Goan Bebinca (layered coconut cake)
This Indo-Portuguese dessert comes from Goa, an Indian state known for its beaches, seafood, and coconut-heavy cuisine with Portuguese influences. The first Bebinca was made by a nun named Bebiana in Velha Goa, symbolizing "the seven hills of Lisbon and Velha Goa." Bebinca typically has between 7 and 16 layers.
Ingredients · Servings 25
- 425 g sugar
- 1 tsp water
- 3 tablespoons whipped cream
- 10 egg yolks
- 600 ml coconut milk
- 200 g flour
- 0.5 tsp nutmeg
- 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
- Salt
- 170 g unsalted butter (melted)
- Vanilla ice cream (for serving)
Method · 2 h 20 min
- Place some sugar and water in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. When the sugar turns brown, add the cream, whisk vigorously, and turn off the heat. Pour the caramel into a small bowl and set aside.
- Place the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer fitted with beaters. Add the coconut milk and whisk again. Gradually add the flour, ground nutmeg, salt, and sugar, mixing thoroughly. Divide the cake batter equally between two bowls. Add the caramel to one bowl and stir it in.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Pour some of the light-colored batter into a baking pan lined with parchment paper. The bottom of the pan should be completely, but thinly, covered with batter. Bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter, then spread a layer of the caramel batter on top. Turn on the oven's broiler and broil for about 15 minutes. Repeat this process until all the batter is used.
- Brush the last layer with butter again. Let it cool completely. Loosen the edges of the cake from the baking pan with a knife and then turn it out onto a plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
