If you’re a fan of Vietnamese pandan honeycomb cake and looking to try making it, this recipe is exactly what you need—It’s one of the dessert recipes I’m most proud of creating!
Unlike typical Bánh Bò Nướng recipes, mine keeps things simple and efficient:
- minimal baking powder
- no overpowering eggy smell
- no fussy steps (no preheating the pan or careful stirring)
It stays soft for days and, most importantly, it’s practically foolproof.
Table of Contents
What is Bánh Bò Nướng?
Bánh Bò Nướng, also known as Baked Pandan Honeycomb Cake, has the full Vietnamese name Bánh Bò Nướng Lá Dứa, where Lá Dứa means “pandan.”
It’s sometimes referred to as “Vietnamese pandan cake” or “Vietnamese green cake” due to its vibrant green color from the pandan leaves.
In Vietnamese, Bánh Bò can loosely translate to “cow cake” or “crawl cake.”
The first meaning comes from the book Đại Nam Quốc Âm Vị Tự by Paulus Huỳnh Tịnh Của, explaining that the cake’s shape resembles a cow’s udder, originally called Bánh Vú Bò before being shortened to Bánh Bò.
The second meaning refers to the way the cake “crawls” upward as it bakes, creating its fluffy, honeycomb-like texture.
A perfect Bánh Bò is defined by its “rễ tre”—those delicate, vertical lines or honeycomb-like patterns running through the cake from top to bottom. If your Bánh Bò is filled with these intricate rễ tre, you’ve nailed it!
Interestingly, this version of pandan honeycomb cake is NOT traditionally popular in Vietnam. It was actually created by the Vietnamese diaspora and later introduced back to Vietnam, where it gradually gained popularity among locals.
In Vietnam, there are various types of Bánh Bò, such as:
Generally, when Vietnamese people in Vietnam think of Bánh Bò, they picture rice-flour cakes that rise from yeast fermentation. For the most traditional version, Bánh Bò is even fermented with Cơm Rượu (sweet fermented rice).
The version made with tapioca starch, eggs, and baking powder was reintroduced by the Vietnamese community abroad. It has a deliciously chewy texture and rich coconut flavor, which has quickly made it a local favorite.
Moreover, in Vietnam, the baked palm sugar honeycomb cake (Bánh Bò Nướng Đường Thốt Nốt) is actually more popular than the pandan-flavored variety.
How I Developed This Recipe
The first time I tried making Bánh Bò Nướng, I followed the recipe exactly—stirring the ingredients gently to avoid any bubbles in the eggs, preheating the pan, and pouring the batter through a sieve into the hot cake pan to encourage those beautiful “rễ tre” (honeycomb lines).
But I failed. I adjusted ratios, tried different baking temperatures, fresh baking powder, even single-acting baking powder, yet still ended up with a flat cake with a strong eggy smell and a bitter, metallic taste from the baking powder.
Even making the palm sugar version wasn’t as frustrating, but the pandan version always seemed trickier.
The palm sugar recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda to rise, but for the pandan version, we rely only on baking powder. (Using baking soda here would turn the cake brown, ruining the lovely pandan green.) This reliance on baking powder often means using more of it, which can lead to that bitter aftertaste.
Finally, I arrived at a new approach: combining both yeast and baking powder to strike a balance between traditional and modern techniques.
It worked beautifully!
My cake rose perfectly, with a soft-green pandan color, no bitter aftertaste from the baking powder, and an ideal fluffy yet chewy texture. Plus, letting the batter rest for an hour to ferment gave it a deeper, more developed flavor.
So, there’s no need for the delicate stirring in this recipe, and if you nail the baking temperature, you can even skip preheating the pan.
Related Recipes | Discover More Delicious Pandan-Flavored Desserts:
Ingredients
- Tapioca Starch: Essential for the cake’s signature chewy texture.
- All-Purpose Flour: Adds softness, keeping the cake tender even after a day. For a gluten-free version, you can substitute with rice flour or additional tapioca starch.
- Instant Yeast (or Active Dry Yeast): A key ingredient for leavening.
- Baking Powder: Both single-acting and double-acting work well in this recipe.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk: Adds the rich coconut flavor typical of Bánh Bò. If you prefer a milder coconut taste, you can replace half with whipping cream.
- Pandan Leaves & Artificial Pandan Extract: for both fragrance and color.
- Eggs
- Granulated Sugar
- Salt
- Melted Coconut Oil (or Melted Butter)
- Vanilla Extract: Optional.
Instructions
I strongly recommend using a kitchen scale for precise measurements and carefully reading through the instructions before you begin baking.
- Activate the Yeast: Combine yeast with warm water (100–110°F/38–43°C) and 1 tbsp of granulated sugar. Let it sit for 15 minutes. The yeast should become foamy and bubbly if active.
- Purée Pandan Leaves with Coconut Milk: Blend the green part of the pandan leaves with coconut milk (warm the coconut milk slightly if it has solidified or curdled). Strain through a fine mesh to obtain pandan-infused coconut milk, adding extra coconut milk as needed to reach a total of 170g. Stir in the remaining sugar, salt, and pandan flavoring (if using).
- Mix the Batter: In a separate bowl, combine tapioca starch and all-purpose flour with the eggs until smooth. Add the pandan-coconut milk mixture, stirring to combine well.
- Ferment the Batter: Strain the mixture to remove any lumps, then mix in the yeast mixture. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 1 hour (I keep mine at 86°F/30°C).
- Add Baking Powder and Oil: After 1 hour, stir in melted coconut oil (or melted butter), then mix in the baking powder. Strain the batter once more time.
- Prepare the Baking Mold: Grease a baking mold thoroughly with oil. Pour in the batter.
- Important Notes:
For a successful Bánh Bò Nướng, it’s essential to focus on bottom heat, which is why many recipes suggest preheating the baking mold. Turn off the top heat or cover the cake with foil for the first 15 minutes of baking.
- Oven Setup:
- Place the mold on the second-lowest rack. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C) for 20 minutes (NO fan) before starting to bake.
- After mixing in the baking powder, bake the cake immediately at 355°F (180°C) for 15 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, quickly remove the foil or switch to both top and bottom heat if you have turned off the top heat. Lower the temperature to 265°F (130°C) and bake for another 30 minutes.
- Finally, increase heat to 355°F (180°C) and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Cool and Remove: Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan. Bánh Bò Nướng is sticky, so cooling fully makes it easier to remove.
Helpful Tips
- Focus on Bottom Heat: Bottom heat is essential for baking Bánh Bò Nướng. For the first 30 minutes, concentrate on the bottom heat. You could cover the cake with aluminum foil or turn off the top heat.
- Greasing and Cooling: Grease the pan thoroughly and let the cake cool completely before removing it, as this makes it easier to release without sticking.
- Adjusting Color: If you’re using just artificial pandan flavor and prefer a more natural green color, add a few drops of yellow food coloring or a touch of turmeric powder. This balances the neon green, creating a softer, natural-looking hue.
- Serving Suggestion: Enjoy this pandan honeycomb cake on its own or pair it with Vietnamese sweetened coconut sauce (Nước Cốt Dừa) for added flavor.
- Optional Steps: Here are some optional steps to try if you’re still struggling to get the right texture (I usually skip these and still get great results):
- Preheating the pan for 3-5 minutes before pouring the batter.
- Use a bundt pan with simple design. Its central tube promotes even heat distribution.
- After baking, flip the cake (while still in the pan) upside down and let it cool for 15-20 minutes.
Other Delicious Vietnamese Desserts
(Vietnamese Steamed Banana Cake)
(Vietnamese Flan)
Foolproof Bánh Bò Nướng (Vietnamese Pandan Honeycomb Cake)
Equipment
- 1 round baking pan (7-8 inch diameter or 18-20 cm)
Ingredients
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure.
- 200 g tapioca starch
- 10 g all-purpose flour (or rice flour or tapioca starch)
- 5 large eggs (Size L: 2 oz or 55-60 g)
- 170 g coconut milk (full-fat)
- 170 g granulated sugar
- 10 g melted coconut oil (or melted butter) (about ⅔ tbsp)
- 30 g warm water (100–110°F/38–43°C)
- 3 g baking powder (⅔ tsp)
- 3 g instant yeast (active dry yeast) (1 tsp)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 7 pandan leaves (fresh or defrosted) (optional)
- ¼ tsp pandan flavoring extract (optional)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in warm water with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Let it sit for 15 minutes until it becomes foamy and bubbly, indicating that it's active.
- Blend the green part of the pandan leaves with coconut milk (slightly warm the coconut milk if it has solidified or curdled). Strain the mixture through a fine mesh to obtain pandan-infused coconut milk, adding more coconut milk as needed to reach 170g. Stir in the remaining sugar, salt, and pandan flavoring (if using).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together tapioca starch, all-purpose flour, and eggs until smooth. Add the pandan-coconut milk mixture and stir to combine.
- Strain the mixture to remove any lumps, then fold in the yeast mixture. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 1 hour (I keep mine at 86°F/30°C).
- After 1 hour, stir in the melted coconut oil (or melted butter), then add the baking powder. Strain the batter again to ensure it's smooth.
- Grease your baking mold thoroughly with oil and pour in the batter. Bake immediately after preparing. Be sure to preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C) (no fan) 20 minutes before baking.
- Place the mold on the second lowest rack. If possible, turn off the top heat or cover the cake with foil. Bake for 15 minutes at 355°F (180°C)Quickly remove the foil (or switch to both top and bottom heat if you have turned off the top heat), then reduce the temperature to 265°F (130°C) and bake for another 30 minutes.Finally, increase the temperature to 355°F (180°C) and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan. Since Bánh Bò Nướng is sticky, cooling it fully makes it easier to take out.
Notes
- Preheat the pan for 3-5 minutes before pouring the batter.
- While a regular pan works fine, using a bundt pan (with simple design) can help if you’re struggling to get the right texture. Its central tube ensures even heat distribution.
- Once baked, invert the cake (still in the pan) and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes.
