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This gluten free Indonesian Sticky Coconut Cake (Wingko Babat) is a coconut filled dessert snack that’s easy to make and so delicious! It’s simply a must make for coconut lovers.
This coconut cake is fudgy and chewy, with a great coconut flavor, and is popular throughout the island of Java. It’s considered a souvenir food to bring home when you visit one of the cities on the island.
The most popular wingko comes from the city of Babat in East Java, hence the name, Wingko Babat. But with this delicious and easy to make recipe for the little cakes, you can make it at home and share it with your family.
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
Is this recipe authentic?
No, this recipe isn’t traditional, and that’s ok. I wanted the recipe to be accessible to people who live in the states, who may not have access to traditional or authentic ingredients. So, this recipe is based on authentic recipes, so that people can learn more about the foods and culture of Indonesia.
And, hopefully you like it so much that you want to try more, and maybe even seek out some traditional ingredients. Or, keep the recipe with simple store-bought ingredients.
Most importantly, this dessert is delicious! I mean, it’s amazing! So yummy that I would say that if you’re a coconut lover, you MUST try this recipe!
Traditionally, wingko babat is baked, and then cooked on a stove top using a special pancake-shaped pan, and giving it a charred look and a dry tough texture. My version, which is adapted from this recipe, is baked in an oven, and cut into smaller squares for serving, producing a nice soft moist chewy snack cake.
These cakes are traditionally made with fresh coconut and often with pandan leaf. Both of these ingredients are going to be difficult to find for many Americans, so I use shredded bagged coconut, and leave the pandan leaf out. Also, white granulated sugar isn’t as authentic, but it is readily available in the US.
glutinous rice flour
One traditional ingredient I leave in, and I think is very important in the texture, is the glutinous rice flour. That’s what gives the cake its wonderful texture. All-purpose flour just won’t work here. You can buy glutinous rice flour on Amazon with my affiliate link.
I’ve also made and shared these delicious Sweet Potato Rice Balls that are made with glutinous rice flour. And try my Ube Mochi Doughnuts Recipe for another fun treat with a different texture.
Egg tarts are an authentic dessert treat that you’ll love as well!
And for another fun Indonesian snack food, check out my delicious savory Fried Peanuts with Basil and Garlic.
Can I use Mochiko?
Yes, you can use Mochiko. That’s the Japanese sweet rice flour, or mochi flour, a glutinous rice flour that’s made of glutinous short-grain Japanese rice. Glutinous rice flour is the Thai version of the same basic ingredient.
What is wingko babat?
Wingko babat goes by many names: wingko, wiwingka, or bibika, wiwingka or bibika. It’s a traditional Indonesian bite sized pancake-like snack or dessert made from coconuts. This kind of Javanese cuisine snack is often called a kue in Indonesian.
It’s popular especially along the north coast of Java Island, and is often sold by vendors on trains or at bus or train stations.
Recipe tips
This cake is really easy to make, simply mix everything together and bake. But, here are a few tips to get the most out of the cake.
Also, please keep in mind that this cake is not the same texture as an American or French cake. It’s dense and chewy, sticky and delicious. Not light and fluffy or dry at all like a Costco cake or a box mix cake. It’s made from rice flour just like mochi – chewy and thick. They are just entirely different. If you’re looking for a more traditional American cake, you’ll want to check out my Coconut Guava Cake.
My husband has taken to calling it macaroon cake, because it tastes just like a coconut macaroon with lots of coconut flavor.
It bakes up into these delicious chewy layers with a golden crust.
You can mix up the coconut sticky rice cake batter with a mixer, or simply by hand in a mixing bowl.
Make sure your coconut milk is well shaken in the can
Coconut milk has a tendency to separate while it’s in the can. Take that can and shake it a bunch so the coconut cream and the coconut water are all mixed together in there.
If you shake and shake, and it’s still separated when open the can, you can simply pour it into a glass measuring cup and stir it with a fork or a small whisk to get it to come back together.
If it’s still lumpy, pop it in the microwave for a minute or so and it’ll all get melted together. Or, heat it on the stove in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it all comes together.
Watch the cake when you put it under the broiler
After you bake the cake, you brush the egg yolk on top. Make sure you brush gently, as the top of the cake can tear if you use too much pressure. Then, pop the cake under the broiler to brown up the top and give it a nice crust (mimicking the crust that the Wingko would traditionally have).
Serving the cake
After the cake has been baked and refrigerated until it’s set it can be cut into 9 squares, simply by slicing the cake into thirds each direction. If you want smaller slices, cut each of those squares into triangles with a diagonal slice through the square.
I’ve even cut the triangles into smaller triangles for bite sized pieces. These small pieces are great for a potluck, and can be served in colorful cupcake liners.
This cake is perfect for a party or a holiday too because it can be made ahead and taken out of the fridge at the last minute.
It’s delicious as an afternoon treat with a Philz Mint Mojito Iced Coffee.
Kitchen items you may need for this recipe
Note: these are affiliate links
8 x 8-inch pan
glutinous rice flour
spatula for stirring
knife for cutting the squares
whisk
pastry brush
wire cooling rack
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Sticky Coconut Cake (Wingko Babat) Recipe
Sticky Coconut Cake
Ingredients
- 2 eggs separated
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2¼ cup full fat canned coconut milk
- 3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
- 1½ cup glutinous rice flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Whisk the egg whites and the sugar together in a medium bowl. Slowly mix in the coconut milk, shredded coconut, rice flour, and vanilla. Make sure that all the ingredients are well combined and that there are no lumps of coconut. The batter will be thin and liquidy.
- Pour the batter into an 8×8-inch baking pan and bake it in the preheated 350° F oven for 45 minutes.
- Carefully take out the pan and brush the egg yolks on top of the cake. Set the oven to broil and broil the cake for 5-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, as it will brown quickly, and take it out when the turns golden brown.
- Set the cake in the pan on a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature. Then, place the cake in the pan, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge overnight or for 8 hours before cutting and serving, to ensure that the cake has set. Cut cake into squares or triangles, and serve cold from the fridge or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Deanne
Hi, we don’t (generally) eat eggs. Do you think using aqua faba would work in place of the egg whites? (I would be okay with leaving the yolks off of the top.) I love mochi cake and this sounds reminiscent. Thanks!
Debi
Deanne, I certainly think it has a good chance at working. I don’t typically use aqua faba, but have heard great things about it for baking, and this cake has a chewy texture that I think it would work for. Yeah, the yolks on top can be skipped. You could even do a milk or cream wash on top in place of the yolks if you use dairy. Coconut creamer could be good on top too if you don’t do dairy. Let me know how it goes, I’d love to hear!
indirectdragon
Kinda fail because I burned the top during the very very last step (I LITERALLY ONLY LOOKED AWAY FOR ONE SECOND) but in the end it actually tasted fine.
I’ve never baked with glutinous rice flour before so I didn’t realize WHY this was called sticky coconut cake while I was making the batter. It’s DEFINITELY STICKY it’s very different from what I normally make so I couldn’t figure out at first if I liked it or not, but I think I do. It kinda tastes like an eggy Mounds bar.
Natalia
Would this work with almond or cashew milk instead? I don’t do well with coconut milk
Debi
Natalia, canned coconut milk will be thicker and have more coconut flavor than almond or cashew milk. I’ve never tested using different milks for that reason. If you want to give it a try, let me know how it goes. Also, I would recommend getting the thickest milk you can, even a creamer especially an unsweetened one, might work better.
Pooja
It was super easy to make n yummy
ilima
Is glutinous rice flour the same as mochiko rice flour or if it says ground white rice flour ?
Debi
ilima, Yes, you can use Mochiko. That’s the Japanese sweet rice flour, or mochi flour, a glutinous rice flour that’s made of glutinous short-grain Japanese rice. Glutinous rice flour is the Thai version of the same basic ingredient.
Cyndi
Amazon says coconut flour is similar, I have that, would it work?
Debi
Cyndi, there really is no great substitute for glutinous rice flour. The texture and flavors will be off from the original recipe. Yes, you can use coconut flour instead of glutinous rice flour, and you’ll get a little more of a coconut flavor, but the cake will be different than the recipe I’ve shared here. Keep in mind that coconut flour can be quite dry and may cause baked goods to be heavy and dense.
I do recommend buying glutinous rice flour, which can be bought from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BeTOzt
Leah
I made this cake this week and it was absolutely amazing and the easiest thing I’ve ever baked lol. Definitely will be making again. Five stars
Charna
Hi. I made this cake last weekend but I’m the only person in my household that likes it. Was wondering how long you can keep
This cake refrigerated? How long does it last? When should I just throw away?
Debi
Charna, This coconut cake should last in the fridge for up to two weeks if stored in an airtight container. It can also be kept at room temperature for a couple of days if covered tightly.
For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to three months. For best results, cut the cake into individual slices and wrap them in plastic wrap or foil. Then, store the slices in an airtight container or freezer bag. To defrost, leave it in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a while.
Snowwhite
Looks delicious! I also can’t do eggs so would love to hear how aquafaba or other alternatives work.
Debi
Snowwhite, I haven’t tested aquafaba or any other egg replacers in this cake so I can’t speak to them here. In general, aquafaba works well as an egg replacer. Let me know if you try it, I’d love to hear.
rashmi
I usually not a fan of egg wash / brush. Is this a mandatory step and decides the taste of the cake ?
Debi
rashmi, the egg wash provides that pretty crust, a bit of texture, and flavor. If you prefer to skip it you can. I have not made it that way, and would be interested in hearing how it goes if you try it without the egg wash.