Bika ambon
Honeycomb coconut cake
Bika ambon: Medan's chewy, honeycombed coconut cake scented with lemongrass, pandan and lime leaf (plus 3 hours rising)
Despite its name, bika ambon belongs to Medan in North Sumatra, where shops on Jalan Majapahit sell it boxed for travellers to take home. A yeasted batter of tapioca, eggs and coconut milk bakes into a cake with a sticky, golden base and long vertical tunnels running through its yellow crumb, perfumed with lemongrass, pandan and lime leaf. It is chewy rather than spongy. Chef's tip: bake it with heat from the bottom first; that is what drives the bubbles upward into the honeycomb.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the starter
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ cup warm water
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch
For the infused coconut milk
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 2 stalks lemongrassbruised and knotted
- 4 pandan leavesknotted
- 6 makrut lime leavestorn
For the batter
- 2 eggs
- 8 oz sugar
- 8 oz tapioca starch
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oilfor the tin
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 2 tsp instant yeast, 1 tsp sugar, ¼ cup warm water and 2 tbsp tapioca starch in a cup and leave for 10 minutes, until foamy.
10 minStep 2: Heat 1 ¾ cups coconut milk with 2 stalks lemongrass, 4 pandan leaves and 6 makrut lime leaves over a low heat, stirring, until steaming but not boiling. Take off the heat, squeeze the leaves into the milk and leave to infuse for 30 minutes; it should be lukewarm when you use it. Strain.
35 minStep 3: Whisk 8 egg yolks, 2 eggs and 8 oz sugar by hand for 2 minutes, just until the sugar dissolves; don't beat in lots of air. Whisk in 8 oz tapioca starch and ½ tsp salt, then the starter, then the lukewarm coconut milk to a thin, smooth batter.
5 minStep 4: Cover and leave in a warm place for 2–3 hours, until the surface is covered in foam and fine bubbles. Common mistake: cutting this short; an under-risen batter bakes into a dense pudding with no honeycomb.
Step 5: Heat the oven to 350°F, bottom heat only if you have it. Grease a 20 cm square tin with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and heat it empty in the oven for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 6: Stir the batter gently once and pour it into the hot tin. Bake on the lowest shelf for 40–45 minutes, until the top is set and pale and you can see holes through the sides.
45 minStep 7: Switch to top heat or the grill and cook 5–10 minutes more, until the top is golden brown in patches. Cool completely in the tin, at least 2 hours, before cutting into 16 pieces; cut warm, it tears.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bika ambon take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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