Rice Flour Coconut with Palm Sugar

Introduction

You steam the rice flour first, then mix it with grated coconut, salt, and sugar until it turns evenly crumbly before packing it into greased molds with a thin palm sugar layer in the center. The result is a lightly sweet steamed cake with a loose, tender texture that works well as a snack, dessert, or make-ahead treat.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 250 g rice flour
• 250 g grated coconut
• ½ tbsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 150 g palm sugar, thinly shaved

Instructions

1. Steam the rice flour for 20 minutes. Then, remove it from the steamer and set aside.
2. Combine the steamed rice flour with the coconut, white sugar, and salt in a bowl. Stir until the mixture becomes uniformly crumbly.
3. Prepare molds by greasing the insides with a little oil.
4. Fill one mold halfway with the rice flour mixture. Add a thin layer of palm sugar, then fill the rest of the mold completely with the rice flour mixture. Repeat with the rest of the rice flour mixture, palm sugar, and molds.
5. Preheat a steamer pot and basket over high heat so the water is boiling.
6. Steam the awug-awug cakes over the boiling water for 25 minutes.
7. Let the molds cool fully, then remove the cakes from the molds. Serve.

Variations

• Replace the palm sugar with dark brown sugar if needed. You will lose some of the deeper caramel note, but the cakes will still have a sweet center.
• Replace grated coconut with unsweetened desiccated coconut that has been lightly moistened before mixing. The finished cakes will be a bit drier and slightly chewier.
• Change the filling step by adding a slightly thicker palm sugar layer in the center. That gives you a more pronounced sweet stripe and a stronger contrast between the crumbly rice layer and the melted sugar.
• Use small ramekins or muffin molds instead of traditional molds, keeping the greasing and filling method the same. The cakes will come out wider and flatter, with a little more surface area per serving.

Tips for Success

• Steam the rice flour for the full 20 minutes so it loses its raw taste before you mix it with the coconut.
• Stir the rice flour, coconut, white sugar, and salt until the mixture looks evenly crumbly with no visible pockets of salt or sugar.
• Grease the insides of the molds thoroughly, especially around the edges, so the cakes release cleanly after cooling.
• Make sure the steamer water is already boiling before the filled molds go in; starting with low heat can make the texture dense.
• Let the molds cool fully before unmolding, or the cakes can break apart while still soft.

Storage and Reheating

Store the cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you need longer storage, wrap them well and freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month.

To reheat, steam them for 5 to 8 minutes until warmed through. You can also microwave individual portions in short bursts, covered with a damp paper towel, but steaming keeps the texture softer and more even.

FAQ

Why do you steam the rice flour before mixing it with the coconut?

That first steam sets up the flour so the finished cakes have the right crumbly, steamed texture instead of tasting chalky or raw.

Can you use brown sugar instead of palm sugar?

Yes. Brown sugar works, but the filling will taste less complex and less smoky than palm sugar.

What kind of molds should you use?

Any small heat-safe mold works as long as you grease it well. Small metal molds, ramekins, or sturdy heat-safe cups are all fine.

Why is the mixture not turning uniformly crumbly?

Usually the rice flour was not mixed thoroughly enough with the grated coconut, sugar, and salt. Keep stirring until the texture looks even throughout with no compacted clumps.