Name: Bánh da lợn — Vietnamese pandan and mung-bean layer cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 380 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 200 g tapioca starch; 50 g rice flour; 250 g granulated sugar; 1 g fine salt; 400 ml full-fat coconut milk; 300 ml water; 5 ml pandan extract; 100 g dry peeled split mung beans; 5 ml neutral vegetable oil, for greasing

Vietnamese bánh da lợn with glossy pandan-green and mung-bean-yellow layers — wide serving scene — Glossy Southern Vietnamese steamed cake with springy alternating pandan-green and mung-bean-yellow layers, cut to show the cross-section. Format 16:9.

Yield 1 cake, cut into 8 portions

Cook time 50 minutes

Passive time 5 hours (soaking and cooling/chilling)

Total time About 6 hours 20 minutes

Calories About 375 kcal per serving

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bánh da lợn — Vietnamese pandan and mung-bean layer cake

Bánh da lợn is a Southern Vietnamese steamed cake known for its glossy, chewy layers. This home-kitchen version alternates fragrant green pandan batter with a soft yellow mung-bean batter. Tapioca starch gives the cake its springy bite; rice flour adds structure, while coconut milk rounds out both layers. Each layer is poured and steamed just until set before the next is added, so the colors stay distinct and the cake holds together when sliced. Recipes vary in sweetness, layer count and flavor; this measured version follows one documented Vietnamese formulation rather than defining a single standard.

Practical

Tips for successLet the coconut mixture cool before adding starch; hot liquid can make the batter lumpy. Stir both bowls before every pour because tapioca and rice flour settle quickly. Use the same small ladleful for every layer to keep thickness even. Wait until each layer is just set and no longer liquid before pouring the next. Overcooking a layer can weaken the bond between layers. Wrap the steamer lid with a clean towel, securing it away from the flame, to catch condensation. Cool and chill the whole cake before slicing; an oiled knife makes cleaner cuts through the sticky layers.

Ingredients

Shared batter base

200 g tapioca starch
50 g rice flour
250 g granulated sugar
1 g fine salt
400 ml full-fat coconut milk
300 ml water

Pandan-green layer

5 ml pandan extract

Mung-bean-yellow layer

100 g dry peeled split mung beans

For the pan

5 ml neutral vegetable oil, for greasing

Method

Rinse the mung beans until the water runs mostly clear. Cover with cool water and soak for at least 60 minutes, then drain.
Steam the drained beans for 15–20 minutes, or simmer them in fresh water until completely soft; drain well. Meanwhile, warm the coconut milk, measured water, sugar and salt just until the sugar dissolves. Do not boil. Cool completely.
Whisk the tapioca starch and rice flour into the cooled coconut mixture until smooth. Divide the batter equally by volume. Blend the cooked mung beans with one half until smooth, then strain for the yellow batter. Stir pandan extract into the other half for the green batter. Stir both batters before each pour.
Bring water in a large steamer to a steady simmer. Brush the 20 cm / 8 inch tin lightly with oil and place it in the steamer for 2 minutes to warm. Wrap the lid with a clean towel and secure it so no fabric can reach the flame.
Pour a thin, even layer of green batter into the warm tin, using the same small ladleful each time. Cover and steam for about 4–5 minutes, until the surface is just set and no longer liquid. Pour the same amount of yellow batter over it and steam for about 4–5 minutes until just set. Repeat, alternating colors, and stir the batters before every addition.
After the final layer, steam the whole cake for 15 minutes. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out without liquid batter; the cake should look glossy and springy. If batter remains, continue steaming in 5-minute increments.
Remove the tin carefully and cool the cake for about 60 minutes, no longer than 2 hours at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at or below 4°C / 40°F for at least 3 hours to firm for slicing. Loosen the edge with an oiled thin knife, turn out and cut into 8 portions with an oiled knife. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Practical

Practical guidance

Make ahead: Steam the cake a day ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate; chill at least 3 hours before slicing. Storage: Refrigerate within 2 hours after steaming (within 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F). Keep covered at or below 4°C / 40°F and use within 3 days. Serving: Serve chilled or let individual portions come to room temperature. The cake is softest on the day it is made; refrigeration firms the chewy starch texture. Pandan: Pandan extract is convenient and gives a reliable green layer. Follow the package directions; avoid adding extra liquid that would change the batter balance.

Troubleshooting

Layers blur together: The previous layer was still liquid. Steam it until the surface is just set before adding the next batter. Layers separate when sliced: A layer may have steamed too long before the next was added. Use the same short timing for each layer and avoid letting a set layer dry out. Cake feels too firm: It may have been oversteamed or the batter was too thick. Keep each layer thin, stop once set and measure the liquids accurately. Cake is gummy or does not hold its shape: Check that the mung beans were fully soft and well drained, and steam the finished cake until no liquid batter remains in the centre. Uneven spots on top: Condensation dripped from the lid. Wrap the steamer lid with a clean towel, keeping it safely away from the heat.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the cake called bánh da lợn? The name is often rendered as “pig-skin cake,” a reference associated with its glossy, layered texture. The name's history has competing explanations, so this recipe does not claim one certain origin. Can I use mung-bean flour instead of whole beans? This version uses cooked split mung beans for its soft yellow layer. Flour changes both texture and liquid balance, so it is not a direct swap. Can I make fewer, thicker layers? Yes. Layer count varies. Keep each layer even and steam it just until set before adding the next. How do I cut neat slices? Chill the covered cake for at least 3 hours and use a lightly oiled thin knife, cleaning it between cuts if needed.

Nutrition per serving

Approximate values calculated from the measured ingredients and eight portions. Coconut milk brands and the cooked weight of the beans affect the result.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1/8 cake, about 145 g
CaloriesAbout 375 kcal
CarbohydrateAbout 70 g
ProteinAbout 4 g
FatAbout 8 g
FibreAbout 2 g
SodiumAbout 65 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains coconut. Coconut is botanically a fruit, though some jurisdictions include it in tree-nut allergen labeling; check local labels and all packages for cross-contact, additives and gluten contamination. Use clean equipment and potable water, and cook soaked mung beans until fully soft. Do not leave the steamed cake at room temperature for more than 2 hours total, or 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F. Cool promptly, cover and refrigerate at or below 4°C / 40°F. Use within 3 days.

Enjoy

Serve the glossy pandan and mung-bean layers as a snack or dessert, chilled or at room temperature.
Cut small diamond pieces for a platter, or serve a single slice with Vietnamese tea.

Bánh da lợn — Vietnamese pandan and mung-bean layer cake

Practical

Ingredients

Shared batter base

Pandan-green layer

Mung-bean-yellow layer

For the pan

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Enjoy

Vietnamese National Dishes

Bánh chuối nướng — Vietnamese baked banana and coconut cake

Xôi nếp nương — Điện Biên upland sticky rice

Chè bột lọc heo quay — Huế tapioca dumplings with roast pork