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

Ingredients & Cooking Directions for Vietnamese Steamed Layer Cake with Pandan, Coffee 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 flour completely dissolves in the liquid. Allow mixture to rest for half an hour at room temperature. Then divide mixture into 3 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 3: Create pandan & coffee layer

1 tablespoon brewed coffee

½ teaspoon pandan extract

Pour coffee into one of the remaining coconut/flour mixture, mix well and set aside. Then add the pandan extract to the other coconut/flour mixture, mix 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 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 coffee mixture on top of the pandan layer until it creates a thin brown layer that completely covers the green layer. Steam it on high heat for about 4-5 minutes or until the layer is completely solid.

Then pour in the mung bean mixture on top of the brown layer until it creates a thin yellow layer that completely covers the brown layer. Steam it on high heat for about 4-5 minutes or until the layer is completely solid.

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 on the lid 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. Now you can cut the cake into whatever shapes you’d 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.

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.

Red Velvet Raspberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Made from Scratch

Ingredients & Cooking Directions for Red Velvet Raspberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Estimated Servings: 12 cupcakes

Step 1: Mix dry ingredients

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pour flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a sieve and sift them into a bowl. Next whisk the dry ingredients until well combined and then set them aside.

Step 2: Make red mixture

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon raspberry purée

1 teaspoon liquid red food coloring

Pour the buttermilk, raspberry purée and red food color into a container and whisk them together until blended. Then set this mixture aside.

***To make the raspberry purée crush ½ cup of fresh raspberries through a sieve and use the liquid portion for this recipe and reserve the solid portion for a smoothie or other raspberry recipe.

Step 3: Bake cupcakes

1/4 cup soften unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Then place the butter and sugar in a bowl and mix them up. Next, add the vanilla extract and egg to the butter sugar mixture and whisk until smooth and creamy.

Now add in the red liquid mixture alternating it with the dry ingredients and mix them until smooth. You want to repeat this alternating method for about 3-4 times in order to ensure all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Then set the cupcake batter aside.

In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda until it fizzes up. Then quickly add it to the cake batter and mix well.

Next scoop the batter into cupcake liners filling them about 2/3 of the way up. Bake the cupcakes between 18-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Then allow them to cool completely before frosting.

Step 4: Assemble cupcakes

8 ounces soften cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup powdered sugar

8 tablespoons soften unsalted butter

12 fresh raspberries

Toasted almond slices

To make the frosting, add the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla into a bowl. Then sift in the powdered sugar on top of the vanilla butter cream cheese. Next mix the sugar with the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Then spread the frosting on top of all cupcakes. Finally place a raspberry in the middle of each cupcake and surround the raspberry with almond slices to create a flower in the middle of all the cupcakes.

****You can eat these cupcakes right away or store them in a refrigerator until ready to consume.