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Goan · Indian

Goan bebinca

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

बेबिंका · bebinca

Goa's queen of desserts: a dense, many-layered cake of coconut milk, egg yolks, sugar and ghee, each layer cooked under top heat until caramel-brown before the next is poured on.

Goan bebinca is a Goan cake from India, ready in about 6 hours 10 minutes and made with coconut milk, egg yolk and ghee. It serves 12 and is rated advanced to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 50 min
Rest
4 h
Total
6 h 10 min
Serves
12
Level
Advanced
Calories
299

Ingredients

12 slices

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Warm the coconut milk (opens in a new tab) with the sugar (opens in a new tab) just until it dissolves; cool to lukewarm. Whisk (opens in a new tab) in the egg yolks (opens in a new tab), then the flour, nutmeg (opens in a new tab) and salt, and strain through a sieve for a smooth, pourable batter.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Preheat the grill/broiler to medium-high with a shelf about 12–15 cm below. Pour 1 tbsp ghee (opens in a new tab) into a deep 18–20 cm round tin and heat it under the grill for 2 minutes.

    Food cooking over a grill
    How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Pour in about 100 ml batter (a 5 mm layer) and grill 6–10 minutes until set and deep golden-brown on top. Spoon 1 tbsp ghee (opens in a new tab) over, add the next layer and repeat until the batter is used — typically 7–9 layers. Later layers cook faster.

    Food safety: The tin and ghee are extremely hot — use gloves each time you pull the shelf out.

    Stir the batter before each layer; the flour settles.

  4. Step 4

    Finish by baking at 180 °C (no top heat) for 10 minutes to set the centre. A skewer should come out clean.

  5. Step 5

    Cool completely in the tin, ideally 4 hours or overnight, then run a knife round, invert and slice thin so the layers show.

    • 240 min

About this dish

Origin
Goa, India · Well documentedAn Indo-Portuguese sweet; traditionally cooked with live coals on the lid. Stories crediting a particular nun are popular but undocumented.More food from India
Dish
Dessert · Snack · Cakes · Desserts
Cooking method
Broiled / grilled under heat, Oven-baked
Taste
sweet, rich, creamy, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
With the listed swaps: Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Coconut milk · Egg yolk · Ghee · Sugar · All-purpose flour · Nutmeg
Techniques
Baking · Grilling · Broiling

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg yolk
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

299 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 88 g · recipe makes 12

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 5%
  • Carbohydrate 34%
  • Fat 61%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy299 kcal342 kcal
Protein3.8 g4.3 g
Carbohydrate26.2 g29.9 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars18.3 g21 g
Fibre——
Fat20.8 g23.8 g
Saturated fat13.8 g15.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol179 mg205 mg
Sodium25 mg28 mg
Salt equivalent0.1 g0.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
97 mg
Calcium
26 mg
Iron
1.9 mg
Magnesium
18 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
138 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.8 µg
Vitamin B12
0.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
50 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Each layer should be well browned — the contrast between golden and pale bands is the point.

Common mistakes

  • Pouring the next layer before the previous one is set causes the layers to merge.

Serve with

  • Serve thin slices at room temperature, or warm with vanilla ice cream.

Food safety

  • Cook every layer until fully set; refrigerate after a day because of the egg and coconut milk.

Storage

  • Keeps 1 week in the fridge, well wrapped, or 2 months frozen.

Reheating

  • Serve at room temperature or warm slices briefly in a pan.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 30 min

    Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.

  2. Bake · about 1 h 40 min at 180 °C

    Puffed with golden-brown spots on both sides.

  3. Cool · about 4 h

    Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

  4. Start to finish: about 6 h 10 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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