Bebinca (also called Bibinca or Bibink) is a quintessentially Goan dessert that most people who have had it, rave about. There are some of us don’t quite like it, but it’s a dessert you cannot be indifferent about. Made with flour, sugar, loads of egg yolks, coconut milk and ghee (clarified butter)/ butter, this multi-layered pudding-like dessert is so rich that anyone who can eat a large slice of it is asking for trouble. Christmas in Goa is incomplete without Bebinca, as are most other celebrations in Catholic homes here.
Bebinca seems to exist in one form or another across former Portuguese colonies in Asia. I have seen it served in an Indian restaurant in Portugal, and I understand that it is similarly made in East Timor as well. Macau has a coconut milk custard-like version called Bebinca de Leite. In the Phillipines, it is Bibingka which is not layered, but a cake made from rice flour or tapioca flour and coconut or cow’s milk and cooked in banana leaves. There is an Indonesian layer cake called Kek Lapis which looks a lot like Bebinca in its layers, but is made differently.
Bebinca is the kind of food that makes for tall stories that you might almost believe. If you come down here, you might get to hear of the days when Bebinca was made with a hundred yolks, had so many layers that it was unbelievably tall and would take the better part of a day to bake.
There is some truth in all this. While it requires a lot fewer than 100 egg yolks, and there has been a 16 layer version and it does take a few hours to make, there is no denying that even making a 7 or 8 layered Bebinca requires a bit of time and skill. It’s definitely not one of those desserts you can throw together at the drop of a hat.
The batter is made up and then each layer is cooked like a pancake, over which the next layer is poured and cooked and so on till the batter is used up. Each layer must be cooked from the top, and usually takes about half an hour to cook. Traditionally this is done by placing hot, burning coals on the lid of the pan in which the Bebinca is cooking so only the topmost layer gets cooked. Slow even cooking is the key. Over cooking can lead to a chewy rubbery texture while the desired texture is soft, pudding and well cooked.
Think of a stack of thin pancakes fused together as one yet where each layer retains its integrity to form a multi-layered cake and you have an idea of what Bebinca looks like. The trick is to cook it over low heat so each layer is cooked through, yet stays soft and pudding-like without becoming chewy. The darkened top of each layer of cooked batter lends the beautiful layered look when Bebinca is sliced.
In Portuguese, the Goan Bebinca is known as Bebinca das Sete Folhas (Bebinca of Seven Leaves, referring to the seven layers). So it’s not surprising that fewer people make Bebinca at home today, even during Christmas. Most families know someone who is acknowledged as the best Bebinca maker in their neighbourhood and come any festive occasion, an order is placed and the Bebinca is brought home and shared. Some of the very small Goan bakeries or “Aunties” who make them at home to order, serve up the most awesome Bebinca. There are packaged versions available, that tourists take back with them, which are not bad but they’re not the real deal.
While my husband loves Bebinca, it’s not something I really like. That said, I have always wanted to try my hand at making Bebinca at home but using hot coals wasn’t an option for me! Then I discovered that one could cook it in an oven but never gathered the courage to try it.
All the recipes I found online, and a couple in some books, had me a bit confused and I didn’t want to risk adapting in my usual style, as I knew there was a lot that could go wrong here. Then I remembered the Joanita Auntie downstairs. In India, we don’t address elders by their names, not even if they’re not family. So a lady who is reasonably older than oneself is usually addressed as Auntie as a mark of respect.
As I was saying, I know this Auntie who is the mother of two of my former neighbours (they’re sisters). She lived just down the road from our housing complex and would drop in to visit her daughters quite frequently. I asked her for a recipe to make Bebinca and that is what I used. Her method includes the addition of a caramel sauce to one half of the batter. I have not come across this before but she tells me that it ensures a more pleasing contrast between layers once the Bebinca is done and sliced.
Usually home bakers cook bebinca in a moderate oven (I’ve seen temperatures from 160C to 200C in various recipes!) which should be about 180C (350F). I decided to cook my Bebinca in the grill mode of my oven as it meant that the upper heating element would cook it from the top.
Bebinca - A Goan Layered Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups sugar (1/4 kg)
- 2 cups all purpose flour (1/4 kg)
- 6 egg yolks
- 3/4 tsp nutmeg finely grated
- coconut Freshly grated (from 1 )
- 1 cup + 1 cup water hot (not boiling)
- 1 cup ghee (more or less)
For caramel sauce:
- 3 tbsps sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- First extract the coconut milk.Put the grated coconut in a blender and add 1 cup hot water. Run the blender until the coconut has become as smooth a paste as possible. Take the ground coconut out and press it through a fine sieve, into a bowl, so that you can extract as much of the coconut milk as possible. This is thick coconut milk, also called the 1st milk.
- Now put the pressed coconut back into the blender, add the other cup of hot water and process again till it is as smooth as possible. This time the ground coconut will be a bit more watery. Again put everything into a sieve and press out the coconut milk into another bowl. This is thin coconut milk and also called the 2nd milk. Discard the coconut. Keep both coconut milks separate. This video explains this process well.
- Now make the batter for the Bebinca.Put the sugar and the thick coconut milk in a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon or whisk, stir them together until the sugar dissolves. Now very lightly beat the eggs and add to the coconut milk and sugar and mix well.
- Add the nutmeg and the flour and mix well, making sure there are no lumps at all and the batter is very smooth. If the batter is a bit thick use a bit of the 2nd coconut milk to thin it out. The batter should be like pancake batter in consistency. Divide the batter equally between two bowls. You might have some 2nd milk left over.
- Now make the caramel sauce(itu2019s not a sauce really but weu2019ll call it a sauce). Melt the sugar with 1/8 cup water (half of the 1/4 cup) in a pan, on high heat. Do not stir, but watch it till the edges start becoming brown. Stir a couple of times and once it is deep brown (not burnt) carefully add the remaining 1/8 cup water and mix well. Let the caramel sauce cool a little, then add it to the batter in one of the bowls and stir quickly till well mixed and smooth.
- For easy understanding, Iu2019m going to call this batter the caramel batter and the one without the caramel, the plain batter.
- Now itu2019s time to finally make the Bebinca!
- Turn the grill in your oven on. I used the grill in my oven because the heating element for the grill is on top.
- Take a 7u201d aluminium cake tin and pour a generous tbsp. of ghee into it. Place on your stove on low heat. Once the ghee is hot, pour about half a cup full of the plain batter into the cake tin. Let it spread to cover the bottom of the cake tin. Cover the tin with a lid (I used a glass one so I could see into the cake tin) and allow the layer to cook until the edges appear to be turning brown.
- Take the cake tin off the heat and pour a little more ghee (about 1/2 tbsp) on top. Put it into oven (grill mode) and let the layer cook till the top is brown with a few spots. This took about 10 minutes under my grill. The top should somewhat resemble the top of crxe8me brulee when torched.
- Take the cake tin out and add another generous tbsp. of ghee. Pour about 1/2 cup full of the caramel batter now. Let spread out completely and put it back into the oven to grill until this layer is also brown.
- Take it out again, pour another tbsp. full of ghee and a half cup full of the plain batter this time and put it back into the oven. Keep repeating this using ghee first and then the batters alternately, till all the batter is used up. The last layer should be ghee.You should have between 6 to 8 layers to your Bebinca by the time youu2019re done.
- Let the Bebinca cool a bit, then loosen the sides with a knife. Turn the cake tin upside down on a serving plate so the bottom layer is now the top layer. Cut into thin slices and serve lukewarm as it is or with vanilla ice-cream, if you prefer.
Notes
I'm Aparna and My Diverse Kitchen is my ovo-lacto vegetarian food blog where you'll find recipes, food stories & photography. I've been blogging since 2007 and believe the kitchen, and the dining table (by extension) is really the heart of a home. 
Love the new look Aparna.Wishing you & your loved ones a very Happy 2011.Siri
Love the new look Aparna.. very beautiful. And the dessert looks amazing..wish you Happy New Year !!!
Love the new makeover of your blog. Kudos to Sunita for doing such a great job! The dessert looks amazing. May the New Year be filled with the sweetness of this dessert. Happy New Year!
Yey!!! You did it ! This is one dessert i always wanted to make, and never got around it for obvious reasons. Wish you a very happy New Year, shine !!!!
This cake looks fabulous! Definitely love when I learn about new cultures and recipes! This looks like a tasty one!
i have seen this in a book i read some time back, it featured as a dessert that the protagonist makes very well and i remember jotting down the recipe. didn’t realise the story behind it. looks very mighty impressive 🙂 happy new year Aparna 🙂
It surely looks very visually appealing…The idea of caramel sauce to get distinct layers is good.
happy new year! And the bebinca looks great!
the bebinca looks very lovely….i would love to try this soon….
A cool/winter look for your blog, in keeping with the season! Me, I don’t even know where to begin. I don’t even understand the idiot’s guide to blogger! :-DThe photos really stand out.
Beautiful new look! Bebinca sounds delicious!Happy 2011!
Wow! Kudos for attempting this – that too in the land of the Bebinca – I was nervous enough I tried butter chicken in Delhi , and that didnt even involve any layers! I have always loved Bebinca and had lots of home made stuff while growing up in Mumbai. Your version looks good – thinner layers and a little more moistness as you said, but what a great start!
Wish U a Very Happy & Fabulous New Year. I like the makeover. The website is looking really nice and sophisticated. And I love bebinca. I usually have a log in my fridge for those sweet cravings at night & now I can make some in my own kitchen. What could be better. 🙂
Hi ! I would love to join U in your adventures of cooking.
Love the new site layout aparna!!!! very sleek and modern :)))Oh! your bebinca looks sooo good!! I am still a bit intimidated to try it, especially since it’s quite tedious but hope to make it soon :)Wish you a fantastic 2011 and looking forward to more awesome goodness from you.. HUGS
Happy New Year dear Aparna.I have not heard of Bebinca, but whatever it is, looks very good in your blog 😀 Your new design looks pretty cool too.
Wow, that is a lot of effort! Well done on conquering the Bebinca. I love “Aunties”, we have them in Malaysia too, I would consider it very high praise if an Auntie told me something I made was “quite nice”, I don’t think I’ve ever heard “very nice” from one yet :)) Happy New Year to you and your lovely family, I resolve to be better at dropping by your blog more often this year!
I am surprised you even tried to make them at home, and shocked to hear they could have made this with 100 eggs.My mom always madde this for festive season and like i told you the traditional way.Thia looka absloutley yumm.
Join the club sra I too have no idea so i think i will stick with basics.
WIshing u a happy and prosperous new year..Bebinca looks sooo fabulous..
I would like to try this bebinca .Till now i was afraid as i have no good recipe. Now I have no excuse. I will try some time.
Wow, this looks amazing, really lovely looking blog. And, wow, a very new cake, but looks delicious and mouth watering.
Great looking bebinca! I reallly like it, but can’t eat too much of it! Love the new look, very futuristic!
Nice Makeover for your virtual kitchen and the dessert looks swell ~! Happy 2011 Aparna !
Wow, I’ve never heard of this cake before, but it sure looks like a decadent and delicious way to kick off the new year. Hope 2011 is the best one yet! 🙂
They don’t use 100 eggs, its just one of those exaggerated stories that some people tell. :)I think I need to find out more about your Mom’s cooking. 🙂
I think “Aunties” are an Asian thing. And yes, they don’t give out praise very easily. 🙂
You’re welcome to join us. Just go to http://groups.google.com/group… and please leave a request to join us.
I can manage some tweakingbut for this I needed someone who knew the stuff! Was too scared to experiment. 🙂
I’ve seen it mentioned in the “Hindi Bindi Club”, along with the recipe.
Kek Lapis? Bibingka?
hi aparna… very happy new year. love your new kitchen is very good!! i am figuring out some change as well! love post on bebinca… looks yum though i’d be more inclined to eat it than make it! there are so many steps!
Aparna, this is fabulous! I have made the Lapis Lagit before and absolutely loved it! I love your Indian version and would love to try it, too. And with 6 yolks instead of 100! Ha! Beautiful new blog look, as well. I think it is stunning! Wishing you a fabulous, healthy, happy 2011, dear Aparna!
Aparna, Happy New Year, and wow, wow, wow! Your site looks amazing! Sunita did an incredible job! Maybe I should ask her to do mine! I’m so afraid of messing stuff up if I host and have someone design for me..lol This is why I’m stuck under the wordpress free blog ‘reign’..fear..lolThat said, I had never heard of Bebinca until your entry. I was completely blown away when I opened this page and saw that gorgeous cake. You are are so amazingly talented, in the kitchen and behind the camera 🙂
Love the new look. Happy new year, Aparna.
Happy New Year, Aparna! The new look is very nice and sleek. I love caramel cake but have never seen one like this. Yummy indeed!
I like the new design and that bebinca looks amazing. Happy 2011 my friend!
Wow, never heard of Bebinca before, but I love coconut and must try this !I really liked learning how to extract the milk from the fresh coconut; cool !Dario
Desserts from South East Asia looks alike 🙂 It looks similar with one of Indonesian traditional desserts, but I can’t remember what it is as it doesn’t origin from my island. It looks lovely.
lovely new look Aparnahappy new year to you and family sweet looks delicious
I am loving the new design Aparna – but I find you a more colorful person than grey ;o) this dessert looks sensational! I have read about it a few times and now actually seeing the recipe makes me want to try it!