Kalamay Lansong is easy to make with only four ingredients and in under an hour. This Filipino steamed sticky rice cake topped with latik is soft, chewy, and gluten-free. Delicious as a snack or dessert!
In the mood for soft and chewy kalamay? Then you've come to the right place! We have a wide array of kakanin recipes on the blog to satisfy your cravings, from sapin-sapin, kapit, kalamay hati, palitaw to kalamay ube.
These rice cakes have their own set of flavors and vary slightly in preparation and ingredients. Although they're generally simple to make, this kakanin lansong is one of, if not the easiest. All it takes is mixing glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and sugar and steaming in a banana-lined baking dish until set.
What you'll need
- Glutinous rice flour- also called sticky or sweet rice flour. Locally called malagkit.
- Sugar- granulated sugar; adds sweetness
- Coconut milk- for the kalamay batter
- Coconut cream- kakang gata or first extraction. More concentrated than coconut milk which is perfect for making latik
Latik topping
Most of the work involved, which really takes only a few minutes, is reducing the coconut cream or kakang gata into golden curds. You can substitute toasted coconut in a pinch, but I highly suggest making the latik as you use the rendered oil to brush on the banana leaf lining and steamed cake for extra flavor and aroma. You can read my tips on how to make latik for a more comprehensive guide.
Making the sticky rice cake
- Combine the glutinous rice flour, sugar, and coconut milk until smooth and well blended. Strain the mixture using a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps. The batter should be thick but with flowing consistency.
- Line an 8-inch round baking pan about 2 inches deep with banana leaves and brush with coconut oil to keep the steamed cake from sticking. If you opt to use toasted shredded coconut instead of latik and do not have the resulting coconut oil, you can use neutral-tasting vegetable oil.
- Pour the batter into the pan and steam for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Quick tip
Invert the steamed cake on a serving platter and peel off the banana leaves. Generously brush with coconut oil and top with latik before cutting into portions. Or you can just lift it off the pan and transfer it to a platter with the banana leaves for presentation.
How to serve and store
- Give this kakanin lansong a try! Soft and chewy with intense coconut flavor, it makes a great snack or dessert.
- Slice it into serving portions and enjoy with buko salad drink or homemade mango nectar.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Note that the cooler temperature might change the texture of the sticky rice cake and harden the coconut oil to an unappetizing film.
- Reheat in the microwave at 30 to 40-second intervals until softened and warmed through.
More Filipino snacks
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 4 cups glutinous rice flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 ½ cups coconut milk
Instructions
- In a pan over medium heat, add coconut cream and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid starts to thicken.
- Lower heat and continue to cook. As the oil starts to separate and solids begin to form, regularly stir and scrape the sides and bottom of the pan to prevent from burning.
- Continue to cook and stir until curds turn golden brown. Drain latik from the oil using a fine-mesh sieve.
- Wipe banana leaves with a damp cloth and line the inside of an 8-inch baking pan. Generously brush the banana leaf lining with coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, combine glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and sugar. Stir together until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Strain the batter using a fine-mesh sieve to remove lumps.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and steam for about 20 to 25 minutes or until set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove from steamer and allow to cool completely. Invert the cake onto a serving platter and peel off the banana leaves.
- Liberally brush with coconut oil and top with latik. Cut into serving portions.
Notes
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Myra M. Gaston says
Thank you kawaling Pinoy for sharing us your delicious cooking,,,I've been following your blog. Please continue to shared with us your especially, thanks Godbless
Marchandoj says
Can you please explain the point of the coconut cream? Should I mix the latik or oil into the flour, sugar mix also? Thanks so much!
Amira says
I was supposed to make espasol but when I read your blog and it said this is easier, I went for it. I just cut and rolled them in powdered milk after. Coz I still wanted the espasol feels and it worked, of course it just didn’t have the nutty flavor from toasting the flour but its so yummy!!! I love your recipes! Thank you!