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Bibikkan
බිබික්කං (bibikkan): dark, dense coconut and kithul jaggery cake with semolina, cashews, ginger preserve and warm spices
Bibikkan is the darkest, stickiest cake in the Sri Lankan repertoire, baked by Burgher families for Christmas and by Sinhala households for the New Year table, and nobody quite agrees whether its roots lie in Portuguese or local kitchens. Freshly grated coconut is first cooked in melted kithul jaggery, then mixed with roasted semolina, flour, eggs, cashews, raisins, chopped ginger preserve and a mix of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves, and baked until almost black on the outside. The crumb is moist, heavy and chewy with coconut, with a deep treacle sweetness and a warm, spiced finish, and slices are served with tea. Baking it too hot is where it often goes wrong, as the jaggery burns before the middle sets, so keep the oven moderate and cover it if the top darkens early. Chef's tip: cook the coconut in the jaggery until it looks thick and sticky before mixing; that is what gives bibikkan its fudgy texture.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the coconut base
- 10 ½ oz kithul jaggerygrated
- ¾ cup water
- 10 ½ oz grated coconutfresh or frozen and thawed
For the cake
- 5 ½ oz semolina
- 2 ⅝ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 /2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 /4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 ⅝ oz cashewschopped
- 2 ⅝ oz raisins
- 1 ¾ oz ginger preserve or candied gingerfinely chopped
- 3 eggsbeaten
- 1 ¾ oz unsalted buttermelted, plus extra for the tin
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Melt 10 ½ oz kithul jaggery in ¾ cup water over a low heat, then strain out any grit and return to the pan.
5 minStep 2: Add 10 ½ oz grated coconut and cook over a medium heat, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until thick, sticky and the liquid has nearly gone. Cool for 20 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Toast 5 ½ oz semolina in a dry pan over a low heat for 4–5 minutes until fragrant but not coloured.
5 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Butter a 20 cm square tin and line it with baking paper.
Step 5: In a large bowl, mix the semolina with 2 ⅝ oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1 /2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 /4 tsp ground cloves and 1 pinch salt.
Step 6: Stir in the coconut mixture, 2 ⅝ oz cashews, 2 ⅝ oz raisins and 1 ¾ oz ginger preserve or candied ginger, then add 3 eggs and 1 ¾ oz unsalted butter and mix into a thick, even batter.
Step 7: Spread in the tin and bake for 50–55 minutes until dark brown, firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. Cover with foil after 30 minutes if the top darkens too fast.
55 minStep 8: Cool completely in the tin before cutting into squares. Keeps for a week in an airtight tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bibikkan take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 65 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of kithul jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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