Cakes & Bread
Bika Ambon Medan (Medan Honeycomb Cake)
Prep
180 min
Cook
50 min
Servings
12
Level
Hard
Authentic Bika Ambon from Medan with beautiful honeycomb holes and a rich, chewy sweetness! This fermented cake is made from tapioca flour with coconut milk and eggs — the batter is fermented with yeast until fully bubbly, then baked. The result is a unique pattern of vertical holes and a springy, chewy texture. It's the most sought-after souvenir from Medan.
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 12
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 250g tapioca flour
- 50g all-purpose flour
- 200g granulated sugar
- 6 eggs
- 400ml thick coconut milk
- 100ml coconut water
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 2 leaves pandan leaves, extract the juice
- 3 leaves kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (for yellow color)
- 1/4 tsp salt
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Dissolve the yeast in warm coconut water, add 1 tsp sugar, and let sit for 10 minutes until foamy
- 2 Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale
- 3 Add the coconut milk, pandan juice, kaffir lime leaves, and turmeric, then stir
- 4 Add the tapioca flour and all-purpose flour while stirring until well combined
- 5 Add the activated yeast mixture
- 6 Mix everything well, cover, and let ferment for 2-3 hours in a warm place until the batter is full of bubbles
- 7 Heat a special bika ambon pan (a tall perforated aluminum pan) or a regular baking pan on the stovetop, and grease it with oil
- 8 Pour the bubbly batter into the pan
- 9 Bake in the oven at 160°C (320°F) using bottom heat only for 45-55 minutes
- 10 Test with a toothpick
- 11 Let cool completely before slicing
💡 Tips
• Full fermentation until the batter is truly bubbly is the key to getting bika ambon's signature vertical holes
• Bake using bottom heat only — top heat will burn the surface before the holes have a chance to form
• Don't slice the cake until it's completely cooled — the holes are still fragile while it's warm
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
195
Calories (kcal)
4g
Protein
7g
Fat
32g
Carbs
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