Filipino Bibingka Rice Cake with Coconut in Banana Leaves
Baked Filipino rice cake made with sweet-rice galapong, coconut milk, salted egg and cheese, baked in banana-leaf lined pans. Content by Besa-Quirino LLC.
Ingredients
| 1 3/4 cups | 420 ml | malagkit (sweet/sticky rice), soaked overnight |
| 1 1/2 cups | 360 ml | rice galapong (from soaked sweet rice) |
| 1 1/4 cups | 300 ml | all-purpose flour |
| 1 Tbsp | 15 ml | baking powder |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | salt |
| 4 | large eggs, yolks and whites separated | |
| 3/4 cup | 180 ml | coconut milk, canned or fresh |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | whole milk |
| 1 | salted egg, peeled and quartered | |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | grated Gouda cheese |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | crumbled Feta cheese |
| 2 Tbsp | 30 ml | melted unsalted butter, for brushing tops |
| 2 | large banana leaves, cut to line 9-inch round pans | |
| 2 Tbsp | 30 ml | softened unsalted butter |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | granulated sugar |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | sugar (for batter) |
Instructions
To make the galapong: Rinse the sweet rice under cold running water, drain and place in a bowl with cold water to cover. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain and rinse again, then drain in a colander. Transfer to a food processor and process about 1 minute until finely ground, then press through a sieve. You should have about 1 1/2 cups galapong; discard any extra. To make the bibingka: Preheat the oven to 425 F and prepare two 9-inch pie pans lined with parchment paper or banana leaves. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the galapong and mix well so no lumps remain. Stir in the egg yolks, coconut milk and regular milk. In a clean mixer bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the galapong mixture. Grease the banana leaves lining the pans with softened butter. Divide the mixture between the lined pans. Nestle a salted egg quarter into the middle of each cake. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons Gouda, 2 tablespoons feta, and lastly the sugar. Bake on the top rack until firm and set, about 20 minutes, lightly browned on top. If firm but not browned, broil 6 inches from the heat, watching carefully, about 3 minutes until bubbly and light brown. Brush the warm bibingka with the melted butter. Let cool slightly and serve straight from the banana-leaf lined pans. Cook's comment: For the outdoor burnt banana-leaf aroma, place the whole banana-leaf-covered cake on an outdoor grill over medium-high heat for 10 minutes until the fragrance of banana leaves and coconut fills the air.