Simple Stay-home Recipes: Makcik-approved Easy Kueh Bakar

From a simple Two-ingredient Brownie to a slightly more complicated Braised Pork Belly Rice. If you have been following our stay-home recipe series, you will notice that most of the dishes we have introduced are the ones which we are widely familiar with. 

Kuih Bakar 9

This time around, especially for those of you with a sweet tooth, we have a kueh recipe. Not the regular kueh you can easily get your hands-on at the Bengawan Solo around your neighbourhood, Kueh Bakar, also known as Bingka Bakar or Kueh Kemboja, is a custard-like Malay snack loaded with the tropical flavours of pandan and creamy coconut. 

Traditionally baked in a flower-shaped mould, although Kueh Bakar is not commonly sold in stores, it is, in fact, a fuss-free and easy to make snack item that is a sure hit on any occasion! With or without its unique mould, Kueh Bakar can be prepared in any other baking trays or roasting tins. So let’s not wait any longer and let our inner makcik loose with this recipe!


Ingredients

Kuih Bakar 1

  • 170g plain flour/all-purpose flour
  • 140g sugar 
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 170ml pandan juice or 4 – 5 drops of pandan flavouring 
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp melted butter/ghee
  • Sesame seeds (as desired)

Pandan Juice

  • 7 – 8 pandan leaves
  • 170ml water 

Tools

  • Whisk
  • Mixing bowl
  • Baking tray/baking mould 
  • Sieve
  • Blender (for pandan juice)
  • Oven

Recipe Preparation 

Preparation time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 40 – 45 minutes
Makes 12 to 16 squares

Pandan juice 

  • Wash and cut pandan leaves to small rectangles. Blend pandan leaves and water until smooth before straining the juice with a sieve.

Kuih Bakar 

  • Preheat oven to 170°C.
  • Grease your baking tray or mould with butter and leave it in the oven during preheating.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar and coconut milk. Whisk till well combined. 
  • Add pandan juice or pandan extract and melted butter into the mixture and mix well.
  • Sieve the flour in and whisk till the mixture forms a smooth consistency.
  • Carefully remove your baking tray or mould from the oven and pour in the Kueh Bakar mixture. 
  • Sprinkle sesame seeds on the surface.
  • Bake for 40 – 45 minutes until the surface is golden brown. 
  • Leave the Kueh Bakar to fully cool down before cutting them into bite-sized pieces for serving.

Recipe in Pictures

Pandan juice 

Kuih Bakar 2

Step 1: Wash and cut pandan leaves to small rectangles. Blend pandan leaves and water until smooth before straining the juice with a sieve.

Kueh Bakar 

Step 2: Preheat oven to 170°C.

Kuih Bakar 6

Step 3: Grease your baking tray or mould with butter and leave it in the oven during preheating.

Step 4: In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar and coconut milk. Whisk till well combined. 

Kuih Bakar 4

Step 5: Add pandan juice or pandan extract and melted butter into the mixture and mix well.

Kuih Bakar 5

Step 6: Sieve flour in and whisk till the mixture forms a smooth consistency.

Kuih Bakar 7

Step 7: Carefully remove your baking tray or mould from the oven and pour in the Kueh Bakar mixture. 

Kuih Bakar 8

Step 9: Sprinkle sesame seeds on the surface.

Step 10: Bake for 40 – 45 minutes until the surface is golden brown. 

Step 11: Leave the Kueh Bakar to fully cool down before cutting them into bite-sized pieces for serving.

Kuih Bakar 10

Rich, creamy, and filled with the aroma of fresh pandan, this Kueh Bakar is a snack that I will definitely eat any time of the day. Unlike other kuehs which are often steamed and are usually soft and chewy in texture, Kueh Bakar is more like a soft-baked custard.

Its caramelised top crust and slightly burnt edges are the defining characteristics of this snack that makes it superior to its peers. In my opinion, if you are one who enjoys subtle bitter notes that contrast with the sweetness in your desserts, you can consider baking the Kueh Bakar for another minute or two!

Kuih Bakar 11

Whilst the kueh is working its magic in the oven, don’t be too worried if you see the batter inflating like a balloon midway through the baking. Just trust the process and enjoy your cup of tea while waiting. Once out of the oven, the kueh will naturally deflate, forming an indentation towards the middle.

Tantalisingly delicious, this Kueh Bakar will surely leave you wanting more after your first bite. Make sure you have them exactly on the day you bake it for maximum freshness and enjoyment!

Expected Damage: S$2 – S$3 per batch 

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