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Bebinca
Bebinca: Goa's many-layered Christmas cake of coconut milk, egg yolks and ghee, grilled layer by layer
No Goan Catholic Christmas, wedding or feast is complete without bebinca, the 'queen of Goan desserts'. A rich batter of coconut milk, egg yolks, sugar and a little flour is cooked one thin layer at a time under the heat, each layer brushed with ghee before the next is poured on, so the finished cake shows dark-and-light stripes when sliced. Traditionally it was baked over coconut-husk fire with coals on the lid and had sixteen layers; a home grill makes eight to ten easily in an afternoon. It's rich, dense and fudgy, and keeps for a week. Serve thin slices at room temperature, or warm with vanilla ice cream. Chef's tip: make each layer the same thin pour; a thick layer stays raw in the middle while its top burns.
- Total time
- 145 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups thick coconut milk
- 10 ½ oz caster sugar
- 10 egg yolks
- 4 ½ oz plain flour
- ½ tsp grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 pinch salt
- 5 ½ oz gheemelted
- 2 tbsp flaked almonds (optional)toasted, to decorate
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Warm 2 cups thick coconut milk gently in a pan and stir in 10 ½ oz caster sugar until dissolved. Leave to cool to room temperature; hot milk would cook the yolks.
10 minStep 2: Whisk 10 egg yolks until pale and slightly thick, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the coconut milk, then sift in 4 ½ oz plain flour with ½ tsp grated nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cardamom and 1 pinch salt and whisk until smooth. Strain the batter through a sieve to remove any lumps or threads of egg. It should be like pouring cream.
Step 4: Pour in a ladle of batter (about 120 ml), tilting the tin so it covers the base in a thin layer. Grill for 8–10 minutes until it is set, deep golden-brown on top and no longer wobbles in the middle.
10 minStep 5: Brush the top with 1 tbsp ghee, pour over the next ladle of batter and grill again. Repeat until the batter is used up, giving 8–10 layers. Common mistake: pouring the next layer before the last has browned. Without the dark top each time, you lose the stripes and the layers merge into one pudding.
100 minStep 6: Pour the rest of the ghee over the final layer and bake at 350°F (325°F fan) for 10 minutes to make sure the centre is set.
10 minStep 7: Cool completely in the tin, then turn out upside down so the darkest layer is on top. Chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight, before slicing thinly with a hot knife. Decorate with 2 tbsp flaked almonds if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bebinca take?
- About 145 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of thick coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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