Bibikka
"Bibikka is a rich moist cake, made from coconut, diced dates, melon preserve, chopped cashews, Ralahami Cinnamon, and the addition of kithul treacle giving the cake its rich taste. Bibikka is believed to have been introduced to Sri Lanka by the Portuguese. The cake is a popular confection, which is made and graces the tables of many Sri Lankans during the April Avurudu (Sinhala and Tamil New Year) festive season."
Difficulty
Medium 👍Ingredients
Utensils
knife, chopping board, frying pan (large), wok (large), wooden spoon, baking tin
Step 1/19
- knife
- chopping board
Dice the soft dates, and chop the cashews and melon preserve into fine pieces.
Step 2/19
- frying pan (large)
Roast the semolina in a large frying pan over low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes. *There should be a change in texture- having a dry/ sandy texture.
Step 3/19
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 4/19
- 16 g kithul treacle
- wok (large)
- wooden spoon
Over medium heat, in a large wok heat the kithul treacle for about 6 minutes.
Step 5/19
- 16 g fresh coconut
Add the freshly grated coconut and mix well to combine with the kithul treacle. Mix for another 3 minutes. (*Please note: can use either frozen fresh coconut, desiccated coconut or freshly scraped coconut).
Step 6/19
- 16 g soft dates
Reduce to low heat, add the diced dates and mix well to combine and keep mixing for about 3 minutes.
Step 7/19
- 16 g cashews
- ⅛ tbsp ground cinnamon
Add the chopped cashews and a tablespoon of Ralahami Cinnamon, and mix to combine. Keep mixing for about 3 minutes.
Step 8/19
- 16 g melon preserve
Add the melon preserve and mix to combine, and keep mixing for about 3 minutes.
Step 9/19
- 16 g semolina
Add the semolina and mix to combine, and keep mixing for about 3 minutes.
Step 10/19
- 1¾ g rice flour
Add the rice flour and mix to combine, and keep mixing for about 3 minutes.
Step 11/19
Remove from the heat and mix for another 5 minutes, ensuring that all the ingredients are combined together.
Step 12/19
Preheat the oven to 100° (fan oven) or 120°C.
Step 13/19
- baking tin
Line 2 rectangular baking trays with baking parchment (baking tray size used: 13x 9x 2 inches). *Or use any square baking tray you may have at home. The number of cake pieces is dependent on the cake tray used.
Step 14/19
Equally, divide the cake into the prepared baking tins.
Step 15/19
Bake the cake for 2 hrs.
Step 16/19
After the 2 hrs, take the cakes out of the oven and set them aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Step 17/19
Carefully remove the cakes from the baking tins and place them onto clean trays and set them aside.
Step 18/19
Once the oven temperature has gone down and the cakes have cooled, place the cakes back inside the oven. Leave the cakes inside the oven for 3-5 days- allowing the kithul treacle to get soaked into the cakes.
Step 19/19
Slice the cake into desired pieces. Enjoy a piece of cake, with a cup of tea.