This cake is actually introduced to me by Aaron. He said his mom made this once and he fell in love with it. Many people call this honeycomb cake or the Malays call this 'Bolu Sarang Semut' but when Aaron first introduced me to this cake, he known this to me as Beehive cake so Beehive cake it is then.
I have used the recipe from the book Fancy Cakes and Jellies by Vickie Chieng which turned out quite good in my opnion. You always hear people say they only got 75% of the beehive and must use bottom heat only and yada yada. I got like almost 100% (except for the skin on top which didn't form). The picture above is the cross section of the inside of the cake and below is a slice of the cake itself. I've only removed the skin layer on top and that's it. Take a closer look at the picture below and notice the slice of beehive cake behind. That's the skin I am talking about. I think I sort of overbaked this a little so I remove the skin since it tasted a little bitter.
I don't know whether the cake formed all beehive pattern by accident. See, I made the batter and all and the oven was preheated long time back and a phone call came. I couldn't bake it no matter what. So I switched off the oven and pop the cake into the fridge. Until the next night when I open my fridge to cook dinner, I remember the unbaked cake.
I then quickly preheated my oven and cross my fingers, pop the cake in the oven and voila!!! Surprise, surprise. Result was better than I've thought.
Anyway, here's the recipe:
Beehive Cake (adapted from the Fancy Cakes and Jellis by Vickie Chieng)
makes one 8'' x 4'' loaf tin but I've used a 9'' round tin instead
½ can sweetened condensed milk (194g)
3 tbsps butter
Sieved together:
120g low-protein flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
5 large eggs
230g castor sugar (I use 1 cup exactly)
200ml hot water
P/S: This recipe is called a cake but it taste very much like kuih like, chewy and very fragrant. I strongly suggest you don't reduce the sugar. This kuih is not sweet at all.
All the best in getting 100% beehive pattern!
20 comments on "Beehive Cake"
Wow...we love this... your honeycomb cake very nice.. i love the colour. Is it hard to make? as in hard to achieve such effect?
Ellena,
This cake is as easy as peanut to make. I really don't know what's all the hoo-ha about not getting the beehive patterns. I think mine formed easily cause I left it in the fridge overnight. Please do try it if you're ever making it! Try leaving it overnight like me!
Hi! Quinn,
I have this recipe also, but mine is slightly different from yours. You mean you poured the hot caramel into the batter? Really surprise me you that the batter was kept in the fridge for a night. Thanks for sharing.
I stirred the caramel till it's not so hot and 'temper' it into the batter. Slowly folding it in, to keep the air bubbles and to not overcook the eggs in the batter. And, yes! I 'accidentally' kept it in the fridge overnight!
And thanks for sharing your chili tuna lasagna too!!! Mine was just alright cuz I did so much substitution that it didn't really taste so good anymore. I made curry white sauce. Maybe a little too daring there!
You're really creative, you can even think of cooking lasagna with curry white sauce. My chili tuna sauce is more to either Malaysian or Singaporean taste, do you eat chili?
Hi Christine,
Of course I do take chili. In fact I love chili and always complain the Nando's chicken here is not spicy at all even though I picked 'X-tra Hot' flavour for basting!
when i was child my mother made like this cake' and i was love it then my mother died' i didn't knew what's name this cake?!
but i still dream to eate this again.
now i finding it in your web
thank you alot.
Lufiah-Makkah-Saudia Arabia
i dont understand some stepes like this:
Add in hot water and stir till it forms a syrup. Stir to combine well. Turn off heat. Fold the caramel into the mixed batter but do not overfold or air bubbles will be deflated. (I sorta cooled it a little before pouring because I'm afraid the heat from the caramel might cook the eggs in the batter). Pour cake batter into prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes. Check if cake is done with a toothpick.
please help me :(
I'm glad you found my webpage, now you can make failproof beeh hive cake for yourself! It is really yummy.
You need to caramelize the sugar in the pot first. That means just the sugar and nothing else. When all sugars are melted and turn dark amber brown and very thick and viscous, add in the hot water.
Be careful because the water might splatter and you might burn yourself. When you add in the water, you will find it very hard to stir and lumpy. Just keep it over low heat on the stove and stir and everything will dissolve.
Then you slowly use a silicone spatula and do folding motions when you add the syrup into the egg batter. The hot syrup might cook the egg in the batter so cool it a little bit before doing the folding.
When the batter form one uniform batter, pour everything into the cake pan and bake it.
Sometimes the cake will not be cook at the center. So you poke the cake with a toothpick or wooden skewer. If the cake is done, the skewer will come out clean.
I hope you can understand better now.
Good luck.
yes i understand
thank you soooooooooo much
and happy Ramadan
This is so coo!I wish I cooked make a vegan version of it, but from what I understood eggs are pretty vital to this recipe..
Veggie Wedgie,
Eggs are vital for this one but what gives it the bee hive effect is the high content of baking powder in the batter.
Try using your normal vegan cake recipe and do a little alteration to incorporate baking powder in it.
Let it stand for an hour or so before baking. You'll see that it result in a bee-hive-looking cake, though it definitely won't taste like honeycomb anymore.
Cheers!
Wow, this is so cool looking! I'll definitely have to try it!
I strongly suggest you try this Asian style dessert. It has a very special, chewy texture when you eat it though it's call a cake.
I have never seen anything like this. It looks sooo yummy and I can't wait to try it. Thanks!
Thank you and no worries Errin, do update me though when you try it and like it or hate it!
Oh my goodness...I've been looking all over for a recipe for this cake and your picture just lured me here! I am so happy I found your blog! looks fantastic!
can i use all purpose flour instead ?
reborn girl: Yes I do not see why not. If you have cake flour, would be best though. All purpose flour is more of medium-protein flour :)
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