A chewy, springy steamed cake built from nine thin alternating rose-red and white layers of pandan-scented coconut batter. Rice flour and tapioca starch give it a soft yet bouncy bite, and children famously peel it apart layer by layer. Makes 16 pieces in about 5 hr 35 min.
Prep20 min
Cook65 min
Cooling4 hr 10 min
Total
5 hr 35 min
Yield
16 pieces
DietVegan
Ingredients
Adjust yield
pieces
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
1 ¼ cups (300 ml)water
1 cup (200 g)granulated sugar
½ oz (15 g)pandan leaves, about 4 leaves, tied in a knot
1 ⅔ cups (400 ml)coconut milk, full-fat
1 ½ cups (200 g)tapioca starch
⅔ cup (80 g)rice flour
¼ tsp (2 g)salt
¼ tsp (1 ml)red food coloring, about 1/4 tsp liquid, or a dab of gel
Simmer the water, granulated sugar and pandan leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove the pandan leaves, squeezing them, and cool the syrup for 10 minutes.
Whisk the warm syrup into the coconut milk. In a large bowl, whisk the tapioca starch, rice flour and salt, then gradually whisk in the coconut liquid until you have a smooth, thin batter. Strain it twice through a fine sieve.
Divide the batter into two bowls: about 550 ml in one and about 450 ml in the other. Stir the red food coloring into the larger portion until it is an even deep rose red; leave the smaller portion white.
Bring a steamer to a rolling boil. Brush the pan with the neutral vegetable oil and set it in the steamer to heat for 5 minutes.
Stir the red batter well (the flour settles quickly), pour in about 110 ml to make the first layer, cover and steam until set and no longer liquid, about 7 minutes.
Stir the white batter and pour about 110 ml over the first layer. Steam until set, about 5 minutes. Continue alternating red and white layers, stirring the batter before each pour and steaming each layer 5 minutes, until you have used all the batter and finished with a red ninth layer (5 red and 4 white layers in all).
Steam the final red layer for 10 minutes so the whole cake is cooked through. Keep the steamer topped up with boiling water throughout, and wipe the lid if water drips.
Lift the pan out and cool completely at room temperature, at least 4 hours, before turning out and cutting into 16 pieces with an oiled plastic knife or a knife wiped with oil between cuts.
Tips
Stir the batter every time before you pour a layer; rice flour sinks fast and otherwise forms a hard, chalky streak.
Measure each layer with the same ladle or cup so the stripes come out even.
Do not cut it warm or refrigerate it to speed up cooling; it needs room-temperature resting to set into clean, springy layers.
Contains coconut; check with your doctor if you avoid tree nuts.
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How long does it take to make kueh lapis beras (nyonya steamed layer cake)?
Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 1 hour 5 minutes of cooking, plus 4 hours 10 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 16 pieces.
How should I store kueh lapis beras (nyonya steamed layer cake)?
Keep covered at room temperature for up to 1 day. Refrigerate for up to 3 days; it firms when cold, so steam pieces for 3 to 5 minutes and cool slightly before serving.
Can I make kueh lapis beras (nyonya steamed layer cake) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Is this recipe vegan?
Yes, as written. Check that packaged ingredients such as chocolate, sprinkles and plant butter are labeled vegan.
A Peranakan kueh of Singapore and Malaysia made from a coconut milk batter of rice flour and tapioca starch, steamed one thin layer at a time, traditionally nine alternating red and white layers that are peeled apart to eat. Serve it with jasmine tea.
Variations
Pandan and white layers: replace the red coloring with 1 tsp (5 ml) pandan extract (or 60 ml / 1/4 cup thick pandan juice in place of 60 ml of the water) for green and white stripes; steaming times unchanged.
Rainbow kueh lapis: divide the batter into nine portions of about 110 ml and color each a different shade, keeping the top layer white; steaming times unchanged.
Bouncier texture: use 250 g (2 cups) tapioca starch and 30 g (3 1/2 tbsp) rice flour for a chewier, more translucent cake.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 16 servings this recipe makes.
162Calories / serving
5.5gFat
28.3gCarbs
0.8gProtein
13.7gSugar
Whole recipe (16 servings):
~2592 cal ·
88g fat ·
453g carbs ·
13g protein ·
219g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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