Home > Kue Putu Ayu (Steamed Cupcake with Grated Coconut on Top)

Kue Putu Ayu (Steamed Cupcake with Grated Coconut on Top)

Posting Date: 08/20/17

Kue Putu Ayu (Steamed Cupcake with Grated Coconut on Top) is one of Indonesian snacks/desserts originated in Java. Indonesians also have another cake called Kue Putu. Both are made by steaming but Kue Putu has a tube shape with palm sugar filling. The tube shape comes from the bamboo tube that is used to mold the cake. Kue Putu Ayu has no filling. It has a shape of cupcake with grated coconut on top. The center is hollow since the mold has a shape similar to angel food cake mold, except it is individual size. Since it is impossible to find kue putu ayu mold outside Indonesia, I use individual cupcake mold. When you make it, grated coconut is packed on the bottom of the mold and the green layer mixture or batter is spooned on the top. Once it is cooked through, you take the cake out of the mold and serve it upside down so that the coconut layer is on the top.

I use frozen grated coconut to make it since it is easier to find in Asian stores. Traditionally, it is made with freshly grated coconut. If you use freshly grated coconut, steam it in the steamer for 15 min. If you cannot find either freshly or frozen grated coconut, you can use dry unsweetened shredded coconut. If so, moisten it with a little bit of water.

This is one of the simplest recipes to make cake and it is delicious, too. For serving, you can drizzle palm sugar syrup or chocolate syrup on top if you prefer. In Indonesia, it is served as is without syrup. However, I found Westerners have sweet tooth than Asians, so adding syrup will satisfy their sweet tooth.

The recipe makes about 6 steamed cupcakes.

Ingredients:

For green layer mixture: 1/2 cup sugar
For green layer mixture: 2 large eggs
For green layer mixture: 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sieved
For green layer mixture: 1/2 cup sieved all purpose flour
For green layer mixture: 1/4 cup coconut milk
For green layer mixture: 2 drops pandan essence or flavoring. Pandan is used to add flavor and green color. If you cannot find pandan paste or essence, you can use green food coloring. Instead of green color, you can also use other color.
For coconut layer: 3/4 cup frozen or freshly grated coconut. If you use frozen grated coconut, make sure you thaw it first. If you cannot find freshly or frozen grated coconut in Asian stores, you can use dry unsweetened shredded coconut. If so, moisten the dry shredded coconut with a little bit of water.
For coconut layer: pinch of salt
vegetable oil to grease cupcake molds
Tools required: steamer
Tools required: 6 individual silicone cupcake molds. You can use metal cupcake molds as long as they are individual ones so that they can fit in your steamer.
Optional: palm sugar syrup or chocolate syrup

Methods:

Add sugar into a mixer bowl. Crack 2 eggs into a mixer bowl. Using low speed, run the mixer. Turn the speed to high after 1 min and let it run until the green layer mixture becomes pale in color (about 2 min).
Add baking powder into the green layer mixture in the mixer bowl. Make sure you sieve baking powder before adding it into the bowl. Run the mixer for at least 1 min until it is well combined.
Add coconut milk and sieved all purpose flour into the bowl. Using rubber spatula, fold the mixture until it is well combined.
Add pandan paste into the green layer mixture. Fold the mixture until it is well combined and it is uniformly green in color.
Add grated coconut into a small bowl. Add pinch of salt into it. Using rubber spatula, mix it well. If you use freshly grated coconut, steam it in the steamer for 15 min. Cool it down before using it.
Turn on the stove to high heat. Fill up your bottom steamer with water. Make sure you fill up with enough water. Set aside the top part of the steamer on the kitchen counter. Put the lid on top of the bottom steamer. Wait until the water starts to boil.
While waiting for the water in the steamer to boil, brush cupcake molds with vegetable oil. Make sure you brush all inside surfaces of the mold really well so that it will be easier to get the cupcake out once you are done.
Add 1.5 tablespoons of grated coconut to the bottom of the mold. You want grated coconut to be about 1/3 height of the mold. So, depending on how big your mold is, you may need to put more or less grated coconut. Press it down on the mold so that it is packed on the bottom. That way, it will not crumble when you are taking it out from the mold. Repeat this step for the remaining molds. Place all molds on the top steamer. By doing it this way, you will not have to transport the mold to the steamer once you fill it up with green layer mixture. Thus, you will not spill it when transporting it.
Leaving the mold inside the top steamer, spoon the green layer mixture into the mold until it is almost full. You don't want to fill it up to the top since it expands during steaming causing it to spill. Repeat this step for the remaining molds.
Once the water in the bottom steamer is boiling, reduce the heat to low. Take out the lid and place the top steamer on top of the bottom steamer. Put the lid on and wrap the outside perimeter of the lid with kitchen towel to absorb the moisture from the condensation so that it will not drip to the cakes during cooking. Make sure you tie the end of kitchen towel to the handles of the top steamer so that it will not catch fire during cooking. Let the cakes cook for about 35 min or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn off the heat. Using tongs, remove the mold and let them cool down on cooling rack. Take the cakes out from the molds.
Serve the cakes upside down so that coconut layer is on top. If you have sweet tooth, you can drizzle chocolate or palm sugar syrup on top. If you have leftovers, you can put them in a ziploc bag, seal the bag, and store it in the fridge.

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