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Bingka ubi
Bingka ubi: baked grated cassava cake with coconut milk and pandan, chewy inside and browned on top
Golden-brown slabs of bingka ubi are cut from big trays at Malay and Peranakan kueh stalls in Singapore and taken home for tea, or baked at home for Hari Raya when there is a crowd to feed. Freshly grated cassava, coconut milk, eggs and sugar bake into a dense, chewy, slightly sticky cake with a custardy centre and a caramelised, almost leathery top, scented with pandan. It needs nothing with it but a cup of strong tea or kopi. Cassava must always be fully cooked and never eaten raw; buy it fresh from a trusted greengrocer, peel off every bit of the thick skin and pink layer, or use frozen grated cassava, which is already prepared. The usual mistake is pressing out all the cassava's liquid and adding too little coconut milk, which bakes it dry and rubbery. Chef's tip: finish under the grill for the last few minutes for the dark, blistered top, then cool fully before cutting so the slices hold.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb grated cassavafresh, finely grated, or frozen and thawed
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 3 eggs
- 6 ½ oz sugar
- 1 ¾ oz buttermelted, plus extra for the tin
- 3 tbsp pandan juice6 pandan leaves blended with 4 tbsp water and squeezed through a cloth
- ½ tsp salt
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Butter a 20 cm square tin and line the base with baking paper.
Step 2: Put 1 ¾ lb grated cassava in a sieve and press lightly to drain off any pooled liquid, but leave it moist. If using fresh cassava, check there are no fibrous bits of the woody core.
Step 4: Stir in 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, 1 ¾ oz butter, 3 tbsp pandan juice and ½ tsp salt, then fold in the cassava until evenly combined. The batter should be thick but pourable.
Step 5: Pour into the tin and level the top. Bake for 55–60 minutes, until set, golden and the edges pull away from the tin; a skewer in the centre should come out sticky but not wet.
60 minStep 6: Turn on the grill and grill the top for 3–5 minutes, watching closely, until it is deep brown and blistered in patches.
5 minStep 7: Cool completely in the tin, at least 2 hours, then cut into 10 bars with an oiled knife. Keeps 2 days at room temperature, covered, or 4 days chilled.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bingka ubi take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 65 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 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.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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