Vietnamese Husband and Wife Cake (Banh Phu The)

Submitted by Nolita_Food

"A Hue dessert. Traditionally, a guy would offer these to the girl he wants to marry. Now these cakes are still an essential part of a wedding banquet, or the gift packages that the groom's family send over to the bride's."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 35mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Yields: 25-30 cakes

ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 lb starch flour
• 1 1⁄3 cups sugar
• 1⁄2 cup flaked coconut
• 5 ounces yellow mung beans, soaked in water
• 2⁄3 sugar syrup
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract or 2 tablespoons pomelo blossom fruit essence

directions

1. Mix water, flour, sugar and shredded coconut, heat on low flame and stir for about 10 minutes.
2. Cook mung bean until tender, may take up to 1 hour on stove top. Drain then put back on stove.
3. Pour in sugar syrup and oil.
4. When most of the liquid has evaporate, add extract and remove from heat.
5. Put a thin layer of dough in small individual molds or cupcake tins.
6. Layer a small spoon of stuffing on top and top with another layer of dough.
7. Place them in steamer for about 20 minutes or until the dough is transparent.
8. Remove from molds, let cool and serve with green tea.

Reviews

[jhuynh14]

Thank for sharing this delicious recipe. This is the best recipe I come across so far. It's taste exactly like the store bought ones.

 

[qkimchi22]

Thank you. This recipe is very simple and it's easy to follow. I made the delicious cakes.

 

[vanbruce2]

Wow. Thanks for sharing, we much appreciated this truly wonderful recipe. Suggest to wash thoroughly then soak the mung beans overnight, they would cook in 10 min only. Also the dough is more malleable and manageable when completely cold (let rest overnight also help). Use oiled hands to assemble cakes. Cooking/steaming time is approx. 10 min.