Kueh Talam Cake (Coconut Tray Cake)

Well, this was a complete FAIL for me and it even came in a box with valid instructions. I bought this a while ago at some international market before I even knew what Malaysian cuisine was like. I still don't know. Anyway, from my google research, I learned that this is called a kueh talam cake or known as coconut tray cake. It is steamed and very glutinous. I somehow thought that it would turned out more like a sponge cake. Why did I think that? No idea. I guess that sounds a lot more delicious than just the thought of chewy flour. Click here to see how someone else did a better much job that I did.

The only ingredient I had to provide was coconut milk and palm sugar but I don't count the palm sugar because I didn't have and had no plans to use any. I know, I can barely follow the instruction on the box! I should also mention that I don't have a steamer but that was okay, I improvise just fine. I also don't own those chinese tea bowls or metal bowls that allow these dessert cakes to come out much easier. Again, they're VERY sticky.

The front of the box. Yes, the brown middle layer is supposed to be the palm sugar that I didn't even consider using. I found the dessert sweet enough without it.

I used coconut milk powder and like it a lot more than regular coconut milk. I don't know - maybe it's because I have to cook it? Something about that makes me feel that the coconut milk is fresh.

This is the one of the layers. It's called the vanilla layer but all I did was add coconut milk to the prepackaged substance. 

This is the other prepackaged substance - it was white as you can see but once I added the coconut milk, it turned green. Just like magic!

I used coffee cups... again, I improvise well and oiled up a piece of napkin to grease 'em cups. 

I poured a ladle-full of vanilla/coconut batter into the cup.

Then steamed it in my good-as-a-steamer steamer.

And waited a solid five minutes for that to get solid while the pandan batter waits patiently for its turn.

Looks pretty solid.

Yeah, pandan.

It's cooked alright... but here's the hard part. How do I get it out of the cup?!

fail.

FAIL.

win. 

It was mildly sweet with a hint of salt. Pretty delicious and filling.