This is a soft, tasty and Special Bibingka done the easy way. You will love this sweet rice coconut cake topped with salted eggs and cheese. This salty sweet dessert , along with puto bumbong is symbolic of the Christmas season in the Philippines. If you would like to try a fresh take on bibingka, try my Bibingka style pound cake!
Cold weather, breezy morning walks to the Church and Christmas time, these are all I am reminded of each time I eat bibingka. Bibingka, a rice cake made of coconut milk and rice flour is a native Filipino cake that is mostly tied with the Christmas season.
This Filipino rice cake is one of my favorite delicacies from back home. And because it is not often that I find one here in Canada when my craving hits, I think it will be nice to have an easy recipe for it here on the blog.
This recipe is an adaptation of the traditional ones, and in here you will find simple ingredients that can be found in your supermarkets.
This is your easy version Bibingka that you can make anytime!
Easy Bibingka Ingredients
Flour
- This recipe uses two kinds of flour: rice flour and all-purpose flour. The rice flour gives it a soft, close-knit texture typical to a native Filipino kakanin.
- Be careful when buying the rice flour though. There are two variations of it which are the glutinous rice flour and just rice flour. What we need is just rice flour. Glutinous rice flour will yield a very different texture altogether.
- Along with the flour, other dry ingredients include sugar, baking powder an salt.
- Traditionally, bibingka is made using galapong, or rice that is soaked in water and then ground. Some also uses a sweet rice flour called mochiko. This recipe is an easy adaptation and it is simple to make.
The Liquids
- The coconut milk gives bibingka its distinct flavor.
- Other liquids (milk, eggs, melted butter) adds moisture and richness to the cake. This recipe yields a very soft and moist cake. The batter is thin.
Other Ingredients for Bibingka
- Salted Duck Eggs and Grated or Sliced Cheddar Cheese. This are used as garnish that adds characteristics and flavor to out bibingka. ( Like in our special puto recipe). Salted duck eggs can be found in Asian aisle or groceries. Look for one that is already cooked.
- Coconut Flakes or Desiccated Coconut. Sweetened or unsweetened is up to you. Traditional recipes use shredded young coconut which can be found in the frozen section of Asian groceries.
Banana Leaves
Banana leaves are used to line the 9-inch baking pan. It will give a very nice flavor and aroma to the rice cake. I used frozen ones. Once thawed I wash them and wiped them dry. You can lightly expose the leaves into open flame to make them pliable and you can do that too. I don’t, though.
How To Make Bibingka?
Preheat oven to 375 F. Whisks all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour the wet ingredients in.
Using a wire whisk, beat the mixture until it is smooth and lump-free. Pour the batter into a 9-inch round baking pan that is lined with overlapped banana leaves.
Bake the bibingka at 375 F for 15 minutes. Take it out of the oven and arrange the slices of cheese and salted egg on top. Bake for 20 minutes more, or until golden. During the last 5 minutes of baking, tent the top with foil to prevent over-browning. Top with flaked coconut.
Tips and Storage
- To bake smaller bibingka, use 4-5 large muffin molds. Bake at 375 F for a total of 20-25 minutes.
- Optional garnish: Sprinkle more grated cheese after baking.
- Store leftover by covering the pan well with plastic film or aluminum foil. It can remain fresh at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate for longer storage.
Questions about this Recipe
Yes. You can use parchment paper instead of banana leaves. However, I recommend using banana leaves for that delicious aroma and authentic feel to it.
Royal Bibingka, a delicacy from Ilocos province in the Philippines, is made using glutinous rice flour instead of just rice flour. This is denser and more chewy because of the glutinous rice. The texture is comparable to a biko, which is another type of Filipino rice cake.
Bibingka can be gluten free. This particularly recipe is not gluten-free because there is all-purpose flour in it. However, a traditional bibingka does not contain gluten and there are also lots of bibingka recipes that uses rice flour only, making them gluten-free.
More Baked Goodies:
Easy Bibingka
This is a soft, tasty and special bibingka done the easy way. You will love this sweet rice coconut cake topped with salted eggs and cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice flour (NOT glutinous rice flour)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup cup sugar
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 400 ml coconut milk (1 can)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 salted egg, sliced into strips or in quarters, for the toppings
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese or about 5-7 strips, for the toppings
- 1/4 cup shredded desiccated coconut, for toppings
- frozen banana leaves, thawed and wiped dry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Wash banana leaves and wipe dry. Line a 9 inch round baking pan with banana leaves, using two or more leaves to overlap if necessary.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients: rice flour, all-purpose flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Make well in the center and pour the wet ingredients: melted butter, coconut milk, milk and the beaten eggs,
- Briefly beat everything with a wire whisk to combine. The mixture should be lump-free and smooth. Pour the thin batter into the prepared pan and bake at 375 F for 15 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and arrange the salted eggs and cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes more, or until golden on top. During the last 5 minutes, tent the pan with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. Top with dried coconut flakes.
Notes
To bake smaller bibingka, use 4-5 large muffin molds. Bake at 375 F for a total of 20-25 minutes.
Store leftover bibingka by covering the pan well with plastic film or aluminum foil. It can remain fresh at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate for longer storage.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 416Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 542mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 8g
Hello I’m from the Philippines. And yes this bibingkas recipe is so good. Taste like Macaroons that we have here. Although I just used regular cheese. Just the right sweetness I don’t have to lessen or add more sugar. This recipe is for keeps. Thank you Sanna.
Hello Uzziel! I am so glad you enjoyed the easy bibingka recipe. Happy baking always!
Hello there, I baked this bibingka twice now and I’m having problem with the toppings from sinking in after it’s cook, how can I prevent that? I followed the instructions exactly and always turns out toppings in the bottom, anyway thank you for another wonderful recipe
Hi Ana! I would suggest baking it more in the inital stage before adding the topping. I would say take it out at around 25-30 minute mark, add the topping then bake for the remaining time 🙂 I hope that helps and thank you so much!
When using flour in your baking,do you scoop the flour with your required cup or do you spoon the flour into your cups and level it? Thanks
Hi Lily! I fluff the flour with a fork, then I scoop it using my measuring cup until it is heaping, then I level it with tha back of a knife 🙂
Baka po may recipe kau how to make salted eggs.mahirap po mahanap dito sa ibang bansa
Hi! Wala eh but you can omit the salted eggs from the recipe. Or if you can find those salted duck eggs from asian groceries, all you have to do is boil them 😉
Make a brine solution.. water to cover duck eggs.. pour salt until crystals no longer dissolves.
Soak for 14 days.. boil.. ready to use on any dishes.