I’m about to show a Honeycomb Cake that actually pulls off that impossibly airy, custardy snap you won’t believe, so keep scrolling.
I’m obsessed with bánh bò hấp, Vietnamese honeycomb cake, and I can’t stop thinking about that spongy, pillowy texture. I love how the tiny holes trap coconut milk flavor so every bite is juicy and weirdly satisfying.
Asian desserts can be subtle but this one hits sweet and light in the same mouthful. But it’s not dainty.
It’s bouncy, almost springy, and you chew and smile. I’m all about the pandan extract aroma married to coconut milk richness.
Pure sugar bliss without being cloying. Don’t talk to me when I’m eating this.
Seriously. Worth every sticky, guilty, ridiculous bite ever.
Ingredients
- Basically gives soft, slightly chewy cake body.
- Plus adds springy, bouncy chew and light crisp edges.
- It sweetens and helps that caramelized honeycomb crust.
- It’s rich and creamy, gives coconut aroma and moistness.
- Basically wakes the yeast and loosens batter for bubbles.
- It’s what creates the airy honeycomb holes and slight tang.
- Plus gives grassy, vanilla-like aroma and that green color.
- Basically adds extra lift and keeps texture light.
- It balances sweetness and brings out the coconut flavors.
- It prevents sticking and keeps bottoms smooth, no tearing.
- You’ll spoon more coconut milk or sprinkle shredded coconut for richness.
Ingredient Quantities
- 200 g rice flour
- 50 g tapioca starch
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 200 ml coconut milk (full fat)
- 200 ml warm water (about 40 C / 105 F)
- 1 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast (about 7 g)
- 1 tsp pandan extract or 2 tbsp fresh pandan juice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil (for greasing)
- extra coconut milk or shredded coconut for serving, optional
How to Make this
1. In a large bowl whisk together 200 g rice flour, 50 g tapioca starch, 200 g granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp fine salt until evenly mixed.
2. Stir 1 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast into 200 ml warm water (about 40 C / 105 F) and let sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy; if it doesn’t foam your yeast might be dead, start over.
3. Mix 200 ml full fat coconut milk and 1 tsp pandan extract (or 2 tbsp fresh pandan juice) into the yeast mixture, then pour that into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth and lump free.
4. Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let batter ferment at room temperature 1 to 2 hours, until it’s bubbly and has risen noticeably; you want lots of small holes forming.
5. Gently fold 1 tsp baking powder into the batter, stir just to combine, then let it rest 5 minutes so the baking powder wakes up and adds extra lift.
6. Prepare your steamer: bring water to a steady boil, line your steaming tray or cake pan with a little oil or use a 1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil to grease molds or pan so cake won’t stick.
7. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s) leaving a little room at top; cover the steamer lid with a clean cloth or wrap the lid with a towel to catch condensation so drops won’t fall on the cake.
8. Steam over medium-high heat for about 25 to 35 minutes, check with a skewer near the end — it should come out mostly clean and the top springy; avoid opening the lid a lot or the cake can collapse.
9. Turn off the heat and let cake cool in the steamer 10 minutes before unmolding; serve warm or at room temp with extra coconut milk drizzled or sprinkling of shredded coconut if you like.
Equipment Needed
1. Large mixing bowl for whisking the dry ingredients and fermenting the batter
2. Whisk (or fork) to mix flour, sugar and liquids until smooth
3. Measuring cups and spoons plus a digital scale for the grams and ml accuracy
4. Small bowl or glass to proof the yeast and mix coconut milk with pandan
5. Steamer with a lid (or large pot + steaming rack) and a cloth to cover the lid so condensation won’t drip
6. 8 or 9 inch round cake pan or silicone molds, plus a brush or paper towel to grease with oil
7. Skewer or cake tester to check doneness and a spatula for unmolding and serving
FAQ
Steamed Vietnamese Honeycomb Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Rice flour: use glutinous rice flour for a chewier, slightly stickier texture (same weight). Or if you must, use all purpose flour but the cake will be denser and less tender.
- Tapioca starch: swap with potato starch or cornstarch 1 to 1. Gives similar bite and keeps the holes nice.
- Coconut milk: replace with canned coconut cream thinned with equal parts water (so 1 part cream to 1 part water) for the same richness. If coconut is not available, whole milk plus a little coconut extract works ok.
- Instant dry yeast: use active dry yeast in the same weight but proof it first in the warm water for 5 to 10 minutes until bubbly. That makes sure it’s alive and will ferment properly.
Pro Tips
– Let the yeast proof really well. If the foam is weak, toss it and try again with slightly warmer water, not hotter than about 45 C, otherwise the yeast can die and the whole batter won’t rise properly.
– Keep the steamer lid covered with a towel to stop water from dripping on the cake, and try not to open the lid until the last 5 minutes. Every time you open it you risk collapsing the little bubbles you worked for.
– For an even lighter texture, sift the rice flour and tapioca together and whisk extra vigorously to break lumps, but don’t overmix after you add the baking powder. Overmixing knocks out air and makes it dense.
– If you want a more pronounced coconut or pandan flavor, reduce the water by 20 to 30 ml and increase the coconut milk or pandan juice a bit. Also a quick brush of warm coconut milk right after steaming keeps the top soft and adds richness.
Steamed Vietnamese Honeycomb Cake Recipe
I'm about to show a Honeycomb Cake that actually pulls off that impossibly airy, custardy snap you won't believe, so keep scrolling.
8
servings
277
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large mixing bowl for whisking the dry ingredients and fermenting the batter
2. Whisk (or fork) to mix flour, sugar and liquids until smooth
3. Measuring cups and spoons plus a digital scale for the grams and ml accuracy
4. Small bowl or glass to proof the yeast and mix coconut milk with pandan
5. Steamer with a lid (or large pot + steaming rack) and a cloth to cover the lid so condensation won’t drip
6. 8 or 9 inch round cake pan or silicone molds, plus a brush or paper towel to grease with oil
7. Skewer or cake tester to check doneness and a spatula for unmolding and serving
Ingredients
200 g rice flour
50 g tapioca starch
200 g granulated sugar
200 ml coconut milk (full fat)
200 ml warm water (about 40 C / 105 F)
1 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast (about 7 g)
1 tsp pandan extract or 2 tbsp fresh pandan juice
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine salt
1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil (for greasing)
extra coconut milk or shredded coconut for serving, optional
Directions
- In a large bowl whisk together 200 g rice flour, 50 g tapioca starch, 200 g granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp fine salt until evenly mixed.
- Stir 1 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast into 200 ml warm water (about 40 C / 105 F) and let sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy; if it doesn’t foam your yeast might be dead, start over.
- Mix 200 ml full fat coconut milk and 1 tsp pandan extract (or 2 tbsp fresh pandan juice) into the yeast mixture, then pour that into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth and lump free.
- Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let batter ferment at room temperature 1 to 2 hours, until it’s bubbly and has risen noticeably; you want lots of small holes forming.
- Gently fold 1 tsp baking powder into the batter, stir just to combine, then let it rest 5 minutes so the baking powder wakes up and adds extra lift.
- Prepare your steamer: bring water to a steady boil, line your steaming tray or cake pan with a little oil or use a 1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil to grease molds or pan so cake won’t stick.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan(s) leaving a little room at top; cover the steamer lid with a clean cloth or wrap the lid with a towel to catch condensation so drops won’t fall on the cake.
- Steam over medium-high heat for about 25 to 35 minutes, check with a skewer near the end — it should come out mostly clean and the top springy; avoid opening the lid a lot or the cake can collapse.
- Turn off the heat and let cake cool in the steamer 10 minutes before unmolding; serve warm or at room temp with extra coconut milk drizzled or sprinkling of shredded coconut if you like.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 108g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 277kcal
- Fat: 7.2g
- Saturated Fat: 4.8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.8g
- Monounsaturated: 1.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 75mg
- Potassium: 56mg
- Carbohydrates: 53g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 26g
- Protein: 2.2g
- Vitamin A: 0IU
- Vitamin C: 0.1mg
- Calcium: 9mg
- Iron: 0.5mg
