Steamed Layer Cake with Pandan and Mung Bean (Bánh Da Lợn)

Ingredients & Cooking Directions for Vietnamese Steamed Layer Cake with Pandan and Mung Bean (Bánh Da Lợn)

Estimated Servings: 12 slices

Step 1: Make coconut flour mix

14 ounces tapioca flour

½ cup rice flour

14 ounces coconut cream

1 ½ cups water

2 cups sugar

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Add the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix it until combined. Then pour the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk them up.  Now add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in batches and mix them together until the dry ingredients completely dissolve in the liquid. Allow mixture to rest for half an hour at room temperature. Then divide the mixture into 2 containers and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare mung bean layer

1 cup split mung beans

2 cups water

Pour 1 cup of water in a bowl of mung beans, soak them for about 30 minutes and then drain them. Next cook the mung beans in one cup of water on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes or until completely softened. Then pour the cooked mung beans and a container of coconut/flour mixture into a blender and turn the blender on high to mash the mung beans into a creamy consistency.  Finally pour into a container and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare mung bean layer

1 cup split mung beans

2 cups water

Pour 1 cup of water in a bowl of mung beans, soak them for about 30 minutes and then drain them. Next cook the mung beans in one cup of water on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes or until completely softened. Then pour the cooked mung beans and a container of coconut/flour mixture into a blender and turn the blender on high to mash the mung beans into a creamy consistency.  Finally pour them into a container and set aside.

Step 3: Create pandan layer

1 teaspoon pandan extract

In the other container of coconut/flour mixture, add in the pandan extract, mix well and set aside.

Step 4: Steam the cake

Water to steam

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Turn your stove on high and bring your steamer water to a boil. Then spread oil all over the inside of an aluminum bowl (I used a 9 inch bowl), place it in the steamer and put the lid on top. When the steamer gets hot, pour the pandan mixture into the aluminum bowl until it creates a thin green layer covering the bottom of the bowl. Allow it to steam on high heat for about 4-5 minutes or until the layer is completely solid. 

Next, pour in the mung bean mixture on top of the green layer until it creates a thin yellow layer that completely covers the green layer.

Now repeat this process until the aluminum bowl fills to the top with several layers.

***When steaming this cake, make sure to wipe the water off the lid between steaming each layer or tie a clean kitchen towel to absorb the water from the lid while the layers are steaming.

Finally turn off the heat, and carefully remove the aluminum bowl from the steamer. Allow the cake to completely cool off and then place a serving plate on top of the bowl. Then flip the plate over until cake is on top of the plate. Cut it to whatever shapes you like.  You can eat this cake by peeling off the layers and savoring each flavor a layer at a time or you can just take a bite and taste all of the layers together.