Cakes & Bread
Steamed Pandan Lapis Legit (Southeast Asian Layered Cake)
Prep
30 min
Cook
120 min
Servings
16
Level
Medium
This traditional layered cake, with its beautiful green pandan and white coconut milk layers, is popular throughout Southeast Asia, from Indonesia to Malaysia and Singapore. It has a soft, chewy texture with a fragrant, signature pandan aroma, making it perfect as an afternoon snack or a treat for special occasions. Making it does require patience since it's steamed layer by layer, but the result is well worth it for the stunning look and delicious taste.
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 16
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 250 grams rice flour
- 100 grams tapioca flour/sago flour
- 1000 ml thick coconut milk
- 300 grams granulated sugar
- 10 leaves pandan leaves
- 50 ml suji leaf extract (from suji leaves, optional, for a deeper green color)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- a few drops green pandan food coloring (optional)
- 1 tbsp oil for greasing the pan
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Blend the pandan leaves with a little water, then strain to get a concentrated pandan extract. Set aside.
- 2 Simmer the thick coconut milk with the granulated sugar and salt, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the coconut milk is warm (do not let it boil). Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.
- 3 Mix the rice flour and tapioca flour in a large bowl, then make a well in the center.
- 4 Pour in the warm coconut milk little by little into the flour mixture while whisking until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth. Strain the batter to make sure it's completely smooth.
- 5 Divide the batter into two equal portions. Leave one portion plain white; mix the other portion with the pandan extract and enough green food coloring to achieve a lovely green color.
- 6 Prepare a 20x20 cm (8x8 inch) square baking pan, lightly grease it with oil, then heat it in the steamer for 5 minutes.
- 7 Pour one ladle of the white batter into the hot pan, spread evenly, and steam over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until set/firm.
- 8 Pour one ladle of the green batter over the set white layer, spread evenly, and steam again for 5-7 minutes.
- 9 Repeat the layering process, alternating white and green, until the batter is used up and the pan is full, steaming each layer until set before pouring the next one.
- 10 After the final layer, steam for an additional 20 minutes total to make sure the cake is completely cooked through to the center.
- 11 Remove from the steamer and let cool completely for at least 3 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator, so the cake sets and is easy to slice.
- 12 Remove from the pan and cut with a sharp knife lightly coated in oil for clean, neat slices. Serve.
💡 Tips
• Make sure each layer is completely set before pouring the next one so the layers stay neat and don't blend together.
• Use medium heat while steaming so the cake cooks evenly without bubbles forming on the surface.
• Cover the steamer lid with a clean cloth so condensation doesn't drip onto the batter and ruin the surface of the cake.
• The cake is easier to slice neatly after chilling overnight in the refrigerator, since the texture becomes firmer.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
185
Calories (kcal)
1.5 g
Protein
8 g
Fat
27 g
Carbs
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