Kue Pepe (Lapis Sagu) Recipe

HomeIndonesian FoodKue Pepe (Lapis Sagu) Recipe – Indonesian Steamed Layered Sago CakeAugust 18, 2010600ShareFacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsAppLinkedinReddItEmailPrintTelegramMixLINE

Indonesian Steamed Layered Sago Cake

Selamat Hari Kemerdekaan ke 65, Indonesia!
Happy 65th Independence Day, Indonesia!August 17 is the 65th Indonesian independence day. On that day, it’s a ritual for kids to do a parade on the street and participate in traditional games. Ooo boy, how I miss that day.

It becomes my tradition to make a traditional cake of Indonesia with red and white colour once a year to celebrate Indonesian independence day.

Speaking about the cake, this cake has two names. In the west part of Java especially the Betawinese calls it kue pepe and other regions call kue lapis sagu.

I found two different recipes, once was posted at Haramain’s Kitchen and another one was from my cookbook, The Best of Indonesian Desserts. Both recipes use the same measurement, just a different method. I decided to use a simpler method than both methods. Since sago flour is not common to be purchased, I substituted for tapioca flour. Furthermore, I added two ingredients that were stated at Haraiman’s Kitchen; they were lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves.

My recipe is quite different too as I didn’t apply any artificial red colour. Instead, I used cooked beets.

Anyway, I’d like to share with you all. From August 14 for a month, Food Network Canada would like to share the love with fellow foodies and cooking enthusiasts by giving you and your readers a chance to win a $250 William Sonoma Gift Card or 1 of 4 prize packages from foodnetwork.ca! Check this link www.fortheloveofgoodfood.ca out for the contest.

Kue Pepe – Kue Lapis Sagu
– Indonesian Steamed Layered Sago Cake –

Ingredients:
• 250 g tapioca flour (original: sago flour)
• 800 mL coconut milk from 2 coconuts (I used 600 mL coconut milk and 200 mL water)
• 225 g sugar
• 100 g rice flour
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 pandan leaf
• 1 lemongrass, take the white part
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla powder
• 1 tbsp oil, for brushing
• 60 g cooked beets, for natural red colour
• 2 spice muslin bags

Methods:
• Preheat a steamer.

• In a small food processor, grind pandan leaf, kaffir lime leaves and lemongarss until smooth. In a spice muslin bag, put those leafy mixture; tied up.

• In a pot, combine coconut milk, spice in a muslin bag, sugar, and salt. Stir occasionally and bring to a boil. Set a side and take the spice bag out

• Get ready with the whisk. In a big bowl, place tapioca flour, rice flour and vanilla powder. Gradually add coconut milk mixture to the flours. If you are a right handed as I am. Use your left hand to pour the coconut milk while your right hand, keep stirring with a whisk.

• Divide the batter into two for colouring.

• Grind cooked beets and fill a clean muslin bag with the ground beets. Squeeze the juice over to colouring batter 1 and whisk. Leave another mixture with its colour, white.

• For a tin pan, you need to line the bottom part with banana leaves or plastik wrap before brushing. I didn’t need one, since I used a silicon loaf pan. Brush a loaf pan with oil. I needed 1 tbsp oil for brushing. If you use the tin pan, you will need about 2 tbsp oil.

• Place the pan in a steamer. With a laddle soup, add 2 laddle soups of red batter to the pan. Steam for 5 – 6 minutes. With the same measurement, add white batter on top of red layer. Steam again. Repeat process until all the batter is used up.

• Steam the whole contents for about 20-30 minutes until done. Allow to cool and slice a knife that is wrapped with plastic wrap or use string to slice.

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FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsAppLinkedinReddItEmailPrintTelegramMixLINEPrevious articleDark Chocolate Açai & Blueberry in RetroNext articleAyam Garo Rica Recipe (Manado Chili and Lime Basil Chicken)Indonesia Eatshttps://indonesiaeats.comAn Indonesian-born who lived in Winnipeg Edmonton, Canada for more than a decade prior to move to Edmonton in 2017. Indonesia Eats is a memoir of her homeland.

  1. [email protected]& August 18, 2010 At 9:34 AMIt's a clever method of making sago cake without any artificial colouring. Love it.Reply
  2. Xiaolu @ 6 Bitterswe August 18, 2010 At 9:51 AMGreat idea for natural coloring. So bright and pretty. I bet it tastes subtly sweet and refreshing as well.Reply
  3. bunkycooks August 18, 2010 At 10:26 AMWow…this is just beautiful. It is nice to meet you and see your blog!Reply
  4. Cook with Madin August 18, 2010 At 10:37 AMAs soon as I saw the "Sago". I am excited, because I'm familiar with it. This is looks awesome. What a great idea for using sugar beets for the red color.Reply
  5. Cooking Gallery August 18, 2010 At 10:38 AMI always call it kue lapis and people often got confused when I said it because you know there is also another type of kue lapis (Surabaya) – which I don't really like – I prefer this version :). Warnanya bagus banget!Reply
  6. Kath August 18, 2010 At 10:39 AMYour sago cake is stunning!Reply
  7. Sara @ CaffeIna August 18, 2010 At 12:24 PMI's super impressed. I didn't know this dessert before but for sure you did make it in an impressive wayReply
  8. MaryMoh August 18, 2010 At 2:47 PMHappy Independence Day. Malaysia is on 31st. We will be celebrating it here….BBQ outing…..hehe. Love your kuih lapis….my favourite.Reply
  9. [email protected]'s Recipes August 18, 2010 At 4:34 PMIt's a clever method of making sago cake without any artificial colouring. Love it.Reply
  10. Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets August 18, 2010 At 4:51 PMGreat idea for natural coloring. So bright and pretty. I bet it tastes subtly sweet and refreshing as well.Reply
  11. bunkycooks August 18, 2010 At 5:26 PMWow…this is just beautiful. It is nice to meet you and see your blog!Reply
  12. Cook with Madin August 18, 2010 At 5:37 PMAs soon as I saw the "Sago". I am excited, because I'm familiar with it. This is looks awesome. What a great idea for using sugar beets for the red color.Reply
  13. Cooking Gallery August 18, 2010 At 5:38 PMI always call it kue lapis and people often got confused when I said it because you know there is also another type of kue lapis (Surabaya) – which I don't really like – I prefer this version :). Warnanya bagus banget!Reply
  14. Kath August 18, 2010 At 5:39 PMYour sago cake is stunning!Reply
  15. TasteHongKong August 18, 2010 At 5:57 PMBrilliant idea for coloring. I like your using of tapioca flour as it is more convenient to me too, thanks.Reply
  16. Sara @ CaffeIna August 18, 2010 At 7:24 PMI's super impressed. I didn't know this dessert before but for sure you did make it in an impressive wayReply
  17. Lia Chen August 18, 2010 At 7:32 PMLove that you use the natural food coloring for your kue lapis. I love to peel it layer by layer when eat this kue hehehe 🙂Reply
  18. MaryMoh August 18, 2010 At 9:47 PMHappy Independence Day. Malaysia is on 31st. We will be celebrating it here….BBQ outing…..hehe. Love your kuih lapis….my favourite.Reply
  19. Diah, August 18, 2010 At 11:51 PMbu Pepy, it's me again, Diah from WA, I still like your site even you're not mom yet, I hope you will be mom soon!..Ok, mo browse resep2 mu lagi ach! and 'Merdeka'!http://lawangabang.blogspot.com/(yeep,..nama blog tak ganti for sec. reason)Reply
  20. Torviewtoronto August 19, 2010 At 12:37 AMHappy independence dayThis cake is beautiful and deliciousThank you for the tip on almond milk I haven't tried before 🙂Reply
  21. TasteHongKong August 19, 2010 At 12:57 AMBrilliant idea for coloring. I like your using of tapioca flour as it is more convenient to me too, thanks.Reply
  22. maameemoomoo August 19, 2010 At 1:24 AMHmm.. with kaffir leaves too?? That's interesting! Would love to try this out 😉Reply
  23. Lia Chen August 19, 2010 At 2:32 AMLove that you use the natural food coloring for your kue lapis. I love to peel it layer by layer when eat this kue hehehe 🙂Reply
  24. foodies at home August 19, 2010 At 2:35 AMBeautiful photos…I love the colors!Reply
  25. Little Corner of Min August 19, 2010 At 4:50 AMWe love this kue lapis! But I am impatient to make it myself.Reply
  26. Indonesia Eats August 19, 2010 At 5:05 AM@Christine and Xiaolu: the colur is not os so bright compare to the ones with artificial [email protected]: nice to meet you too and thanks for [email protected] with Madin: yes, don't we love sago back in SE [email protected] Gallery: there are so many kue lapis in the country. Kue lapis beras , it's harder to make than kue lapis sagu. Lapis surabaya is pain in the eggs :)) need a dozen of egg [email protected] and Sara: [email protected]: hu ooh can I go to your BBQ [email protected]: indeed I don't have any access to sago flour either, unless I requested from [email protected]: Same here, peel layer by [email protected]: kok ganti [email protected]: thank [email protected]: some recipes don't call for kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. This recipe is the [email protected]: [email protected]: I know eh! It took me at least an hour for steaming process doneReply
  27. Diah, August 19, 2010 At 6:51 AMbu Pepy, it's me again, Diah from WA, I still like your site even you're not mom yet, I hope you will be mom soon!..Ok, mo browse resep2 mu lagi ach! and 'Merdeka'!http://lawangabang.blogspot.com/(yeep,..nama blog tak ganti for sec. reason)Reply
  28. tigerfish August 19, 2010 At 7:28 AMIn Singapore, we have those colorful ones – colorful layered cake !Reply
  29. Torviewtoronto August 19, 2010 At 7:37 AMHappy independence dayThis cake is beautiful and deliciousThank you for the tip on almond milk I haven't tried before 🙂Reply
  30. blackbookkitchendiar August 19, 2010 At 8:03 AMI am really loving your blog. It's so beautiful and the pictures are really stunning.Reply
  31. maameemoomoo August 19, 2010 At 8:24 AMHmm.. with kaffir leaves too?? That's interesting! Would love to try this out 😉Reply
  32. foodies at home August 19, 2010 At 9:35 AMBeautiful photos…I love the colors!Reply
  33. Little Corner of Mine August 19, 2010 At 11:50 AMWe love this kue lapis! But I am impatient to make it myself.Reply
  34. Indonesia Eats August 19, 2010 At 12:05 PM@Christine and Xiaolu: the colur is not os so bright compare to the ones with artificial colour.@bunkycooks: nice to meet you too and thanks for visiting@Cook with Madin: yes, don't we love sago back in SE Asia?@Cooking Gallery: there are so many kue lapis in the country. Kue lapis beras , it's harder to make than kue lapis sagu. Lapis surabaya is pain in the eggs :)) need a dozen of egg yolks@Kath and Sara: Thanks@Mary: hu ooh can I go to your BBQ outing?@TasteHongkong: indeed I don't have any access to sago flour either, unless I requested from Vancouver@lia: Same here, peel layer by layer@Diah: kok ganti lagi?@torviewtoronto: thank you!@Maameemoomoo: some recipes don't call for kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. This recipe is the Betawinese.@Foodiesathome: thanks@LCOM: I know eh! It took me at least an hour for steaming process doneReply
  35. noobcook August 19, 2010 At 2:07 PMThe red and white really stands out … beautiful cake 🙂Reply
  36. tigerfish August 19, 2010 At 2:28 PMIn Singapore, we have those colorful ones – colorful layered cake !Reply
  37. blackbookkitchendiaries August 19, 2010 At 3:03 PMI am really loving your blog. It's so beautiful and the pictures are really stunning.Reply
  38. Marisa August 19, 2010 At 7:57 PMWow, this is such an unusual looking cake. Very pretty with the red colour too.Reply
  39. noobcook August 19, 2010 At 9:07 PMThe red and white really stands out … beautiful cake 🙂Reply
  40. Ardna August 19, 2010 At 11:54 PMso beautiful!Reply
  41. Marisa August 20, 2010 At 2:57 AMWow, this is such an unusual looking cake. Very pretty with the red colour too.Reply
  42. Ardna August 20, 2010 At 6:54 AMso beautiful!Reply
  43. mycookinghut August 20, 2010 At 6:45 PMI love sago but never used it make into layered cake like this.. thanks for sharing!Reply
  44. mycookinghut August 21, 2010 At 1:45 AMI love sago but never used it make into layered cake like this.. thanks for sharing!Reply
  45. Aris Munandar August 24, 2010 At 10:28 PMwow!! that's one cool kue pepe :)jadi pengennnnnn hehehe salam kenal ya fellow foodiesReply
  46. Indonesia Eats August 24, 2010 At 11:50 PM@Tigerfish: I bet! we are a neighbour :)@blackbookkitchendiaries: thank [email protected]: this kind of cake is pretty common in SE Asian [email protected]: [email protected]: The layered sago cakes are common in [email protected] Munandar: salam kenal juga!Reply
  47. Jun Belen August 25, 2010 At 3:31 AMThis is sooooo lovely. I don't think I had this while I was in Indonesia but it reminds me of something Filipino. The colors are so vibrant. I'm sure the flavor's as vibrant as well!Reply
  48. Aris Munandar August 25, 2010 At 5:28 AMwow!! that's one cool kue pepe 🙂jadi pengennnnnn hehehe salam kenal ya fellow foodiesReply
  49. Indonesia Eats August 25, 2010 At 6:50 AM@Tigerfish: I bet! we are a neighbour 🙂@blackbookkitchendiaries: thank you!@Marissa: this kind of cake is pretty common in SE Asian countries.@Ardana: thanks@mycookinghut: The layered sago cakes are common in Indonesia@Aris Munandar: salam kenal juga!Reply
  50. Jun Belen August 25, 2010 At 10:31 AMThis is sooooo lovely. I don't think I had this while I was in Indonesia but it reminds me of something Filipino. The colors are so vibrant. I'm sure the flavor's as vibrant as well!Reply
  51. Cindy Waffles August 29, 2010 At 5:09 AMooo! looks wonderful! great idea w/ the natural coloring.Reply
  52. Cindy Waffles August 29, 2010 At 12:09 PMooo! looks wonderful! great idea w/ the natural coloring.Reply
  53. Kue Indonesia Danish's Story | Danish's Story November 20, 2014 At 1:28 PM[…] PDF File Name: Kue pepe (lapis sagu) recipe – indonesian steamed PDF Source: indonesiaeats.com Download PDF: Kue pepe (lapis sagu) recipe – indonesian steamed […]Reply
  54. Kue Lapis Legit December 19, 2014 At 6:17 AMheheh this kue lapis is different and actually there is another type of kue lapis. One of them is Lapis Surabaya which is 3 stack of cake and Lapis Legit which is layered around 15-20 layer. I’d preferly choose Lapis Surabaya and Legit because its so saaavoooryyy 🙂 Cheers!Reply
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