Bibingka

Name: Bibingka
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Philippines
Ingredients: Rice flour — 250 g (9 oz); Baking powder — 1 tbsp; Sugar — 100 g (3.5 oz); Coconut milk — 360 ml (12 fl oz); Eggs — 2; Melted butter, plus extra for brushing — 60 g (2 oz); Banana leaves, for lining; Salted egg slices, for topping — 2; Grated cheese, for topping — 25 g (1 oz); Grated coconut, to garnish

The Quirky Foodster Team

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Servings

Ingredients

Rice flour — 250 g (9 oz)
Baking powder — 1 tbsp
Sugar — 100 g (3.5 oz)
Coconut milk — 360 ml (12 fl oz)
Eggs — 2
Melted butter, plus extra for brushing — 60 g (2 oz)
Banana leaves, for lining
Salted egg slices, for topping — 2
Grated cheese, for topping — 25 g (1 oz)
Grated coconut, to garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
Line the baking pans with banana leaves, lightly toasted over a flame if possible for extra aroma.
Whisk together the rice flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl.
Add the coconut milk, eggs and melted butter, whisking until smooth.
Pour the batter into the lined pans.
Bake for 15 minutes, then top with slices of salted egg and grated cheese.
Continue baking for a further 10–15 minutes until set and lightly golden.
Brush with a little extra melted butter and sprinkle with grated coconut before serving warm.

Introduction: A soft, slightly charred rice cake baked traditionally over hot coals in a clay pot, a beloved treat especially associated with the Christmas season and Simbang Gabi.

Cultural Background: Bibingka is inseparable from the Filipino Christmas season, sold outside churches during Simbang Gabi (the nine-day pre-Christmas dawn masses), its warm, comforting sweetness a cherished part of the holiday tradition.

Tips: Toasting the banana leaves briefly over a flame before lining the pans imparts extra fragrance to the finished bibingka, a traditional touch. Traditional bibingka is cooked with heat from both above and below (using hot coals); a hot oven approximates this well at home.

Variations: Add a sprinkle of muscovado sugar on top for extra caramelised sweetness. Serve fresh and warm, straight from the pan, as is traditional when sold outside churches during Simbang Gabi.

Storage: Store cooled bibingka in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Reheating: Reheat briefly in an oven at 160°C (325°F) for 5–8 minutes to warm through.

FAQs:

Q: What is Simbang Gabi?

A: A series of nine dawn masses leading up to Christmas, a beloved Filipino Catholic tradition, with bibingka traditionally sold and enjoyed by attendees afterward.

Q: Why is bibingka baked in banana leaves?

A: The leaves impart a subtle fragrance and prevent sticking, an essential part of the traditional preparation.