Here it is another recipe for bánh bò nương (Vietnamese honeycomb cake). Unlike the other recipe, this one is eggless, takes a bit longer and is a little more completed to make. I have to admit, prefer the other recipe over this one….the other one has a richer texture due to the eggs.
Ingredients:
-300g rice flour
-100g tapioca starch
-300g warm water
-1 tsp yeast
-300g + 1 tsp sugar
-300g coconut milk/cream
-1 tsp baking powder (single acting)
What to Do:
Dissolve yeast in water along with 1 tsp sugar. Mix together flours and add yeast mixture, mix well. Prove for 1 hour. Meanwhile, boil together 300g sugar with coconut milk and cool to room temperature. After 1 hour knead in baking powder and then coconut milk mixture. Prove for another hour or until bubbles rise to the surface of the batter. Bake at 350’F for 30-45 mins or until golden.
http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2006/03/bnh-b-nng-chay-vietnamese-baked.html
Chinese Paper Wrapped Sponge Cake and Steamed Sponge Cake
What’s with the name “Spongefon”? Well, the method and ingredients for making this cake labels it as a chiffon cake, but the texture and the fact that it does not have to be inverted immediately after baking it is similar to sponge cake. This basic “spongefon” cake can be employed to create many different versions of “cakes”; from steamed to jelly rolls.
Ingredients:
-6 eggs (approx. 180g whites, 120g yolks)
-pinch of cream of tartar
-150g sugar
-75g oil
-100g water
-230g cake flour
-1 tsp baking powder
What to Do:
Separate the eggs. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy, add 100g sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. In a separate bowl beat together egg yolks and 50g sugar until light and lemon colored, add oil and water. Fold flour into egg yolk mixture, fold egg whites into yolks, and lastly fold in baking powder. Bake at 350’F or steam.
Different Variations:
Pandan Flavor:
Replace water with pandan juice
Pandan and Coconut Flavor:
Replace water with pandan juice and oil with coconut milk.
Coconut Flavor:
Replace both water and oil with coconut milk.
Lemon Sponge:
Add 1 ½ tsp lemon extract.
Orange Sponge:
Replace water with orange juice and add 1 tsp orange extract (optional)
Coffee Flavor:
Replace water with coffee or add 3 tbs instant coffee into egg yolks, add a pinch of baking soda.
Mocha Flavor:
Replace water with coffee and add 1 1/2 tbs cocoa powder, pinch of baking soda.
Chocolate:
Add 2 tbs cocoa powder and a pinch of baking soda.
For Jelly Rolls:
Reduce flour to 200g and add 20g corn starch. Bake in a jelly roll pan at 350’F until slightly golden. Roll the cake immediately as it comes out of the oven, cool completely, unroll, add cream/jelly and roll again.
Marbled Cake:
Divide batter into 2 portions, mix each with desired color/flavor. Randomly add batters 3 tbs at a time into a cake pan, then swirl a knife or chopstick around to create a marbled affect.
Marbled Jelly Roll:
Make batter as for making marbled cake, bake in a jelly roll pan prepare as you would a jelly roll.
Chinese Paper Wrapped Sponge Cakes:
Bake in paper cups.
Steamed Sponge Cake:
Steam on high heat, lift lid to release excess steam every 8-10 mins.
http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2006/01/basic-spongefon-cake-and-variations.html
A “must have” for Tat; there are many versions of Bánh Tét from sweet to savory. This is the Buddhist style vegan version made especially for enjoying on the first day of tết.
Ingredients:
-5lbs sweet rice (glutinous rice)
-2lbs mung beans (peeled and split)
-1-2lbs banana leaves
-pandan leaves or extract
-lá cẩm leaves or violet color
-salt, sugar, pepper
-2 cans coconut milk (800ml total)
-vegetarian meat
-3 tbs soy sauce
Getting Ready:
Cut meat into thin strips and marinate with soy sauce, pepper, some sugar, salt, and a hint of 5 spice.
Cut leaves into approximately pieces that are approximately 12-15 inches. Wash and wipe dry.
Wash and soak rice in water for a few hours. Drain and divide rice into 2 portions, add pandan juice or extract into one portion. Add lá cẩm juice or violet color into the other portion. Stir fry the rice separately (by color) while gradually adding coconut milk until “sticky”.
Wash, soak, cook, and mash mung beans, add salt, sugar, and pepper to taste.
Take a strip of “meat” and wrap with the prepared mung beans. The wrap with a layer of violet rice.
Assembling the Rice Cakes:
Layer a few layers of banana leaves on a flat surface; make sure the leaf grains are crisscrossed.
Layer green pandan rice onto the center of the leaves, add the ‘filling’ (prewrapped log of meat that was wrapped mung beans and violet rice). Using both hands pull 2 edges of the leaves up to gather the rice around the ‘filling’, add more rice on top of necessary to entirely cover the filling log.
Fold the edges over each other to form a long log. Carefully fold the edges of the other two sides over each other (like wrapping a present). Tie with kitchen twine. Boil for at least 5 hours; remove immediately remove and soak in cold water for a night. Next morning remove from water wipe dry and let the cake age for a day before serving.
To Serve:
Either serve as is with sugar or dưa món (veggies pickled in fish sauce) or fried with sugar and day món.
Note:
The cake should be wrapped and tied tightly to ensure the final result will not be “soggy”.However, if wrapped or tied too tightly, the cake might not be cook fully (the rice won’t have room to “expand”).
If you have never made bánh tét before I suggest working with only one color of rice for the ‘experience’ as wrapping is one of the hardest and most important part of making bánh tét.
Other versions include:
Sweet mung beans:
Omit meat, mix beans with sugar to taste.
Non-vegan (with real meat):
Use pork belly and marinate with fish sauce, garlic, shallots, pepper, and a hint of 5 spice powder.
Banana:
Add boiled black beans to the rice. Marinate banana with a little sugar for a few hours before wrapping.
http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2006/01/bnh-tt-3-mu-chay-vegetarian-3-color.html
Ingredients:
-Roasted seaweed sheets (the kind used to make sushi)
-300g bread crumbs
-50g dried bean curd sheets
-100g gluten flour
-salt taste
-water or vegetable broth
What to Do: Soak bean curd sheets in hot water for a few mins or until soft and pliable, shred into small pieces. Mix together bread crumbs, bean curd, and gluten flour. Add vegetable broth slowly to form a dough. Line a flat surface with a piece for plastic wrap top with a layer of seaweed. Add dough and tightly wrap into the shape of a log. Steam for 30-40 mins. Cool and use to cook various dishes.
http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2006/01/c-chay-vegetarian-fish.html
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