Banh Bo Nuong

Ingredients

• 400 g tapioca starch
• 300 g caster sugar
• 400 ml coconut milk, full fat
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp single acting baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pandan extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus extra for the tin
• 100 ml water

Before you cook

• Take the eggs out of the fridge an hour ahead so they come to room temperature.
• Grease a 20 cm round cake tin or a bundt tin thoroughly with oil, getting into every crease.
• Weigh out the tapioca starch and sift it into a large bowl with the baking powder and salt.
• Warm the coconut milk with the sugar and the 100 ml of water in a pan over low heat until the sugar dissolves, then leave it to cool to lukewarm.

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 180C and slide the greased tin onto the middle shelf to heat up empty.
2. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them gently with a hand whisk for 1 minute, without beating any air in.
3. Pour the lukewarm coconut milk mixture into the eggs in a slow stream while whisking gently.
4. Add the pandan extract, the vanilla and the 2 tbsp of oil, then whisk just enough to combine.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the sifted tapioca starch in three additions, folding after each one.
6. Stir slowly until the batter is completely smooth, keeping the whisking gentle so you do not create foam.
7. Rest the batter for 10 minutes, then skim off any bubbles that rise to the surface.
8. Strain the batter through a fine sieve into a jug to catch any lumps.
9. Pull the hot tin out of the oven carefully and set it on a heatproof surface.
10. Pour the batter into the scorching tin in one steady stream from about 20 cm above it, which helps burst any bubbles.
11. Return the tin to the oven immediately and bake for 45 minutes.
12. Check the cake at 45 minutes by pushing a skewer into the centre, which should come out clean.
13. Bake for up to 10 minutes more if the skewer is wet, covering the top with foil if it is browning too fast.
14. Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes once it comes out of the oven.
15. Run a thin knife around the edge and turn the cake out onto a rack.
16. Cool the cake completely for at least 30 minutes, since it firms up and the texture only sets as it cools.
17. Cut the cake into wedges with a sharp knife wiped between cuts, and look for the vertical honeycomb channels running through each slice.