Cakes & Bread
Purple Sweet Potato Coconut Layer Cake (Kue Lapis Ubi Ungu Santan), Soft with Beautiful Natural Gradient
Prep
30 min
Cook
90 min
Servings
16
Level
Medium
A steamed layer cake with natural purple color from steamed purple sweet potato combined with savory coconut milk, resulting in a soft, chewy texture with a beautiful color gradient—no artificial coloring needed. Perfect as an afternoon snack or a treat for family gatherings thanks to its eye-catching look and just-right sweet, rich flavor.
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 16
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 250 grams purple sweet potato, steamed until tender, mashed
- 200 grams tapioca starch
- 100 grams rice flour
- 400 ml thick instant coconut milk
- 300 ml boiled water
- 180 grams granulated sugar
- 2 leaves pandan leaves, tied in a knot
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cooking oil for greasing the pan
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Boil the thick coconut milk, water, sugar, pandan leaves, and salt in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly so the coconut milk doesn't separate. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is warm (about 5 minutes), then remove from heat and let cool briefly. Discard the pandan leaves.
- 2 Mix the tapioca starch and rice flour in a large bowl and stir until combined. Slowly pour in the warm coconut milk mixture while whisking until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
- 3 Divide the batter into two equal portions. Mix one portion with the mashed purple sweet potato, stirring until the purple color is even and there are no clumps. Leave the other portion plain (white).
- 4 Prepare a 20x20 cm (8x8 inch) square pan, lightly grease the entire surface and base with cooking oil. Heat a steamer over medium heat for 10 minutes, and line the steamer lid with a clean cloth so condensation doesn't drip onto the batter.
- 5 Pour 1 ladle of the white batter into the pan, spread it into a thin layer, and steam for 5 minutes over medium heat until the surface is set (not sticky to the touch).
- 6 Pour 1 ladle of the purple batter over the white layer, spread it out, and steam again for 5 minutes until set. Repeat the process, alternating white and purple layers until the batter is used up, usually resulting in 10-12 layers.
- 7 For the final layer, steam longer, about 15 minutes, over medium heat until fully cooked and chewy—the surface should not be sticky and should feel firm when pressed gently.
- 8 Remove the pan and let the cake cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator, so the layers set perfectly and are easy to slice.
- 9 Remove the cake from the pan and slice with a sharp knife lightly coated with oil to prevent sticking. Cut into squares or as desired. Serve.
💡 Tips
• Make sure each layer is fully set before pouring the next one so the colors don't mix and the layers look neat.
• Use steady medium heat while steaming—too high heat can cause bubbles on the cake's surface and an uneven texture.
• Let the cake rest for at least 3 hours before slicing so the texture is fully set and doesn't fall apart when cut.
• If purple sweet potato is hard to find, you can substitute another natural coloring like red dragon fruit for a color variation.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
145
Calories (kcal)
1 g
Protein
4 g
Fat
27 g
Carbs
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