Ing:-200ml thick coconut milk/cream (200ml = 1/2 can)
-1 cup sugar
-6 eggs
-2 cups tapioca starch
-2 1/2 tsp baking powder (single acting, NEVER use double acting)
-pandan leaves or extract (optional)
What to Do:
1) Boil together coconut milk and sugar (add pandan leaves to 'syrup' if you want) until sugar dissolves, cool compleatly.
2) Mix together baking powder and tapioca.
3) Beat eggs and add syrup (1) then add to tapioca mix (3). Mix everything together until smooth.
4) bake at 350'F for about 45-50 mins, until golden.
Reference:
VinhlongVN from www.datviet.com
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Comments (158)
This looks like something I would bake. Always searching for easy recipe. :P To-do list it goes. Thanks tt!
Circa1959,
“Little corner of mine” tired and with success so I doubt there’s a problem with the ingredients/measurements. Can you explain more precisely exactly what your procedure was when attempting this cake (the “method” is just as important as the ingredients)? Remember to use single acting baking powder NOT double acting, don’t over-beat the eggs (just enough to homogenize the whites and yolks, stirring would be a safer method). You could also try baking at a lower temperature as every oven is different; never trust the oven’s thermometer. :D
Better luck next time…third times always a charm. ;)
*TT
circa,
happy to hear the good news. Congrats!
You're from Seattle too? :)
single acting baking powder = works once (when it comes in contact with liquid)
Double acting baking powder = works twice, first time is when comes in contact with a liquid, then again when heated (i.e. baking, steaming, etc...)
coconut milk and coconut cream are actually the same thing. Now that you know the problem is in the baking powder, I suggest you bake at a higher temp. Reason being, baking at a low temp = longer baking time = the co2 in the baking powder used create the "honeycombs" are escaping before the cake has time to set and "trap" in those honeycombs.
*TT
you over mixed the batter. Just mix to combine everything, a minute is significant.
I tried this for the 5th time, but still, it goes flat. I don't know what I'am doing wrong. I did exactly what you have on here, but it doesn't work. Am I over mixing the eggs and the flour? I really want to make this cake right, but don't know what I'm doing wrong!
Anonymous,
care to tell me exactly what you're doing? I can't tell you what you did wrong if you don't tell me what you did in the first place!
I only have pandan extract. How much do I use?
Add as much or as little extract as you like. The more you add the more flavor you'll get in the cake.
I see you made one without eggs. How did you do that? What is the difference? Thank you.
I don't get much green color. Should I use food color? Did you use food color?
Anonymous 1,
re: eggless version. There are many differences, the eggless version calls for the addition of yeast, rice flour, and some time to prove the batter before baking.
Anonymous 2,
I use pandan paste which is extract + color all in one.
Can you tell me how to make the eggless version? Thank you.
I will when I have the time..... hang tight ok?
What baking powder did you use?
OK!
baking powder = single acting (it says so in the recipe)......
Anonymous,
I just remembered, I've post the eggless version over at www.datviet.com, you can go there and look for the recipe if you needed it in a hurry. I'm assuming you can read vietnamese....if not then I guess you only option is to wait for a while.
What brand? I can't read vietnamese. And your site doesn't encode the viet text properly. Thanks.
I didn't post the brand in Vietnamese....as a matter of fact I didn't post the brand at all.... Anyways...the brand does not matter just as long as it's single acting.
Is alsa single or double? It doesn't say.
Can I use a bundt pan?
Anonymous 1 (re: baking powder)
the 5th comment to this post has the answer you're looking for.
Anonymous 2 (rẹ: bundt pan)
sure,... why not?
I want the eggless version too, please!
I want to learn the version without eggs too. I hate eggs.
What exactly will happen if I use double acting baking powder?
you'll come back here and ask me "what did I do wrong?"......:D
What kind of pan do you use to make this? How do you prepare the pan?
What kind of pan did you use to make this? How did you prepare the pan?
I heard you the first time.....anything oven safe can be used as a mould. Prepare it by greaseing with a little oil.
Hi tt,
I'll try this recipe, but it just a little hard to find the single acting powder. I can't wait to bake it..it look so good! Oh, do you know how to make the chinese version (bak tong go) it's white and steamed just like banh bo but have honeycomb and the texture is different. They sold it in chinese store, but somehow they didn't taste that good..a little bitter. I tried to make it today but it work and I can't seem to find the right recipe or method to get the honeycomb. If you know how, can you post it up some time?? Thanks a lot.
I mean my chinese version banh bo didn't work. no honeycomb:)
have you tried this recipe?
http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2005/10/bnh-b-steamed-rice-cakes.html
use water instead of coconut milk and you get the chinese version.
can we move this conversation to the post it belongs too?
Hi everyone! Good news...I been searching for baking powder (single acting) but can never find it, but I learn that we can make our own. All you need is cream of tartar and baking soda. 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon of baking soda mix together and use immediately or add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and can store for 1 month. If you need more, just double the ingredients. Hope this help some of you who can't find the single acting baking powder.:)
Hi tt. I just made my first banh bo nuong with my baking powder and it was a success! I got a lot of honeycombs! It was perfect! Thanks for the recipe!
Single acting baking powder usually sits right next to the double acting baking powder in the baking section of most supermarkets....its a lot cheaper to buy it than make it since a small jar of cream of tartar costs almost as much as 2 jars of baking powder…..
Hi tt. I agree, but it was an emergency, I really wanted to make my banh bo nuong. The thing is I couldn't find it in the American store and the asian store baking powder doesn't tell me which one is single acting. I didn't want to fail so made my own. Looking at your other links I found out that Alsa brand is a single acting powder, which I bought but afraid to use..:)But now I know! Thanks.
you can make it with light coconut milk but you would have to measure the coconut milk by volume. As for the steamed version; it's a totally different recipe: http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2005/10/bnh-b-steamed-rice-cakes.html
Hi TT, I tried making the cake 3 times but without success. It rises in the oven but fell flat after taking it out. No honeycombe effect for my attempts. Please help.....
Here's what I did, quickly mix eggs using fork until combined. The rest of the steps are followed as per instructions. However, I find it hard to evenly mix the liquid into flour mixture. There are lumps of flour which I had to sieve to get a smooth batter. Perhaps this is where I went wrong. Would appreciate your comments and pointers. Thanking you in advance. Ange
what kind of baking powder did you use, what was the oven temp.?
TT
Baking powder is single acting and oven temp at 180C. Txs Ange
Ange,
maybe it's the eggs, 6 eggs should weigh approx. 300g (without shells). Try reducing you oven temp a bit to about 160'C.
TT, Thanks for your pointers. I made it again yesterday and have finally had success. Hooray!!! and a BIG thanks to you. My family loved the cake so much that they have requested another this weekend. (I must have had too much eggs as the ones I used are approx 67g each - with shell) Ange
Hello. Just wondering... Is Tapioca Starch and Tapioca Flour the same. Thanks!!
hi all,
i just tried this recipe and the cake swelled on the side as it cooked but then i got 0 honeycombs and it went flat as it cooled down... i don t understand since i read all your comments and did heat it at a very low temperature and used Alsa single acting powder....
also, it turned out yellowish so i m guessing you used food colouring in that pick....
i wanted to know how to cook it with the pandan leaves too ( and not ready made pandan essence).... how do you do it ? do you blend the bleave ? boil them ?
thank you in advance !
the yellowish color comes from the eggs. The green color in the cake is from pandan leaves.
The temp has to be just right not too low but not too high either. Baking at a low temp is just as bad as baking at a hight temp.
Just tasted this today. Was warned that the tapioca starch needs to be the Thi product.
thi product? never heard of it. Any brand will do.
Hi....
Can you please tell me what's in single acting baking powder as opposed to double acting baking powder. I'm from australia and as far as I know there is only one type of baking powder...maybe it's different over in america...
thanks
the answer re: baking powder is already posted in one of the replies above.....
I have made this a couple times and it always comes out a golden yellow. How do you get the top to be a rich borwn color?
charity,
not all ovens are the same....try, playing with the baking time and temp.
Hi, I am from FL I really admire your recipes, tt. You have a tremendous recipes. They are terrific. Great job. I added your website to my favarite. Go Gator!
All thanks to your recipe & informational blogs, I am now known for this delicious dessert! No question is a dumb question as every piece of information helped in making even my first cake a successful one.
a different version...
1 ricebowl (those little ones...you know what im talking about- Tapioca starch
1 ricebowl- rice flour
1 can- coconut milk
2- eggs
1 tsp.- vanilla extract
pandan flavored green paste (adjustable, it depends on color preferences)
1. prepeat oven and pans (angel food cake pans) to 400
2. whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl
3. strain out mixture
4. spray pans with crisco
5. bake at 400 for 10 min.
after 10 min. adjust to 350 and bake for remaining 30 min.
6. take out, cut with a sharp knife, and enjoy!
oops, i think i left out the 1 packet of alsa baking powder, 1 ricebowl of sugar...1 can of coconut milk, wow, bad memory
thanks michelle
I have baking powder but it doesn't say single acting or double acting, it just says Continuous Action. Is this safe to use?
I don't know, but you can google "Continuous Action baking powder" to see what it is or you can just experiment and see what happens.
hello. can i buy the tapioca starch at an american grocery store or do i have to go to an asian store? Also, what size pan do i use? If i use a bundt pan what size?
you can buy tapioca starch at any well stocked grocery store, but you'll pay ALOT more if you buy it at an american store. pan size does not matter.
How do u store the left over? Do you stick it in the fridge or leave it out? Also, do u know how long it's good for? Sorry for the dumb question.
there is no such thing as a dumb question. if you think logically about some questions, the answer will come naturally.
To answer you question on "how long its good for"....food "spoils" when organisms such as bacteria occupy and multiply while consuming the medium (i.e. cake). Thus the faster they multiply, the sooner you food will spoil. How fast they multiply strictly depends on the environment in which they are living in. So in a nutshell, how long before a food item spoils, in this case the cake, strictly depends on the environment in which the item is stored. Refrigeration works based on the same concept. It keeps a constant temp (an environmental factor) at a degree too low for organisms to multiply at a fast rate. This in turn allows us to enjoy foods longer.
Generally speaking in the field of baking, things that have frosting and/or fillings that are "fresh"; added after the main item is baked usually needs to be stored in the fridge. Others do not. For example, a cake that is frosted with whipped cream and filled with strawberries should be stored in the fridge, because it had frosting and strawberries added after the main cake was baked. On the other hand, things such as breads or pies which do not have anything added after the main item after it's baked do not require you to store it in the fridge. With that said, how do you think you this cake should be stored?
Play with your food!
How do I make this cake with pandan leaves?
Hi,
Thanks for sharing this recipe and I like your entire website, it's got some great dishes.
I tried making this, but it doesn't seem to have the same honeycomb effect as the one in your picture.
I beat the eggs for about 1 minute, added in the syrup and then stirred in the powder mixture. but in the oven (175C) it grew on the sides but now the middle. there's like a dip in the middle.
My second cake I did the same but baked it at 140C, but still similar.
Do you have any suggestions?
I tried the recipe again and it rose nicely in the oven at 350 but fell flat as I took it out of the oven. what went wrong? I prepared according to recipe but had a little hard time blending the mixtures into the flour. perhaps that's where it went wrong. should I try to decrease the lump as much as possible? what's the best way to do this and is it suppose to go flat after taken out of the oven? thanks
the cake fell because you beat the eggs too much...try stirring the eggs to blend the yolks with the whites instead of beating them. To remove lumps, strain the batter.
Hey,
I tried this recipe three times following your recipe as well as what you replied to the others who tried this recipe as well. I did not beat the eggs only enough to mix the yolk and the white. I used one less egg because you said it should be about 300g. I decreased the temp to 325F. When I mixed the eggs, syrup, and flour I only mixed it for about one minute because I was afraid that by smoothing out the batter would have the same effect as over beating the eggs. As a result, I baked it with all the lumps and all. So should I smooth out the batter more than mixing for a minute? I know you said to someone to strain the batter, but there are so many lumps that it would be about half of the flour to waste. So should I strain it and then smooth out the lumps and then combine it with the rest of the batter?
Thanks and sorry for the long comment and numerous questions. I just really want to know how to make this bake!
you can afford to mix the batter for more than a min., if you mix it gently. Add the liquids slowly to minimize the lumps.
hi
I've tried this recipe 6 times already and i still cant manage to get the honey comb effect and when i do, the honey comb effect is only on the bottom. How do i get it to the whole cake? I baked it at 400F b/c i saw that you said it would be better at a higher temp.
Also, when i mixed the batter it was really lumpy. Is it suppose to be this way.
Please Help!! Thanks TT
the batter should not be lumpy. Did you try different things each time you tried the recipe. If so what did you do?
Hi HoangTam :) your food looks so yummy
I live in Europe so we have a differt measurement here. I already tried baking this cake twice...went into the bin.
How much is one cup tapioca in grams?
I've looked it up. Some says it is 140g and other says it is 125g.
Could you please measure it and tell me.
Here we only have 1 kind of baking powder and I think it is doubleacting. So is it ok to use yeast instead?
Thanks in advance :) :)
i tried using a strainer that you suggested but that still didnt work. Was it b/c i mixed the batter while it was in the strainer to get the batter through(if you know what im talking about)? Should i not try to force the batter out...cause it seems like its such a waste dont you think?
NP,
1 cup = 1 rice bowl = 16 tbs
1 cup of tap. starch = approx. 130g
it is not ok to sub. yeast for baking powder as they work differently. Yeast is natural and takes time for the yeast to "grow" and produce bubbles to leaven the cake. Baking powder on the other hand, is made of chemicals and works immediately when it comes in contact with moisture.
read the ingredients on the baking powder package. If it contains 1 base and 1 acid then it's single acting if it contains 2 acids and one base then it's double acting.
anon,
I have no idea what you're saying.
mix the batter, pour it through the strainer, use a wisk/spoon/hand/whatever... to break up the lumps as the batter passes through the strainer.
this recipe is pretty good. i modified it a little. but overall it should give you the perfect banh bo, golden crispy on the outside and soft and spongy with lots of honeycombs in the inside .
modified recipe:
ingredients:
-14 oz tapioca starch flour (from thailand)usually that is one bag at any asian grocery store.
-1 3/4 cup sugar
-8 large eggs at room temperature
-2 bags of 'alsa' baking powder (single acting, NEVER use double acting)
-2 tablespoon of pandan extract
-8 drops of green food color.
-butter or margerine to grease bakeware bottom.
bakeware tools:
-don't forget the "round pie tray" to pour your batter into to bake. for this recipe i use a 14-16" pie tray at 3-4" high, i bought at walmart.
-wax paper.
you can find it at macy, ross, marshall, tj maxx or grocery stores.
plan to pay about $4-5 us dollars.
What to Do (chronological order):
1) Boil together coconut milk and sugar (add pandan extract and food color after it has cooled). this is known as 'syrup'.
2) Mix and sift together baking powder and tapioca flour twice.
3) stir eggs(white and yolk) into syrup[ make sure do not beat the egg too fast and creating too much air bubbles]. (A) then add cool syrup + egg solution to tapioca mix (B). Mix everything together until smooth. (C). strained mixture(cake batter) into a new bowl. (D).let cake batter sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4).pour liquid batter into butter/margerine greased pan lined with wax paper.
5) bake at 350'F for 15 minutes reduced heat to 330'F and continue baking 45-50 mins. until golden.(do not open oven and look at cake).after 40-45 minutes of cooking then you can check by poking fork or toothpick into center of cake.
if cake batter still stick to side of poking device(s) then you will need to bake some more.
there should be no reason why this recipe will not work. it has been fool proof. good luck because this is a very yummy cake and everyone should know how to make it.
I can't find Alsa baking powder or single acting of any brand anywhere now, any substitution???
google is your friend....
it turned out beautifully...thanks...
when i do this recipe, i usually double it so i can finish the whole can of coconut milk, whole tapioca bag.
Hi tt,
I tried your recipe of banh bo nuong 2 days ago when I stumbled to your blog and it was a success. I followed your recipe. I used Alsa baking powder and weighed the ingredients with a scale. I mixed every with a spatula and not with a whisk. It turned out good. I was very pleased. The whole cake consistently had honeycomb shaped inside it. I also tried to make banh tieu and all 12 pieces puffed up just like the picture. My husband and children ate all of them and I had requests to make the second batch. Thank You for all of your recipes. Today, I'm making banh bo hap. It is one of my children's Vietnamese favorite food.
Nice one!
Thanks!
When I double your receipt, the result did not turn out right. Why?
how should I know?
"When I double your receipt, the result did not turn out right. Why?"
you can double the recipe with no negative result if you have a convection oven. normal oven is just radiant heat delivers from the bottom or from the top of the oven.
with convection oven the heat is circulated by a fan and your cake cook evenly. the heat doesn't lingered and rise so you get an almost perfect banh each time.
so unless you want upgrade and spend the extra 'dough' on a new convection oven, it is best to bake one banh at a time in your normal oven.
just keep this in mind, with a normal oven, baking one cake at 350 is just that-plain and simple. however, when baking at temp 350 times 2 banh, the heat time is shared by the two banh. you have just added more unknown variables to your baking.
if you decide to increase baking temperature to compensate for the two banh, your cake will be burnt on the outside and uncook in the inside. you can even try putting aluminum fold over the top of your banh to prevent burning...best of luck there.
if you reduce oven temperature, then your cooking time might be more than double the normal baking time.
****tapioca batter will harden with prolong baking time. cake might rise and have honeycomb but will not be very edible. i hope this explaination help.
Why can't we use double acting baking powder? What will it do to the cake if used?
Thanks.
vic
Hi TT.
I just had this dessert at my Vietnamese friend's house for the first time and LOVED it. The problem is.....the dessert was brought over by a guest so my friend had no idea how to make it. I was determined and decide to use your web site.....after all, your bac tong gow was GREAT!
Can you tell me the texture difference between the egg and eggless version? I found a recipe for this at another web site. The recipe uses rice flour instead of tapioca. Also, it doesn't require eggs.
The version I had at my friends house was full of honeycomb and has a slippery texture to it....not cake like at all. Would that be your egg version or the eggless verion?
Please advise. I can't wait for this weekend to go grocery shopping and get all the ingredients.
the eggless version that calls for rice flour is the traditional way to make this cake, the only problem is that it requires you to bake the cake in a cast iron pan, over a charcoal fire. "modern" ovens just aren't hot enough thus, most people these days use the recipe with eggs and tapioca starch. My eggless recipe is formulated to work with modern ovens. taste-wise, I would go the egg recipe.
This message is in regards to a prior message about making your own single acting baking soda. I went to 2 stores today and couldn't find any single acting baking soda. From prior message, it states 2 tsp of cream tar tar and 1 tsp of baking soda. Is this equivalent to the 2 1/2 tsp of single acting baking powder?
Also regarding the pandan extract. How much do I use? I have never use it before and wasn't sure if the portion is in teaspoonful, table spoonful, or cupful.
I would appreciate some tip. I am very anxious to try this dessert this weekend.
the reason you can't find single acting baking soda is because there's no such thing. It's single acting baking POWDER.
2 tsp + 1 tsp = 3 tsp, is 3 equivalent to 2 1/2? :D
the pandan is optional, optional means you'll do fine with or without it....in other words, the amount doesn't matter. The more you put in the more pandan flavor you'll get in the cake.
Sorry,
I ment single acting baking powder. I looked in 2 different stores today and was out of luck.
I understand 2 + 1 = 3 doesn't equal 2 1/2. However, I have NEVER even HEARD of single acting baking powder prior to this recipe. How am I suppose to know equal quantity of the substitues equals equal quantity of the original.
Cut me some slack!
you have to look closely at the label, single acting baking powder usually sits right next to double acting baking powder. you can also tell by looking at the ingredients, single acting = 1 acid, 1 base, double acting contains 2 acids, 1 base.
2+1 = 3
3 - 1/2 = 2 1/2
so...mix 2 tsp cream of tartar + 1 tsp baking soda, and use 2 1/2 tsp of the mixture for the recipe and throw away or save the remaining 1/2 tsp.
have fun!
btw...99% of asian grocery stores sell single acting baking powder under the brand "Alsa".
I would like to ask that do you have to reheat your oven first as long as reheat the pan? And Does the rack level in the oven needs to be adjusted either low or high? Thanks,
by "reheat" you mean preheat right? the rack should be in the middle of the oven, not too high or too low.
play with your food! don't be afraid to mess up, experiment, it's the best way to learn.
I gave up! The past 2 days, I have visited 1 chinese, 1 vietnamese, and 2 large american supermarket (it's a hardship because I have to cart my 3 and 2 years old kids in and out of the car!) All double acting baking powder! I am using the cream of tar tar and baking soda tonight. I will let you guys know how it turned out! I DID get the pandan extract. Truthfully, the green color is a little scary to me hahahaha.
It worked! I used 2 tsp cream of tar tar and 1 tsp of baking soda! It's really really good! The whole time I was making it, I was afraid I was over mixing (because I read all the comments.) I beat the eggs with a hand held mixer until the eggs are totally mixed....estimated no more than 30 seconds. I then let it sit for half an hour (just in case I over beat it.) I mix the flour, cream of tar tar, and baking soda together in a bowl. I combine the syrup into the eggs and then just gentle mix in the dry ingredients with a plastic spatula. I gently worked the lumpy batter against the sides of the bowl with the spatula until all the lumps have been removed. It was SO GOOD! With the bunt pan I was using, I think I might need 1.5 to 2 batches of the batter to make a nice looking cake. I am going to try it with brown sugar next time. I didn't use any pandan syrup. Thanks TT! Now I can't stop eating it!
Wow, it' look great.
Hi everyone,
I love banh bo a lot. I tried differnet recipes but without a single success. I'm gonna try this recipe today, hope that it'll be good. I saw that a lot of people can't find the single-acting baking powder. I did the google search and have this result. Hope it may help somebody.
1/2 tsp cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp baking soda = 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp double-acting baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 cup buttermilk, sour milk or yogurt (to replace 1/2 cup liquid in recipe); 1 tsp double-acting baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/4 cup molasses (reduce liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup; adjust sweeteners); 1 tsp double-acting baking powder = 2 tsp quick-acting baking powder; 1 tsp single-acting baking powder = 3/4 tsp double-acting baking powder
Good luck to me and to who wanna try this recipe.
i just googled how to substitute the single acting baking powder, turns out it pretty easy, 1tsp single acting baking powder = 2/3 tsp double acting baking powder..
To all of you out there who LOVES this cake and can't quite get the hang of it. I first started trying this recipe with cream of tar tar and baking soda becuase I was not able to find the single acting baking powder. Made it quite a few time successfully but not quite perfect. However, I recently found the alsa brand baking powder in a tiny asian grocery shop and was delighted. Well, guess what.....I had nothing but failures! First time, I had honeycomb but was too hard. Second time, it was a little softer but still not good. 3rd time, I adjusted the recipe a little (fewer eggs) and it rise really really nicely (almost twice the highth of the batter.) Took it out to cool and still look great! Well, back in 10 minutes and the whole thing was flat flat flat! Taste okay but no honeycombs at all. I think I am going to go back to using the cream of tar tar and baking soda. TT....what do you think might be the problem? Do you think maybe the also baking powder isn't fresh enough? It can't be because of mixing eggs, straining, etc because I do it the same way before and never had a problem with collapsing
Hi Hoangtam/tt,
I really need your help making this. first of all i can't find the single acting baking powder and i read most of the comments; some of them contradicted on the amount of equivalence between double and single acting baking powder so i googled it. however, can double acting baking powder really substitute single acting baking powder? and is Alas the single acting baking powder found in Asian markets? and does that cream of tartar and baking soda mixture give the same results? i am so confused. my mom tried it 5 times and i tried it twice today, with the only thing we can find here, which is double acting baking powder. we try and use minimal amounts, but its not working. that's why i'm a little skeptical about the conversions. i live in socal and today i've been all over the place trying to find that single thing and i really can't. all of the banh bo nuongs that my mom and i made shared the same problem of expanding enormously and then sinking. and what does it mean to overbeat the eggs..how do we know? is the syrup suppose to be like maple syrup, where it is really thick or is it suppose to be watery?
Thanks so much! :D
Alice
Alice,
can double acting baking powder really substitute single acting baking powder?
>>nope
Alas the single acting baking powder found in Asian markets?
>>alas? do you mean alsa? Alsa is single acting and is usually the only baking powder found in asian grocery stores.
does that cream of tartar and baking soda mixture give the same results?
>>in theory it should, but i have never tried it before
what does it mean to overbeat the eggs..how do we know?
>>what happens when you beat an egg? you incorporate air into it. air expands when heated causing the product to rise (i.e. when making sponge cakes). Sponge cakes contain flour which has gluten (proteins) that can capture and stabilize the product so it doesn't fall and become flat. However with this recipe we're using tapioca starch. Starch = any type of "flour" that does not contain gluten. Since there is no gluten, the structure of the cake is less stable. In other words, if you over beat the eggs, the air incorporated in the eggs will expand while baking, and because there is no gluten in the cake there's nothing to stabilize the structure of the cake (hold the expanded air) and your cake will fall flat when you take it out of the oven. how do you know if the eggs are over beaten? experience, you just have to play with your food, and notice things
Hi Hoangtam/tt,
Thanks so much for your help. i have one quick question...i was wondering, is there any particular order i should mix the eggs, syrup, and starch/sugar? i want to try and avoid over beating the eggs. Thanks bunches again! :]
Alice
I tried exactly this recipe but it turned out like sponge cake. Did I overbeat the eggs?
I'm wondering what will happen if we put more than the suggested single baking powder amount?
And how do you get the brown cover color (top & bottom)?
Thanks.
what happens you heat sugar? It caramelizes and turns brown. If you think adding more baking powder willh help then do it! Play with your food!
Thank you for your recipe. It works great,and my mom loves the cake!
Hi TT
In your revised recipe, could you please let me know how much coconut milk to use?
Thanks
Angie
Your recipe worked! Very well done! I have tried other asian dessert recipes in the past and all has failed. I am very proud of myself and proud of you also! You have made such a wonderful blog!
Do you by chance have a recipe for "banh duc"? Not sure if that is the correct name, but it is a chewy jello like dessert.
Angie,
my revised recipe?
TT
Oops .... I think it was bishop that posted the modified recipe where 1 bag of tapioca flour was used.
Cheers
Angie
Hello TT,
I have just about gotten the hang of this recipe (I use cream of tar tar and baking soda instead of the single baking powder.) I have the taste and the consistancy of the cake down. However, when I make it, it's one ugly looking cake! I use a non-stick bunt pan (the one that has a whole in the middle) and evertime, my cake sticks to the pan. I have to pry it out of the pan and end up making the top of the cake look really really ugly. I have had this cake in the past that was made from a bunt pan. Their cake is nicely browned on the top. My doesn't look like that at all. I have tried it by following your recipe and also tried it by pre-heating with the pan in the oven before pouring in the batter. Any suggestions?
i try this recipe 3 times already and everytime all the sides grew and the middle only grew some part. it looks like a uneven mountain. and when i let it cool it was really flat only as thick as 2 chop stick put together. do you mix the eggs and the coconut and sugar mixture together at the same time?
thank you for the great recipe! i tried it and it came out really nice after reading everyone elses comments. The only problem I had with mine was that it was a bit chewy. It gets hard when cooled. Did I do something wrong? I followed the instructions exactly. Please help.
i've been trying to look for a single acting baking powder.. but i cant find any because all they have is double acting. can u tell me where to find baking powder that is single acting? please!!!
Dear Hoang Tam,
In Vietnam when I was a child I had cake look like banh bo nuong but had some moist mixture of shreded coconut and sesame seeds in the middle. It has honeycomb but not as "dai" as the banh bo nuong we made with tapioca flour.
Have you ever heard of this type of cake or I am dreaming. Thanks!
by "1 cup" of sugar, how much do u mean in weight/table spoon? =/ and 2 1/2 cup of tapioca starch, about how many ml? if possible...
I was lazy and went with the Youtube video showing grandma mixing everything together. It turned out to be a flat glob. I followed your recipe and it turned out great! I took a picture and sent it to my mom. She was so happy for me. Thanks for your recipe. Now I don't have to buy the ones wrapped in the styrofoam tray next to the registers.
Hi Hoangtam/tt,
I just bought anchor baking powder but have no idea if it's single acting or double acting! Could you please help me?
The ingreadients includes corn flour and baking powder (mineral salts: Sodium pyrophosphate, Sodium acid pyrophosphate, Potassium pyrophosphate, Sodium carbonate, Sodium bicarbonate, Sodium phosphates, Calcium phosphates)
I tried googling but no luck. As i really want to try baking this cake! Please advise. Thanks..
clarabelle,
sounds like a lot of chemicals for baking powder. you can probably google each chemical for their msds and to see if they're an acid or a base. The only way to find out and learn is...to play with your food, just try it anyways and see what happens.
Hi TT, How much Pandan Extract is used in this recipe? Just enough to make it green?
Thanks,
Mark,
as much or as little as you want. The extract gives the cake color and flavor.
dda^y la` UK version, ne^'u ai co' muo^'n du`ng
Bánh Bò Nướng
--150g bột năng, mua loại của Thailan.
--8 cái trứng gà (medium size)
--150g nước
--1 gói bột nổi (hiệu ENO)
--200g đường
--1 hộp dừa đặc (loại bán ở supermarket)
--1 muỗng cafe màu lá dứa (loại đặc)
Cách làm:
-Bột năng + bột nổi trộn đều (để riêng 1 tô)
-Lấy 1 cái nồi nhỏ cho đường, nước và hộp dừa đặc vào. Bắt lên bếp nấu cho tan đường và dừa, nhớ quậy đều không thì sẽ bị dính nồi . Bắt lửa riu riu thôi, lửa lớn sẽ khô nước hết . Khi đường và dừa tan thì tắt lửa để thiệt là nguội xong cho màu lá dứa vào quậy đều.
-Lấy tô lớn khác, đánh tan trứng. Nhưng chỉ cần tan thôi, không cần phải đánh cho nổi như bánh bông lan đâu. Đánh nhiều quá bánh sẽ bị nổi bong bóng đó.
-Cho nước dừa và đường (nhớ để thật nguội nha, không thì hư trứng hết) vào tô trứng, quậy đều từ từ. Tiếp cho bột vào, từng muỗng một, dùng muỗng quậy cho đến khi bột thật mịn không có ốc trâu.
-Khi dùng dừa đặc (coconut cream), loại này có nhiều xác dừa . Vậy khi nấu tan dừa và đường để nguội rồi dùng rây lọc nước dừa vào tô trứng . Làm như vậy tuy nhiều công nhưng sẽ giúp mình rây mau khi cho bột vào khuôn .
-Preheat oven at 350degrees F hoặc Gas mark 4 , rồi thoa bơ hoặc dầu ăn khắp khuôn. Cho khuôn vào oven khoảng 10-15 phút cho đến khi khuôn thật nóng.
-Đặt một cái đồ lọc hay rổ lên trên cái khuôn rồi đổ bột vô rổ cho chảy xuống, làm như vậy bánh mới có nhiều rễ tre. Dùng spatula đánh cho bột rơi xuống vì xác dừa sẽ làm bột khó chảy xuống.
-Cho bánh vào lò nướng, đừng mở ra coi trong những 30 phút đầu. Sau 30 phút có thể mở ra xem nhưng nhớ đừng mở ra lâu quá, nhiệt độ trong oven sẽ giảm xuống và bánh sẽ không nổi lên đều.
-Khi bánh có mùi thơm, mặt trên vàng đều là chín. Khoảng ~40 phút. Lấy tăm xăm thử coi, nếu như bột không dính tăm là bánh chín rồi.
-Lấy ra nhúng nguyên cái khuông vô nước đá. Để khéo đừng cho nước vô bánh nha, nếu không bánh hư là uổng hết công của mình rồi. Làm như vậy cho bánh dễ tróc, ngâm khoảng 10 phút thì lấy gở bánh ra.
Note:
bo^.t ENO, la` thuo^'c cho be^.nh ddau bao tu+?, ingredients chi? la` sodium bicarbonate, tha^.t ra la` bo^.t no^?i ALSA ma` tho^i.
ho?i ca'c nha` thuo^'c ta^y, ho. co' ba'n o+? Europe, Canada, nhu+ng kho^ng co' ba'n o+? My~
Happy cooking
So'c
Hi hoangtam,
I tried to make this banh bo 2 times already with different measurement that my cousin told me, they finally went straight to the bin. This morning I tried with ur recipe and it turned out....great, my husband love it too. Thanks and i'll try to make more food with this website. Oh, by the way, do u have the recipe for "che chuoi", i'm still looking for it.
Thanks again.
the recipe for che chuoi can be found under the sweets section.
Hi Hoangtam/tt,
Thanks for the recipe, just want to let you and other readers know that after many failed attempts, we have finally succeeded. Ended up mixing our own single action baking powder =)
All these time, we couldn't work out where we went wrong so we even went as far as using different baking methods, mixing technique, weighing the ingredients (eggs) etc. But like you have said, MUST USE SINGLE ACTION BAKING POWDER.
I think most of us assumed that all baking powder are single action if not stated. But after writing to Anchor Foods (Australia) they confirmed that their Anchor baking powder are DOUBLE ACTION. So... that is the reason why we didn't have any success. Hope this would help others too.
hello! i was reading this recipe for banh bo nuong and it is something my mom has been trying to do for 35 millenias and had to endure seeing her cakes deflate like a punctured tire.
The recipe is clear enough, but a have 2 questions. Do you pre-heat the mold before pouring the batter in?
also, after the 45 mins of baking, do i immediately remove the cake and let it cool on the counter? or do i turn the oven off and let it rest there until cold? thanks!
Tommy,
just follow the recipe, if something isn't mentioned it's because it isn't necessary.
Thank you for your recipe on this cake!
I read all the comments on others pitfalls and followed through with the adjustments you recommended and the cake came out perfect the first time around.
Thank you!
Thank you for the recipe. I tried & the FIRST time I've ever baked anything, it worked perfectly. Tastes great.
Does the sugar have to dissolve completely into the coconut? When I cool the coco/sugar mixture, it's still gritty. Is that okay or do I need to heat it/stir it longer?
the sugar needs to dissolve completely.
Thanks TT, that must have been the problem. I didn't wait for the sugar to completely dissolve, so I got the "sponge cake" texture instead of the honeycombs. But it didn't fall flat, and it tasted good, so I'll give this attempt a B minus. ;-)
The first time I tried, I boiled the coco and sugar at too-high heat, and it turned into a thick caramel-colored sandy paste that was nowhere close to being syrup. The second time, I heated the coco and put in the sugar a little at a time, but didn't heat it enough for bubbles to form, and the mixture was still gritty when I took it off the heat, so I guess I didn't wait long enough.
For the others having trouble with this recipe: I made a mixture of 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt, and then used 2.5 tsp of that mixture for the single acting baking powder.
will corn starch work? or does it have to be tapioca starch?
I haven't tried it corn starch. Tapioca flour isn't too hard to find. My grocery store's natural foods section has it. This is the stuff you're looking for. Whole foods should have it for sure. An asian grocery store will have it too. Hang in there, it's really worth it.
I've tried making this several times and rises quite a lot in the oven, falls a bit after taking it out but still I get the honeycombs. The only thing is it doesn't really taste right.. not sweet enough and like something's missing. Perhaps it's the Pandan? I know some recipes say it's optional. I've tried adding extra sugar and some vanilla extract to the syrup but that doesn't seem to do it either.
Also, it's a bit chewier than I remember it being. Is it supposed to be chewy?
Any ideas?
I found your website less than a week ago... (glad i did!) i have been searching for Banh Bo Nuong recipes, unfortunately none of it succeed in the making. today, i had tried your recipe. first time it turned out the same as other recipes i did. (rised & dropped after) second time around, instead of mixing the eggs with the coconut, i combined the flour and liquid to smooth it first and added together with the eggs... mixed it all thoroughly.(didnt want to overbeat the eggs) the cake came out nice!! what it should be. Thank you for the recipe!!!
hi, I tried making this recipe and it was great. The only thing I didn't like was that my banh bo was a little hard, it's not soft and fluffy like the ones I buy at the food to go shops. Can you help me please.? Am I baking it too long, maybe I need more baking powder. Please help =) thank you!
Hi Hoang Tam,
I just wonder if I added only half amount of the sugar in your receipt, will the cake become flat?
Hi Hoang Tam, I just wonder if it is ok to add only half of the sugar stated in the recipe. Will the cake fell flat?
I've never reduced the sugar in a recipe by half so don't know...there's only one way to find out...play with your food
Thank you :)
Hi I tried to make this recipe many times and each time was a flop. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. It has been awhile since I tried again so I thought, hmmm, since I have so many eggs in my fridge, why not try again. It came out of the oven looking really nice. It had rise up nicely. I am not sure if it's because of my eagerness but once I took it out, I cut right into it, and it deflated. There was no honeycomb effect.
I didn't beat the egg that much the mixture looks liquid like. I baked it at 350 degrees with the pan being preheated. It look like I did ok, just no honeycomb effect and the cake just caved in when I cut into it.
Should I have waited to cut into the cake? Is that what I did wrong?
Hi Hoangtam,
Is the temperature (approx 175 degrees celcius) stated in your recipe for a normal oven with no fan? I have a convection oven, so I guess I have to reduce temperature by about 20 degrees celcius.
Thanks!
hi! much thanks for your recipe!
though i have failed. i encountered several issues that i hope you would help with:
1. it ended up developing moderately thick crust..almost cookie like, on the top of the cake. but it rose quite a bit
2. it came out to be quite dry
3. it was very chewy, my mom described it as chewing on a rubber band :(
i followed the exact recipe with the exact ingredients. for the eggs, i didn't beat it but mixed it, and restrained from mixing it to much with the dry ingredients. but the one thing i differed was that i strained the mixture and used a spoon to push it down.
thanks! ^__^
Dear Hoang Tam,
I had the same problem like everyone else.
I thought it might be easier if i add the baking powder last cause it took me forever to smooth out the batter. Is it ok to do so Hoang Tam, combine everything and add the single acting baking powder last?
Chi,
the temp in the recipe is for a conventional oven (without a fan).
Len,
sounds like your oven temp might be off...
SweetChocoGirl,
i haven't tried adding the baking powder last...
baking powder works when it comes in contact with a liquid. Mixing it with the flour/dry ingreds before adding the liquid makes sure that the reaction from the baking powder is evenly distributed in the flour/recipe. Adding it last, will cause it to react as it comes in contact with the liquid on the surface of the batter, resulting in uneven distribution, and by the time you "mix" it into the batter, the baking powder would have already lost all of it's zest, not to mention you'll be over mixing the eggs at the same time.
I don't have the single-acting powder at hand. I wonder how it turns out if I use double-acting and so I did. I also followed TT's suggestion on stir the eggs but over beat. I also doubled the recipes. Turned out perfect just like TT's picture shown with honeycomb and rise from the center. It tasted awesome. Thanks tt!
Hi TT, I made this cake 3 times and I got the same problem - no honeycomb in the middle. Everywhere else looked ok. Is that normal? Did I do something wrong? Please help.
cece,
it could be that the coconut milk syrup hasn't cooled enough when you mixed it into the batter.
Hi TT,
I tried baking this cake last night at the specified temperature (used an oven thermometer to check the temp) but it took about 1 hour and 20 minutes for the skewer to come clean. I took it out of the oven and left it to cool completely in its pan (about 2 hours, uncovered) before cutting into it and was happy to see honeycombs. The only problem is the surface of the cake turned sticky after cooling. Does that indicate the cake was underbaked or was it because I should have removed the cake from the pan to cool on a rack instead of leaving it in the pan?
Thanks! :)
Thanks so much, it is the first time I tried to make this cake and it turned out successfully!...
Thanks for the recipe, my husband has been wanting this cake for a while and I've tried many different version I found on the internet, but yours was perfect. Thanks for sharing.
just finished making it with my mom. it was perfect. my sister added too much pangan, but it still rose, and had the honeycombs :3 thank you tt!
Thanks for this post. It Very nice article. It was a very good article. I like it. Thanks for sharing knowledge. Ask you to share good article again.
THE AMERICAN STORE DON'T HAVE SINGLE ACTING BAKING POWDER. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
okay...after going to 4 large Asian markets in Orange County i did not find the single acting baking powder so i decided to make my own, BUT i did finally find the pandan paste...whew. went through all the proper steps and it's out of the oven and cooling. looks a little flat, but haven't cut into it yet. not expecting the "best" looking, but hopefully it has honeycombs. if it didn't come out right?...i'm not a quitter. i WILL try again until i succeed.
PLEASE HELP! I've made this cake 3 times already with disastrous results. The bottom of the cake has the honeycomb effect, but only like 1/2 inch. Then there's a layer that looks like jello on top of that. Then the top layer has no honeycomb but looks like a regular cake. What am I doing wrong? These layers can easily be taken apart too, I just have to pull it apart and I've got a layer of honeycomb, the jello like texture and the top cake like layer. Any advice would help, thanks!
Xưa giờ ăn bánh bò chứ chưa ăn bánh bò nướng bao giờ ^^ để hnao thử mới được!
Sounds to me like your oven might be off (too cool).
Look like Double Acting Baking Powder also works. Using Clabber Girl baking powder.
"Rumford Baking Powder's reaction is approximately 70% with moisture (or in the bowl) and the rest when heat is applied. Clabber Girl's reaction is approximately 40% with moisture and the rest when heat is applied."
http://www.clabbergirl.com/faq.php
http://tracytran.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/banh-bo-ca-phe.html