Vietnamese Baked Honeycomb Pandan Cake (Bánh Bò Nướng Trứng Rễ Tre Lá Dứa)
A delicious Vietnamese baked honeycomb cake that is light, springy, and airy with a burst of pandan and coconut flavors. Add the pandan leaves, water, and blend in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- 5 large pandan leaves
- 100 mL cup water (about ⅓ cup)
- ¼ tsp pandan extract paste (for additional color)
- 100 mL coconut milk (about ⅓ cup)
- 100 mL heavy whipping cream (about ⅓ cup)
- 8 whole eggs
- 280 g granulated white sugar (about 1⅓ cups)
- 310 g tapioca starch (about 2½ cups)
- 20 g rice flour (about 3 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted melted butter
- 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
- Clean the pandan leaves and cut them into small strips. Add the pandan leaves, water, and blend in a food processor or blender until smooth. Strain the mixture and discard the pulp. Add additional water to get ½ cup of pandan juice. Mix juice with pandan extract paste, coconut milk and cream until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, break the yolks with a whisk and mix lightly. To the eggs, mix together sugar, tapioca starch, rice flour, salt, melted butter, baking powder, and the pandan mixture until well combined.
- Pour the batter through a fine-mesh strainer into a new mixing bowl to remove any lumps, making sure to scrap the bottom of the strainer. Cover the mixture and let it bloom for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a deep 8 or 9 inch round nonstick cake pan with parchment paper. Bake the pan by itself at 350°F for 15 minutes to make the pan hot.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Pour the batter into the pan and gently shake it back and forth to even out the top. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour at 350°F, or until a skewer or chopstick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Turn off heat.
- To prevent the cake from collapsing, carefully flip the pan upside down. You might have to use oven-safe objects to put on both sides of the pan to avoid crushing the top. See picture above for reference. I’m using two ramekins. Allow the cake to rest in the closed oven for 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove the cake from the oven. Run a knife along the inside rim of the cake pan to loosen it up and lift it out. Wait until the cake is completely cooled before slicing. Enjoy the cake on its own or with sweetened coconut sauce, roasted chopped peanuts, and roasted sesame seeds.
Add additional water to get ½ cup of pandan juice. Mix juice with pandan extract paste, coconut milk and cream until well combined. In a large bowl, break the yolks with a whisk and mix lightly.
To the eggs, mix together sugar, tapioca starch, rice flour, salt, melted butter, baking powder, and the pandan mixture until well combined. Pour the batter through a fine-mesh strainer into a new mixing bowl to remove any lumps, making sure to scrap the bottom of the strainer. Cover the mixture and let it bloom for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
Line the bottom of a deep 8 or 9 inch round nonstick cake pan with parchment paper. Bake the pan by itself at 350°F for 15 minutes to make the pan hot. Pour the batter into the pan and gently shake it back and forth to even out the top.
Bake for 50 minutes to one hour at 350°F, or until a skewer or chopstick inserted in the middle comes out clean. To prevent the cake from collapsing, carefully flip the pan upside down. You might have to use oven-safe objects to put on both sides of the pan to avoid crushing the top.
Allow the cake to rest in the shut down oven for 20 minutes. Run a knife along the inside rim of the cake pan to loosen it up and lift it out.
Wait until the cake is completely cooled before slicing. Enjoy the cake on its own or with sweetened coconut sauce, roasted chopped peanuts, and roasted sesame seeds.