Less than a week for Christmas. What kind of sweets are you gonna prepare? Still no idea. Try this traditional BIBIKKAN recipe from our family. So easy to make and you won’t stop eating this. Get the recipe and don’t forget to make a good strong ginger infused Ceylon tea to enjoy your cake. 

Coconut cake aka Bibikkan, Is one of the famous Sri Lankan rich dark cake with freshly grated coconut and treacle/jaggery. Dried dates, raisins and dried nuts give extra flavour to this cake. Definitely can see in Sri Lankan party table. We used to make this for Christmas, New Year, weddings or any other special days. And even one of the best tea time treat also. 

In my family, my Aunty (my mother’s second elder sister) is the one who can make this cake in the best way. That’s the most delicious coconut cake that I’ve ever ate. From her we all learned how to make bibikkan. Her recipe, cake is very famous among our families. To be honest this is her recipe the only thing I added extra was  dried almonds and cashews. (She usually not use them) tried once in last year, it was super. Wanted to make again but was running out of treacle. Bought a bottle when I went to Padova from SL store. Here from ours to yours. Enjoy your festive season with our secrets. 

1.beat 2 large eggs in a stand mixture or whisk in a large bowl. 

2.add 100g room temperature butter and 50g brown sugar to the egg mixture and beat  for about 2-3 minutes and leave it aside.

3.chop 250g pitted dates,50g almonds and 50g cashews (keep few to sprinkle on the cake at the last) and leave aside.

4.in a large mixing bowl mix freshly scraped two medium coconut, around 650-700g  with 350ml treacle by your hands. Because coconut needs to absorb the sweetness of the treacle. Do it well until well combined.

5.into the same coconut and treacle bowl add 125g flour and 7g baking powder and fold using a spatula.

6.add the beaten egg mixture to the flour and fold again. 

7.add chopped pitted dates and chopped dried nuts, 100g raisins to the mixture and mix all the ingredients.

8.pour the mixture to the baking tin lined with a parchment paper and sprinkle the left cashews over.

9.bake in pre heated oven about 40-45 minutes in 180c or until cake is ready.