Sweets and drinksBaked GoodsVietnamAbout 4 hours 40 minutes, including 4 hours chilling
A good banh gan has a smooth, glossy top and a dense center that stays tender. The difficulty is bubbles, since a foamy batter leaves the surface pitted.
The duck eggs get stirred gently in one direction so they break up without foaming. The cocoa and coconut mixture is strained, then strained a second time after the rice flour goes in to catch any remaining grit.
This batch weighs about 984g, at roughly 142 calories per 100g.
Method
Toast 5g star anise over low heat for about 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant. Mix 10g cocoa powder with 50ml warm water.
Put the cocoa, star anise, 300ml coconut milk, 42g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 53ml unsweetened oat milk in a large bowl and stir until combined.
Set a pan on the heat with 90g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 50ml water and cook over low heat until fully dissolved. Add the cocoa and coconut mixture, simmer gently for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
Put 5 duck eggs and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and stir gently in one direction with a whisk so the eggs break up without foaming.
Once the cocoa mixture has cooled, strain it into the eggs and stir well.
Dissolve 10g rice flour in 50ml water, add it to the mixture with 3g baking soda, stir well, then strain once more to remove any grit.
Brush 2 teaspoons oil over the inside of the cake mold. Put the mold in the oven at 175 degrees C for 10 minutes to heat.
Pour the batter into the mold and bake for 30 minutes at 175 degrees C. A toothpick inserted into the cake that comes out clean and dry means it is done.
Let the cake cool a little, then chill it in the refrigerator for about 4 hours before unmolding.
Tips
Stir the eggs gently in one direction so they do not foam.
Straining the mixture twice is what gives the cake its smooth top.
Heating the mold for 10 minutes first helps the cake set evenly from the base up.
A full 4 hours of chilling before unmolding keeps the cake whole, since an early turn out breaks it.
This mixture runs a little thin, so 15 minutes in the refrigerator thickens it before it goes into the mold.
Three to five minutes of toasting brings the star anise out, while burning it turns the whole mold of cake bitter.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.