Kutsinta

Name: Kutsinta
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 60 min
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 125 g plain flour; 60 g tapioca starch; 180 g dark brown sugar; 450 ml water; 0.5 tsp annatto powder; 1 tsp food-grade lye water (lihia); 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 120 g fresh or frozen grated coconut

Steamed brown sugar cakes

Kutsinta: springy brown-sugar steamed cakes with grated coconut

Features:

Vegetarian Dairy free Make ahead

Cuisine:

Filipino

Sold in neat stacks beside puto at every Filipino market and bakery, kutsinta are small, dark amber cakes with a bouncy, jelly-like chew that comes from a few drops of lye water. Steamed in little cups and topped with fresh grated coconut, they are eaten for breakfast or merienda with coffee. Lye water (lihia) is strongly alkaline: buy food-grade only, measure it carefully, keep it away from children and rinse off any splashes on skin at once. Chef's tip: let the batter rest before steaming; skipping the rest gives cakes with a gritty, uneven texture and dark spots of undissolved sugar.

Total time: 60 min
Difficulty: medium
Serves: 12

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Ingredients

Serves12

4 ½ oz plain flour
2 ⅛ oz tapioca starch
6 ½ oz dark brown sugar
2 cups water
½ tsp annatto powder
1 tsp food-grade lye water (lihia)
1 tbsp vegetable oilfor the moulds
4 oz fresh or frozen grated coconutto serve

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What you'll need

Spices & pantry

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Method

0/6 done

Step 1: Dissolve 6 ½ oz dark brown sugar and ½ tsp annatto powder in 2 cups water in a pan over a low heat, then cool to lukewarm.
6 min
Step 2: Whisk 4 ½ oz plain flour and 2 ⅛ oz tapioca starch in a bowl, pour in the sugar water and whisk until completely smooth. Strain through a sieve.
4 min
Step 3: Measure 1 tsp food-grade lye water (lihia) exactly and stir it in. Too much makes the cakes bitter and slimy. Leave the batter to rest for 20 minutes.
20 min
Step 4: Brush 12 small cups or a mini muffin tin with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Bring a steamer to a full boil and wrap the lid in a tea towel so drips don't pit the tops.
5 min
Step 5: Stir the batter, fill the moulds three-quarters full and steam over a medium-high heat for 20–25 minutes, until the tops are firm, glossy and spring back when touched.
23 min
Step 6: Cool completely in the moulds, about 30 minutes, then loosen with a thin knife. Serve topped with 4 oz fresh or frozen grated coconut.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 150 kcal
Protein: 1 g
Carbs: 30 g
Fat: 3 g
Fibre: 1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does kutsinta take?: About 60 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 25 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 vegan?: Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
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 plain flour?: Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
What can I use instead of dark brown sugar?: White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.

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