Honeycomb Christmas Cake
This unique Parsi-style Christmas cake, known as "Honeycomb Cake," features a gluten-free base of fermented rice flour and rich coconut milk. The batter is enriched with aromatic rosewater and cardamom, then baked using a distinct two-stage method where sugar syrup is poured over the half-baked cake to create a caramelized, honeycomb-like texture. It offers a chewy, moist crumb with a deep, sweet flavor profile perfect for festive celebrations.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Granulated sugar (Used for making the syrup.)
- 1 pound Rice flour (Preferably homemade from soaked rice for authentic texture, or fine store-bought rice flour.)
- 1/2 pound Butter (Plus extra for greasing the dish.)
- 1 tablespoon Cardamom powder (Originally '1 tola'. Converted to approx 1 tablespoon.)
- 2 whole Large ripe coconuts (Grated, to extract milk.)
- 1 1/2 cups Toddy (Palm Wine) (Originally '0.5 bottle'. Used for fermentation. If unavailable, substitute with 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 1.5 cups warm coconut water.)
- 5 teaspoons Rosewater
- 4 whole Eggs (Fresh.)
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Butter (for greasing) (Estimated quantity for greasing the pie dish.)
Instructions
- 1If making flour from scratch: Wash Jirela or Rangoon Halwa rice and soak in a tinned vessel with cold water for three days, changing the water daily. On the fourth day, drain the water, dry the rice with a cloth until completely dry, then grind and sieve it to obtain 1 pound of fine flour. (Alternatively, use high-quality store-bought rice flour).
- 2Grate the coconuts. Pour the toddy (or yeast mixture) over the grated coconut and rub well to extract the milk. Strain the liquid through a cloth into an earthenware or glass vessel. Cover and let it sit until the mixture ferments and rises.
- 3Once the coconut mixture has fermented, remove any crust or scum that may have formed on top. Place the rice flour in a large wide dish (kathrot). Add the fermented coconut milk and salt to the flour and knead thoroughly. Add the eggs and continue kneading until the dough becomes sticky and elastic (chewy). Cover and let it rise again.
- 4Prepare a thick sugar syrup with the sugar and a little water. Once the dough has risen well, pour half of the hot syrup into the dough. Melt the butter and add it to the mixture, along with the rosewater and cardamom. Mix everything thoroughly to combine.
- 5Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease a large pie dish or baking pan with butter. Pour the mixture into the dish, filling it only about 1 inch deep to allow room for rising. Place in the oven and bake.
- 6When the cake is approximately half-baked, remove it from the oven. Evenly pour the remaining half of the sugar syrup over the top. Return the dish to the oven and continue baking until fully cooked and golden brown.