A soft and chewy cake, this Vietanmese Steamed Layer Cake is made gluten-free with layers of pandan and mung bean flavors. It is a popular traditional Vietnamese sweet treat that is loved by many because of its chewiness and balanced flavors.
The lights were still on downstairs.
I woke up in the middle of the night wondering why there were still lights shining through my bedroom door. The curiosity in me always wins and I would make my way to the hallway peering down the stairway seeing where the lights are coming from.
If it is from the kitchen only and the lights to the living room are off, I would guess that it is my mom staying up late to finish whatever she didn’t have time to make that day. More often than not, it is something that requires baking or steaming like these Bánh da lợn (Vietnamese Steamed Pandan Layer Cake), a popular Vietnamese sweet treat made with tapioca and rice flour, coconut milk, mung beans, and pandan.
Because of the different layers of the cake, it takes a little while to wait for each layer to be cooked. Every time my mom made them she would make a big batch. By the time I came downstairs to our kitchen, the entire kitchen counter and our dining table will be filled with Bánh da lợn of different sizes and made with doubled the layers seen here.
When my mom sees me watching her, she’ll tell me she’s almost done and that I should go back to bed. Even when I head back to bed, I know she stayed in the kitchen a while longer until she knows all the cakes have cooled and she can cover them.
By the time we woke up, my mom would have reheated them and cut out several slices for us to have with breakfast and throughout the day. It is not until I made them myself that I realized how much care and attention is required to make them and makes me appreciate all the time my mom made them for us even more.
Is there a recipe from your childhood that you have always wanted to try to make but haven’t yet?
Let’s start making this Vietnamese Steamed Layer Cake!
PrintVegan Vietnamese Steamed Pandan Layer Cake (Bánh da lợn)
A soft and chewy cake, this Vietnamese Steamed Layer Cake is made gluten-free with layers of pandan and mung bean flavors. It is a popular traditional Vietnamese sweet treat that is loved by many because of its chewiness and balanced flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Pandan Layer
-4 oz fresh or frozen pandan leaves + ½ cup (118ml) water
-1 ½ (600ml) full-fat coconut milk
-2 cups (240g) tapioca flour
-¼ cup (40g) glutinous rice flour
-½ cup (100g) cane sugar
-2-3 drops (~⅛ tsp) pandan extract (optional)
Mung Bean Layer
-1 cup (200g) mung beans, cooked
-½ cup (100g) cane sugar
-¾ can (300ml) full-fat coconut milk
-½ tsp pure vanilla extract
-½ cup (60g) tapioca flour
-¼ cup (40g) glutinous rice flour
-2-3 tbsp (30-45ml) water, as needed
Optional: 2-3 drops yellow vegan natural food coloring
Instructions
- Add the pandan leaves and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Drain the pandan water in a strainer, squeezing out all the pandan water.
- Add the pandan water and coconut water to a bowl. Mix until well-combined. Add in the tapioca flour, glutinous rice flour and sugar. Mix until smooth and well combined. If you want a greener color, add in 2-3 drops of pandan extract. Set aside.
- Add the cooked mung beans, cane sugar, coconut milk and vanilla extract to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add in the tapioca flour and glutinous rice flour. Blend again until smooth. If the batter appears too thick, add in 1 tbsp (15ml) of water at a time until the batter is smooth, but slightly thick. If you want a deeper yellow color, add in 1 drop of yellow vegan food coloring at a time until desired color is achieved.
- Heat a steamer with water. Brush a 8×8 pan with coconut oil, making sure all sides are covered. Add in about 1 cup of the pandan batter to the pan. Cover and steam for about 5-6 minutes, until the batter is cooked. You can test it by inserting a toothpick into the batter and it should come out clean. Add in about 1 cup of the mung bean batter. Cover and steam for about 7-8 minutes, until the second layer is cooked. Add in another cup of the pandan batter for the third layer. Cover and steam for 12 minutes, until the pandan layer is cooked. Add in 1 cup of the mung bean batter for the fourth layer. Cover and steam for 15 minutes. Add in 1 cup of the pandan layer for the fifth layer. Cover and cook for 20-22 minutes, until the top layer is cooked.
- When the cake is ready, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Then, remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely before slicing. To make slicing the cake easier, brush a knife with coconut oil with each slice. Serve and enjoy!
Keywords: pandan, steamed cake, Vietnamese cake, Vietnamese cuisine, vegan cake, gluten-free, mung beans
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