Easy Bibingka Recipe
“A delicious and easy bibingka recipe that you can enjoy at home! Made with rice flour and topped with salted egg, melted butter, grated cheese and grated coconut, this popular Filipino rice cake is an all-time favorite Christmas treat!”
In the Philippines, when the “ber” months come, people starts to prepare for Christmas. You can hear Christmas songs played over the radio and television. Even giant TV stations are also making their Christmas station ID. Streets and houses are decorated with bright and colorful lanterns and Christmas lights.
Aside from these, another sign of Christmas is near are the many delicious traditional Christmas food being sold almost everywhere. This is the time of season for Christmas ham, kakanin, puto bumbong and of course the ever popular Bibingka.
We are in December and Christmas is just around the corner. How fast the time flies by, especially now in times of pandemic. Although Christmas might be a bit different this year, but the real reason for the celebration remains the same. The birth of the One who saves us!
What is bibingka
Bibingka is a type of baked rice cake in the Philippines, commonly sold during the Christmas season. It is usually serve as breakfast along with puto bumbong to church-goers after Simbang Gabi (Filipino version of Misa de Gallo).
Bibingka is traditionally cooked in clay pots with the top and bottom heated with a charcoal, lined with banana leaves. It is made from freshly milled rice (galapong) and coconut milk or water.
Tips on How to Make easy Bibingka
- Make sure to use banana leaves. This will keep the rice cake from sticking to the pan and also adds incredible aroma and flavor.
- You have to pass banana leaves quickly over flame until they become soft and pliable. Hold banana leaves using a tong and pass over flame until they turn shiny and deep green. Be careful not to burn them. Doing this will ensure that they will not tear when you use them and they will easily align with your mold. Additionally, passing banana leaves above flames will remove any bacteria that might be present in the leaves.
- I used an 8-inch baking pan for this recipe. If you want a smaller bibingka, you can use mamon or ensaymada molds or large muffin tins.
- Be sure to use fresh baking powder for this recipe. Baking powder helps to leaven the cake and make it airy and fluffy! You will end up with a dense bibingka if your baking powder is old.
- Make sure the oven is pre-heated to ensure a good rise. To achieve the characteristic charring obtained from cooking in clay pots, put your bibingka at the top rack of your oven with buttered banana leaves layered on top for about 5-10 minutes.
- This version uses a mixture of rice flour and all-purpose flour. Most traditional recipes are gluten-free, using 100% rice flour, however adding a small amount of all-purpose flour helps to support the cake and gives it a fluffy texture.
Enjoy this simple and easy Bibingka recipe, a classic Filipino rice cake that will surely bring you the Filipino Christmas feels! Happy tummy!
Watch on YouTube: Easy Bibingka Recipe
Easy Bibingka Recipe
Equipment
- Oven
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk or spatula
- Pastry brush
- 8" baking pan or ensaymada or mamon molds
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice flour
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons (43g) butter, melted
- 1 medium egg
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
Toppings:
- 1 piece salted egg, cut into 8 pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¼ to ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- ¼ to ½ cup grated coconut
Instructions
- Prepare the banana leaves by cutting it enough to cover the bottom, sides and with a bit of excess of the pan/ mold. Rinse and pat dry then run each leaf quickly over the fire to make them pliable and durable. Line the pan/mold with banana leaves and brush them with butter. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 200°C/ 390°F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine rice flour, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Mix well. Then add all the wet ingredients in the bowl and blend well with a whisk or spatula until mixture becomes smooth. The batter should normally be runny.
- Transfer the batter into the pan making sure to fill only 1/2 – 3/4 the mold with the mixture as it will rise while baking.
- Add the slices of salted egg on top. Bake in the middle rack for 20 minutes. While baking, cut sheets of banana leaves big enough to cover the top of the pan. Brush with butter and set aside.
- After 20 minutes, remove the bibingka from the oven and turn on the oven again. Place prepared banana sheets brushed with butter on top of the pan with the buttered part facing down.
- Put it back in the oven but place the baking sheet on the top rack this time. If using a gas oven, turn on the top heat (grill/broil function). Bake for another5-10 minutes or until nicely charred.
- Once done, remove from oven and brush generously with butter. Top them with grated cheese and grated coconut.
- Serve while warm and enjoy!
