Description
Bánh Bò Hấp, or Steamed Vietnamese Honeycomb Cake, is a traditional dessert known for its unique chewy texture and signature honeycomb-like interior. Made with rice flour, tapioca starch, coconut milk, and flavored with pandan, it’s lightly sweet and naturally gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 200g rice flour
- 50g tapioca starch
- 200ml coconut milk
- 120g sugar
- 1 tsp instant dry yeast
- 60ml warm water (about 100°F or 38°C)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/2 tsp pandan extract (optional, for flavor and color)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the instant dry yeast with warm water and a teaspoon of sugar. Let it sit for 10 minutes until frothy.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together rice flour and tapioca starch.
- In a saucepan, gently warm the coconut milk with the sugar until the sugar dissolves. Do not boil. Let it cool to lukewarm.
- Pour the yeast mixture and coconut milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Add pandan and/or vanilla extract if using. Mix until smooth.
- Cover the batter and let it rest in a warm place for 2 hours to ferment. The batter should become bubbly and rise slightly.
- Prepare a steamer with boiling water. Grease small ramekins or muffin molds lightly with oil.
- Stir the batter gently, then pour into the molds, filling about 3/4 full.
- Place the molds in the steamer, cover with a lid wrapped in a towel to prevent water droplets from falling in.
- Steam over medium-high heat for 12–15 minutes or until the cakes are set and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool slightly before removing from molds. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Do not overmix the batter before steaming to preserve the airy texture.
- Pandan extract gives the cake its traditional green color and aroma, but it’s optional.
- Make sure the steamer lid is wrapped to prevent condensation from dripping onto the cakes.
- Use fresh yeast for best rise and honeycomb texture.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Steaming
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 small cake
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 20mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
