tapioca starch, rice flour, glutinous rice flour, sugar, salt, coconut milk, and pandan gel extract. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove clumps. The mixture will be much thinner in consistency than the yellow batter.
Divide the Batter and Steam the Layers
- Use a large steamer that will fit a 9-inch circular cake pan with a depth of at least 2 inches. You can also use two smaller cake pans. Get the steamer ready by filling the basin halfway with water. Bring the water to a medium simmer. Have some kitchen towels handy to wipe down the inside of the steamer lid. This will prevent water from falling onto the cake while steaming.
- Divide the green batter equally between 3 bowls. Divide the yellow batter equally between 2 bowls. The cake will have 5 layers, starting and ending with the green pandan layer.
- Brush vegetable oil on the bottom and the sides of the pan. Steam the oiled pan by itself for 5 minutes. Add the first bowl of green batter. Warning: It will be hot but you will have to pour slowly, close to the pan, to prevent bubbles. If there are bubbles, you can scoop them away with a spoon (purely for aesthetics) or leave them be. Steam for 5 minutes.
- Open up the lid and give it a quick wipe down on the inside. Add a bowl of yellow mung bean layer. Steam for 7 minutes. Continue this pattern until all batter is gone. 5 minutes for green. 7 minutes for yellow. Make sure to wipe down the inside of the lid each time a new layer is added.
- Carefully remove the cake from the steamer and allow the cake to cool completely before cutting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese