Ingredients
Base batter
- 400 gglutinous rice flour
- 100 grice flour
- 800 mlthick coconut milk
- 300 gcaster sugar
- 1/2 tspsalt
- 200 mlwater
Purple layer
- 200 gcooked ube, purple yam, mashed
- or 3 tbsp ube halaya
- purple food colouring, if needed
Yellow layer
- 150 gripe jackfruit, finely chopped
- yellow food colouring, if needed
White layer
- the plain batter, left as it is
Latik topping
- 400 mlcoconut cream
Equipment
- a round or rectangular tin, greased
- a large steamer
- a cloth for the lid
Directions
- Pour the coconut cream into a wide heavy pan. Bring it to a simmer over a medium heat. Cook it for twenty-five to thirty minutes, stirring often. Keep cooking and stirring as those curds brown. They should turn a deep golden brown.
- Take them off the heat the moment they do. Strain the curds out and keep the oil. Whisk the glutinous rice flour and rice flour together. Add the sugar and the salt to it. Whisk in the coconut milk and water gradually. Whisk until completely smooth with no lumps. Strain it through a sieve into a jug. Divide the batter into three equal portions. Leave one portion plain and white.
- Mash the cooked ube smoothly and beat it into the second. Add a little purple colouring if it looks pale. Chop the jackfruit very finely and stir it into the third. Add yellow colouring if needed. Adjust the consistency of all three with a little coconut milk. They should all pour at roughly the same rate.
- Bring the water in the steamer to a rolling boil first. Wrap the lid in a clean cloth and tie it. Grease the tin with the reserved coconut oil. Pour the purple ube batter into the greased tin. Make it about one centimetre deep.
- Cover and steam it for twelve to fifteen minutes. It should feel firm and tacky rather than wet. Pour the yellow jackfruit batter over the set purple layer. Pour it gently, over the back of a spoon if you like. Steam it for another twelve to fifteen minutes. Steam the top layer for eighteen minutes. The final layer needs a little longer than the others.
- Take the tin out and let it cool completely. Do not refrigerate it, since cold makes glutinous rice hard and chalky. Brush a knife with the reserved coconut oil. Cut the cake into squares or diamonds. The cut face should show three clean stripes.
- Scatter the latik curds generously over the top. Serve it on banana leaf if you have it. It keeps for two days covered at room temperature.
Technique
- Each layer must be set before the next is poured, or they merge and blur.
- Wrap the steamer lid in a cloth, since a single drip pits the surface.
- Never refrigerate it, as cold makes glutinous rice hard and chalky.
Substitutions
- Ube halaya from a jar in place of fresh purple yam.
- Tinned jackfruit, drained thoroughly.
Variations
- Made with more layers and more colours.
- With a langka and coconut layer instead of plain.
- Made in individual moulds.
History
The name means layer upon layer; each tier is steamed separately and flavoured with ube, jackfruit or coconut.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sapin-Sapin?
Sapin-Sapin is a dessert from Philippines: layered coloured rice cake of coconut milk and ube, topped with toasted coconut. The name means layer upon layer; each tier is steamed separately and flavoured with ube, jackfruit or coconut.
How long does Sapin-Sapin take to make?
Sapin-Sapin takes 40 min of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes 1 tray, serving 12. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Sapin-Sapin?
Yes, within limits. Ube halaya from a jar in place of fresh purple yam. Tinned jackfruit, drained thoroughly.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sapin-Sapin?
Cover and steam it for twelve to fifteen minutes. It should feel firm and tacky rather than wet. Pour the yellow jackfruit batter over the set purple layer. Pour it gently, over the back of a spoon if you like. Steam it for another twelve to fifteen minutes. Steam the top layer for eighteen minutes. The final layer needs a little longer than the others.
