Steamed Tapioca/Cassava Cake (蒸木薯糕 / Kueh Ubi Kayu)

Method12 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Before starting, use commercially prepared food-grade grated cassava that its supplier identifies as suitable for steamed desserts, with any required supplier preparation completed. Follow that product’s cooking directions. Wash all five pandan leaves, drain and tie into a bundle.

   Uses 5 pandan leaves · Water for washing pandan leaves, discarded

2. 2

   Step 2: Put all 600 ml water, 12 tbsp sugar and the pandan bundle in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then lift out and discard the leaves.

   Uses 600 ml Water · 12 TBsp Sugar · All five prepared leaves, separate from wash water

3. 3

   Step 3: Check the prepared grated cassava (1 kg) for any tough central-core remnants and remove them. Pour all the hot pandan syrup over the cassava and stir until evenly combined. Do not add tapioca starch.

   Uses 1 kg commercially prepared food-grade grated cassava suitable for steamed desserts · All actual syrup, excluding discarded leaves

4. 4

   Step 4: Stir all 200 ml coconut cream into the cassava mixture until evenly incorporated.

   Uses All mixed cassava and syrup · 200 ml Coconut Cream (Santan)

5. 5

   Step 5: For a plain cake, spread all the mixture evenly in a 20 cm / 8-inch tin. For the colour option, divide the mixture into two equal portions and use two smaller tins. Mix the optional ½ tsp red colouring into one portion and the optional ½ tsp green colouring into the other; either half may remain plain if its colouring is omitted. Choose tins that fit level above the steamer water.

   Uses All cake mixture for the selected plain or divided-colour route · Optional ½ tsp red colouring, for one half-batch only · Optional ½ tsp green colouring, for the other half-batch only

6. 6

   Step 6: Bring external water to a boil in the wok below the steaming rack. Set the tin or tins level above the water and cover. Once steady steam resumes, steam over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes as the first check, continuing as required by the selected cassava product’s directions until thoroughly cooked. Keep the base from boiling dry, adding boiling water below the tins only if needed. A clean sticky skewer through the centre checks the cake’s texture; it does not verify toxin removal. If the tins cannot fit together, steam them in separate rounds to the same cooking endpoint.

   First cassava-cake cooking check · 20 minUses Whole batch in its selected tin arrangement · External boiling steaming water and conditional top-up below the tins

7. 7

   Step 7: Lift the cooked tin or tins out with heatproof gloves. Let the cake cool completely before cutting. Refrigerate promptly if cooling is delayed, within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F.

   Uses All cooked cake, excluding external steaming water

8. 8

   Step 8: Slide a plastic spatula beneath the completely cooled cake to release it from the tin. Cut the amount being served into diamond or square pieces, leaving any cake for later uncut and uncoated. The full batch makes fifteen portions.

   Uses All cooled cake

9. 9

   Step 9: While the cake cools, put all ½ kg white grated coconut on a separate steaming plate and mix in ¼ tsp salt.

   Uses 1/2 kg White Grated Coconut (Brown Skin of the coconut removed) · ¼ tsp salt for coconut coating

10. 10

    Step 10: Steam the coconut plate above boiling external water for about 10–15 minutes, checking from 10 minutes, until heated throughout. Remove it and let it cool completely before coating the cake; refrigerate it promptly if cooling is delayed.

    Check steamed coconut coating · 10 minUses All coating coconut and selected salt · External boiling water below the coconut plate, with conditional top-up only if needed

11. 11

    Step 11: Roll each cooled cake piece in the completely cooled steamed coconut until evenly coated. Keep any unused coconut separately refrigerated.

    Uses Actual cake pieces cut for serving; uncut remainder kept separate · Cooled coconut drawn to coat the cake, excluding external water

12. 12

    Step 12: Arrange on a platter and serve chilled. Refrigerate promptly. If keeping some cake for another day, store it uncut and uncoated, and keep the cooked coconut separately refrigerated; re-steam the cake to soften it, then cool, cut and coat before serving. Do not rely on the added salt to prevent spoilage.

    Uses All coated cake pieces, excluding any unused coconut · Conditional uncut and uncoated cake kept for later · Conditional unused cooled coconut stored separately