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Kuih bakar
Baked pandan coconut cake
Kuih bakar pandan: Kelantan's baked pandan-coconut custard cake with sesame
Kelantan and Terengganu bake kuih bakar in heavy brass flower moulds over charcoal, and in Kota Bharu's markets you buy it by the wedge, green inside with a browned, sesame-flecked top. It sits between a custard and a cake: eggs, thick coconut milk and pandan juice set with a little flour into a dense, moist crumb. It is a favourite for breaking the fast during Ramadan. This version uses a 20 cm round tin in a home oven and plain wheat flour, as the east coast does. Chef's tip: pulling it out too early is the classic slip; the centre should feel firm and a skewer come out clean, or it sinks into a wet middle.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 8 pandan leavescut up
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 4 eggs
- 6 oz caster sugar
- 4 ½ oz plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp neutral oilfor the tin
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Blend 8 pandan leaves with half the ¾ cup coconut milk until the leaves are pulp, then squeeze through a fine sieve. Stir the green milk back into the rest of ¾ cup coconut milk.
Step 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Brush a 20 cm round tin (or a flower kuih bakar mould) with 1 tbsp neutral oil and put it in the oven to heat for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Whisk 4 eggs and 6 oz caster sugar by hand just until the sugar dissolves; you don't want froth. Whisk in 4 ½ oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt, then the pandan coconut milk, until smooth.
Step 4: Strain the batter into the hot tin and bake for 30 minutes, until the edges have set.
30 minStep 5: Scatter 1 tbsp white sesame seeds over the top and bake for another 25–30 minutes, until the top is browned, the centre is firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. Grill for the last 2 minutes if you want a darker top.
30 minStep 6: Cool completely in the tin, at least 2 hours, before cutting into wedges. Keep in the fridge and eat within 2 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 245 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 31 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kuih bakar take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 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.
- 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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