Vietnamese Pandan Honeycomb Cake Recipe (Bánh Bò Lá Dứa)

Bánh bò nướng is a Vietnamese dessert featuring the fragrant aroma of pandan leaves and the rich taste of coconut. The method to make baked pandan honeycomb cake is quite simple, allowing anyone to prepare it. Check out this article to make a delicious treat for your whole family to enjoy!

As a popular snack, baked honeycomb cake carries the distinctive flavors of Southern Vietnam and is well-loved. The fresh green color from pandan leaves, the rich aroma of coconut milk, the moderately sweet taste, and the soft, smooth texture of the cake leave a lasting impression. This article will introduce you to the traditional Vietnamese recipe for making baked honeycomb cake.

What is Bánh Bò? How many types of Bánh Bò are there?

Bánh bò is a traditional sweet cake from Southern Vietnam. With simple and easily accessible ingredients, a straightforward and quick recipe, and a delicious flavor, this cake has become a famous snack. It is soft to the touch and has a chewy texture.

The main ingredients of bánh bò are rice flour or tapioca flour. To achieve a mild sweetness, cooks may substitute white sugar with palm sugar. Before steaming, the batter is carefully kneaded and fermented. When the cake is steamed at a high temperature, the yeast expands, creating an internal structure resembling bamboo roots. The more “bamboo roots” the cake has, the better it rises, resulting in a tastier cake.

The people of Southern Vietnam have creatively developed various types of bánh bò, each with its unique flavors that leave a lasting impression on anyone who tries them. Some popular variations of bánh bò today include:

• Bánh Bò Hấp (Steamed Honeycomb Cake): Made from traditional ingredients, this version can be colored beautifully using butterfly pea flowers, beetroot, or pandan leaves.
• Bánh Bò Nướng (Baked Honeycomb Cake): Features a crispy, golden-brown exterior with a moist, soft, and rich coconut milk-flavored interior.
• Bánh Bò Dừa (Coconut Honeycomb Cake): This version uses sweetened coconut as a filling. The cakes are small, about the size of a thumb, with a chewy crust and a rich, sweet filling.
• Bánh Bò Sữa Nướng (Baked Milk Honeycomb Cake): Instead of using coconut milk as in the traditional baked honeycomb cake recipe, fresh milk is used. This gives the cake a fragrant, rich, and appealing flavor.

Ingredients for Baked Pandan Honeycomb Cake

To make baked pandan honeycomb cake for 2-3 people, prepare the following ingredients:

• 7g yeast
• 210g sugar
• 20ml warm water
• 250ml coconut milk
• 30ml pandan juice
• 180g tapioca flour
• 20g rice flour
• 4 chicken eggs
• 1 tube of vanilla
• Coconut oil
• Pandan leaves

How to Make Delicious Baked Pandan Honeycomb Cake

Here are the detailed steps to make baked pandan honeycomb cake:

Preparing the Ingredients

1. Pandan Leaves:
   • Wash the pandan leaves thoroughly and pat them dry.
   • Cut the pandan leaves into small pieces and put them in a blender. Add a little water and blend until smooth.
   • Strain the blended mixture to extract the pandan juice, discarding the pulp.
2. Yeast Mixture:
   • In a cup, combine 7g of yeast, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and 20ml of warm water.
   • Stir the mixture well and let it sit for 30 minutes until the yeast becomes frothy.
3. Coconut Milk Mixture:
   • In a pot, combine 250ml of coconut milk, 200g of sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Place the pot on the stove over medium heat.
   • Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves, then add 30ml of the strained pandan juice. Continue stirring and cook until it boils, then turn off the heat.
4. Batter Preparation:
   • In a large bowl, combine 20g of rice flour, 180g of tapioca flour, the prepared yeast mixture, and 4 eggs. Beat the mixture until smooth and well combined.
   • Use a sieve to gradually incorporate the flour mixture into the coconut milk mixture, stirring well. Be careful not to add the flour to the hot coconut milk to prevent killing the yeast. Wait until the coconut milk mixture cools to about 30°C before adding the flour.

Proofing and Baking the Bánh Bò

1. Proofing:
   • Place the mixed bánh bò batter into the oven, turn on the oven light, and let it proof for about 3 hours until the yeast has risen.
2. Preparing the Baking Mold:
   • Evenly coat the bánh bò mold with coconut oil.
3. Preheating the Oven:
   • Preheat the oven by placing the mold inside and heating it to 230°C for 10 minutes.
4. Final Batter Preparation:
   • Add 1 teaspoon of pandan essence, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to the proofed bánh bò batter.
5. Pouring the Batter:
   • Pour the batter into the preheated mold using a sieve.
6. Baking:
   • Bake the bánh bò at 180°C for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 170°C and continue baking for another 45 minutes.

Final Product

After baking, you will have a pandan honeycomb cake with a perfectly balanced sweetness, a chewy texture, and a rich coconut milk flavor. When sliced, the cake reveals a beautiful green interior with an enticing pandan aroma.

Is Eating Bánh Bò Good for You? Does It Cause Weight Gain?

Pandan honeycomb cake is loved by many for its enticing aroma and perfect flavor. In fact, it can be considered a healthy dish because it is traditionally steamed. However, each cake contains main ingredients such as rice flour, sugar, and coconut milk, which means it has a relatively high calorie content along with significant amounts of carbohydrates and sugar. Consuming too much bánh bò can lead to increased blood pressure and weight gain.

For those who are on a weight loss or weight management diet, you can still enjoy bánh bò, but it should not be eaten too frequently. It is recommended not to consume more than two cakes per week, with each serving not exceeding 100 grams.

We hope that the information shared above helps you understand how to make delicious pandan honeycomb cake. It’s not difficult to delight everyone’s taste buds if you follow the detailed instructions provided. Be sure to regularly visit Foodvietnamese.com for more exciting recipes!