Malaysian Kuih Lapis / Nine Layers Coconut Cake 九层糕

This is the kuih I would normally buy when I went to the market or whenever I saw them.  Just like a kid, I like to eat them layer by layer.  And my son, who also loves this kuih eats them the same way.  That's the fun part I guess?

If you could look at it closely, I made it just 8 layers.  I lost count after a while and was also too eager to find out the result as this was my second attempt.  The first attempt, about two years ago was unsuccessful as I cut all the ingredients into half except forgot to do the same with the coconut milk.  Well, of course the kuih turned  out too watery.....

Traditionally they are cut into diamond shape.  But of course they can be cut into rectangle or any shape you wish.



Ingredients:

2 cans coconut cream (400ml each can)
200ml water

180g rice flour

150g tapioca flour

250g sugar, more if you want it sweeter

1 tsp salt

few drops pandan essence

green, pink and red food colouring

Method:

1.  In a pot mix together coconut cream, water, sugar and salt, in low heat, just to dissolve the sugar.

2.  Mix the coconut mixture with both flour and whisk gently until it's free of lump.  Divide the batter into three portions.

3.  Colour one portion pink, another portion green which should mix with the pandan essence.  The third portion remain the original white colour.

4.  Pour one third of the green mixture into a 25cm tray or cake tin and steam in a preheated steamer.  Steam for about 3 minutes.

5.  Later layer it with one third of white colour mixture and steam for 3 minutes.  Do the same with the pink mixture until the last mixture. The last mixture should be pink, add a little red food colouring to it so that the last layer is red in colour.

6.  Leave it to cool completely before cutting into shapes.