Kuih lapis (nine layer steamed cake)
Chewy, bouncy steamed layers of pandan and pink coconut batter that you peel apart one layer at a time.
- Time1 hr 30 plus cooling
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.27 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Whisk the rice flour, tapioca starch and sugar in a large jug. Slowly pour in the coconut milk and water, whisking until completely smooth. Strain through a sieve.
- 2
Pour half the batter (about 400 ml) into a second jug. Stir the pandan extract into one jug and the red food colouring into the other.
- 3
Oil a 20 cm round or square tin and set a steamer over a rolling simmer. Heat the oiled tin in the steamer for 3 minutes. Stir the green batter well each time before you scoop.
- 4
Pour in about 90 ml of green batter to cover the base thinly. Cover the steamer lid with a clean tea towel to catch drips and steam for 5 minutes, until the layer is set and no longer sticky to the touch.
5 min - 5
Add a pink layer, steam for 5 minutes, and keep alternating colours, steaming each layer for 5 minutes. You should get 9 layers. Steam the last layer for 10 minutes.
10 min - 6
Leave the cake in the tin until completely cold, at least 3 hours. Oil a knife, run it round the edge and cut into squares. Peel the layers apart to eat.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
