Bebinca (Layered Goan Dessert) Recipe

By
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country's regional cuisines.
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Updated on 05/30/22
Bebinca layered goan recipe

The Spruce / Teena Agnel

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 10 mins
Total: 2 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 8 servings

A traditional, rich dessert, bebinca is a must-have at any celebration in Goa, India. The multi-layered cake is made up of thin layers of a coconut-flavored batter separated by melted ghee (clarified butter). Making bebinca, also known as bebik, requires patience and a lot of time (plan on at least 2 hours); each layer is cooked separately, requiring you to take the pan out of the oven repeatedly—but the end result is well worth the effort. Traditional bebinca has seven layers, but some cakes go up to 16 layers; you can make as many as you like.

As bebinca is the only dessert truly unique to Goa, it is often referred to as the "queen of Goan desserts." You will find it on Christmas and Easter tables, as well as at weddings and gatherings celebrating a birth.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (700 milliliters) coconut milk

  • 1 cup plus 7 tablespoons (285 grams) sugar

  • 24 large egg yolks

  • 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 cups (293 grams) ghee, or clarified butter

  • Almond slivers, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for bebinca layered goan
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  2. In a bowl, mix the coconut milk and sugar together and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

    Mix coconut milk and sugar
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  3. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks until creamy.

    Whisk egg yolks
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  4. Add the coconut milk mixture to the eggs and combine well.

    Add coconut milk mixture to eggs
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  5. Add all the flour, a little at a time. Mix well, making sure that no lumps are left.

    Add flour
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  6. Preheat the broiler and set a rack in the middle of the oven.

  7. Put 1 tablespoonful of ghee in a baking pan (any shape) at least 6 inches deep. Put the pan in the oven on the middle rack and cook until the ghee melts; watch carefully.

    Ghee in baking pan
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  8. Take the pan out of the oven and pour in enough of the prepared batter to form a 1/4-inch-thick layer. Put the pan back in the oven and cook until the top is golden, watching carefully.

    Take pan out of oven
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  9. Remove from the oven again and immediately add another tablespoonful of ghee on top of the previous layer. It will melt automatically because of the heat.

    Remove from the oven
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  10. Pour another layer of batter of the same 1/4-inch thickness. Cook until golden.

    Pour batter in
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  11. Keep repeating the layering process until all the batter is used up, saving ghee for the top layer.

    Keep repeating
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  12. When the cake is done, turn the Bebinca over on a wire rack to let cool.

    Turn bebinca over
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

  13. Move to a serving plate, garnish with almond slivers, and cut into slices; serve room temperature or cold.

    Move to a service plate
    The Spruce / Teena Agnel

Glass Bakeware Warning

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.

Tips

  • This is the type of recipe where practice makes perfect, so don't get discouraged if your first attempt doesn't look perfect (it will still taste delicious, though). The more often you make this cake, the more skilled you will get at creating even layers.
  • Once you determine how much batter is needed to make a 1/4-inch layer, use that same measurement each time. Do the same for the cooking time—keep track of how long it takes for the layer to brown on top and set a timer for each layer.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
658 Calories
35g Fat
63g Carbs
24g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 658
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g 45%
Saturated Fat 22g 110%
Cholesterol 585mg 195%
Sodium 226mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 36g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 109mg 8%
Iron 7mg 39%
Potassium 436mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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