How to make Pol Cake in Oven and Stove, easy Bibikkan Recipe
Pol Cake (also known as Bibbikan) is a dark moist cake that is made using shredded Coconut, Kithul Treacle, and Semolina and is usually made for festive occasions. This Bibbikan recipe does not require any butter, beater, or kithul treacle. We show you how to prepare this cake in a simple way using in an oven and on a stove. There is no difference in taste between the oven method and the stove top method.
Bibbikan was introduced into Sri Lanka by the Portuguese and it was made first in the Mount Lavinia region. The name probably came about as it is similar to a dish called Bebinca made by Goan Catholics which is similar to a traditional Filipino Rice Flour Cake called Bibingka that is served on Christmas Day. Depending on the location in Sri Lanka, Pol Cake has many other names including Poranu Appa and Kabale Appa.
Be sure to try my other cake recipes with step by step instructions.
Ingredients
-
400g of Sugar
- 1 grated Coconut
- Some toasted ground Cardamom and Cloves and Cumin
- Salt
- 50g of Raisins
- 100g of Dates chopped
- 2 Eggs
- 50g of toasted Semolina
- 150g of All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp of Baking Powder
- Some Vanilla Essence or Rose Essence
- Some chopped Cashews
Instructions
Preparing the Pol Cake mixture
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat.
- From the 400g of Sugar, add 3 tbsp of Sugar into the saucepan.
- When the Sugar starts turning a dark brown color, add half a cup of Hot Water.
- Stir frequently until all of the Sugar has melted.
- Now add the remaining Sugar.
- Stir frequently until all of the Sugar has melted.
- Once the Sugar has melted, and the mixture is almost boiling, turn off the stove.
- Pour half a cup of the mixture into a bowl which we will use later.
- Now add 1 grated Coconut into the mixture that is on the stove.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Turn on the stove to the lowest heat setting.
- Add some toasted ground Cardamom and Cloves and Cumin.
- Add Salt to taste.
-
Mix thoroughly.
- Add 50g of Raisins.
- Add 100g of Dates chopped.
- Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Turn off the stove and set this mixture aside for it to cool down.
- In the meantime, add 2 Eggs into a bowl.
- Using a whisk, whisk the Eggs until it is a little bit foamy.
- Add 50g of toasted Semolina to the Coconut mixture.
- Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Add 75g of All Purpose Flour with half a tsp of Baking Powder through a sieve.
- Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Add 75g of All Purpose Flour with half a tsp of Baking Powder through a sieve again.
- Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Add some Vanilla Essence or if you have, some Rose Essence.
- Pour the Egg mixture into the Coconut mixture.
- Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Now add some chopped Cashews.
- Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Rub some Butter or Cooking Oil on the inside of a cake pan.
- Cover the inside of the cake pan with 2 sheets of Parchment Paper.
- Add the Coconut mixture into the cake pan.
- Using a spatula, spread the mixture evenly.
- Add some Cashews on top in a decorative pattern.
Baking it in the Oven Method
- Preheat the Oven to 160 celsius.
-
Put the cake pan inside and bake for about 40 minutes.
- After baking and letting it cool down, remove the Pol Cake from the cake pan and parchment paper.
- Pour the Sugar syrup we made earlier on top of the Pol Cake to make it moist.
Cooking it on the Stove Top Method
- Put a large pot on the stove.
- Place the cake pan inside the pot.
-
Cover with a lid and cook over the lowest heat for 1 hour.
- After cooking and letting it cool down, remove the Pol Cake from the cake pan and parchment paper.
- Pour the Sugar syrup we made earlier on top of the Pol Cake to make it moist.
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