Bibingkang Malagkit

Bibingkang Malagkit made of glutinous rice, coconut milk, and brown sugar perfectly sweet, creamy, and chewy. Topped with sweetened coconut spread, this Filipino rice cake is a delicious treat you’ll love as a snack or dessert.

Have you tried my biko recipe yet? I hope you check it out because today’s bibingkang malagkit belongs to the same family of kakanin.

In fact, this native delicacy is also referred to as biko or sinukmani in other regions of the country. They share the same ingredients, but while the other is topped with latik, this version is topped with coconut caramel topping and finished off in the oven to brown.

Either way,  these sticky rice cakes are soft, chewy, and bursting with coconut flavor. They’re delicious as a midday snack or after-meal dessert and guaranteed to be crowd favorites!

Ingredients

• The recipe calls for glutinous rice or malagkit. You’ll find this cultivar in the stores also labeled as sticky rice or sweet rice.
• If you want more contrast in color, swap the dark brown sugar with granulated sugar for the sticky rice base and brown sugar for the top coconut layer.
• I used coconut milk for the sweetened topping to cut the number of ingredients, but feel free to swap coconut cream (kakang gata or first extraction) if you have it on hand.  This will speed up the process as it’s more concentrated and has less water content to reduce.

Sticky rice

• Steam the glutinous rice until partially cooked as it will finish off in the sweetened cream mixture.
• Add a knotted strip of pandan leaves when cooking the rice for an extra boost of aroma and flavor.
• Do not skip the salt as it helps balance the sweetness and richness of the rice cake.
• Use a wide non-stick pan to make stirring easier. Please do not leave the rice mixture unattended for long periods as it can burn in the bottom pretty quickly.
• The sweet rice mixture is ready when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Coconut Topping

• The caramel sauce is pretty easy to make but does take time to thicken. Make it in another pan at the same time as the rice mixture so they’ll finish congruently. Or you can prepare it a day before and store it in the refrigerator in a covered container.
• Use a wide shallow pan instead of a deep saucepot for the excess liquid to evaporate quicker. Choose a non-stick material to make stirring easier.
• The coconut caramel is ready when it’s thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Assembly

• Since we are not making latik here, use melted butter to grease the baking pan. If you have coconut oil on hand, so much the better! You can also line the baking dish with wilted banana leaves for added aroma.
• Spoon the caramel topping on the rice cake and spread evenly to cover the cake completely.
• Tap the baking pan on the kitchen counter a few times to smooth out the thick sauce and to remove bubbles if any.
• The pan I use is 5 x 8-inch in size; if using a wider pan or you prefer a thicker caramel, you might need to double the amount of topping.

How to serve

• Serve as a midday snack or dessert. It can be enjoyed warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

How to store leftovers

• Wrap the baking pan tightly with plastic film and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Note that the rice tends to harden when refrigerated.
• Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds until warmed through.

Give this bibingkang malagkit a try and let me know what you think. I’ll be back in a few days with my almost-famous cassava cake updated with new photos. Enjoy!