Buko cake is a popular Filipino dessert made with young coconuts and variations of sugar and condensed milk. It is similar to coconut cream pie but with a crust and is popular in Laguna Province. Macapuno cake is a similar dessert made with a specific type of thick coconut.
Buko cake is a popular custard dessert dish in the Philippines and is similar to a coconut cream cake. Traditionally, young coconuts are used in the preparation of the cake, giving the dish the name “buko” means “young coconut” in the Filipino language Tagalog. There are many variations of buko cake.
This type of cake is popular throughout the Philippines, and local versions can be enjoyed by those outside the region via freezing and quick shipping. The cakes are perhaps most popular in Laguna Province, located in the Luzon area southeast of Manila. Buko cake is sold in various specialty restaurants and bakeries in the Philippines, some of which focus solely on the cake.
Adding young coconut meat to buko cake gives the dessert a unique rich flavor. There are several variations of the pie filling with some recipes calling for sugar, some for condensed milk, and some for a combination of the two. Using condensed milk gives the cake a richer, sweeter flavor. Most recipes use a homemade crust made from flour, egg yolk, and shortening. Store-bought pie crust can be substituted for quicker prep.
The filling, in addition to sugar and/or condensed milk and coconut, usually includes a small amount of cornstarch to thicken the consistency of the mixture and coconut water. The traditional pie only includes these ingredients in the filling, but some choose to add vanilla or almond extract for a more distinctive flavor. After the crust and filling are built, the pie is baked in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
There are a number of cakes that are similar to buko cake in texture and flavor. A coconut cream pie has a similar flavor but does not include a top crust like buko. It also has a fluffier texture and is covered in whipped cream instead of a crust. Buko cake is similar to the custard-based cakes served in Dutch and South African cultures. Cakes in these regions, however, often include other fruits or flavorings such as raisins, nuts or cinnamon.
A similar type of cake that is also popular in the Philippines is macapuno cake which uses a specific type of thick coconut. This coconut has less water in its flesh, giving the cake a thick, jelly-like texture. The preparation of the macapuno cake is similar to that of the buko cake. The macapuno is also commonly used in cakes and ice cream.
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