I suddenly had a craving for a kakanin yesterday, I thought of making biko, but changed my mind. I thought I would make maja blanca. Maja blanca is a white coconut milk cake topped with either latik or budbud, it’s been a while since I’ve had this and I’ve never tried making it myself.
I searched for a good maja blanca recipe online and settled for a simple one (from Filipina soul) that was adapted from the book of Reynaldo Alejandro. I followed it to the letter except for the toasting of grated coconut (I inserted a note in the recipe), I don’t want to crank up my oven just for it.
You may use fresh or canned coconut milk. Dilute canned coconut milk with water to make 2 cups if you want a lighter coconut taste. If you want to use fresh coconut, I’ve detailed how to extract coconut milk here .
Maja Blanca
adapted from the Philippine Cookbook
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups coconut milk
3 cups grated coconut
Directions:
Mix cornstarch and sugar in a bowl. Add water and stir. In a saucepan, bring coconut milk to a boil and gradually stir in cornstarch mixture. Boil for 5 minutes, until the starch is cooked. Pour into a buttered cake pan (or any bowl with smooth sides) and let cool. Spread coconut on a baking sheet and toast at 350F until brown. Sprinkle cake when it is ready to serve with toasted grated coconut.
Olive’s note: For this recipe, I extracted a cup of kakang gata (coconut cream) I used this for latik and extracted 2 more cups for the maja.
For toasting coconut: Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat, add dessicated coconut, lower heat to medium , Stir constantly (it’s good for your arms) until the coconut turns golden/amber in color. Turn off the heat and sprinkle on top of maja blanca.
Enjoy!
Olive
Maja Blanca Kakanin
Ingredients
- 1/2 CUP CORNSTARCH
- 1/2 CUP SUGAR
- 1/4 CUP WATER
- 2 CUPS COCONUT MILK
- 3 CUPS GRATED COCONUT
Instructions
- MIX CORNSTARCH AND SUGAR IN A BOWL. ADD WATER AND STIR. IN A SAUCEPAN, BRING COCONUT MILK TO A BOIL AND GRADUALLY STIR IN CORNSTARCH MIXTURE. BOIL FOR 5 MINUTES, UNTIL THE STARCH IS COOKED. POUR INTO A BUTTERED CAKE PAN (OR ANY BOWL WITH SMOOTH SIDES) AND LET COOL. SPREAD COCONUT ON A BAKING SHEET AND TOAST AT 350F UNTIL BROWN. SPRINKLE CAKE WHEN IT IS READY TO SERVE WITH TOASTED GRATED COCONUT.
- OLIVE’S NOTE: FOR THIS RECIPE, I EXTRACTED A CUP OF KAKANG GATA (COCONUT CREAM) I USED THIS FOR LATIK AND EXTRACTED 2 MORE CUPS FOR THE MAJA.
- FOR TOASTING COCONUT: HEAT A NON-STICK PAN OVER MEDIUM HIGH HEAT, ADD DESSICATED COCONUT, LOWER HEAT TO MEDIUM , STIR CONSTANTLY (IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR ARMS) UNTIL THE COCONUT TURNS GOLDEN/AMBER IN COLOR. TURN OFF THE HEAT AND SPRINKLE ON TOP OF MAJA BLANCA.
