Kue Cubit (Indonesian Pinch Cakes)
A classic street vendor snack in Indonesia, Kue Cubit or Indonesian Pinch Cakes are mini fluffy cakes or pancakes, usually topped with chocolate sprinkles. Learn how to make these sweet treats fresh at home.
What is Kue Cubit?
The name Kue Cubit literally means “pinch cake” in Bahasa Indonesia. This sweet treat is named so because of its small size and you have to pinch it with your fingers to pick it up and eat it. It is a common snack food in many Indonesian cities, especially in Jakarta.
The cakes are usually sold by street vendors, operating near schools or traditional markets. The batter is poured into a steel plate with several small molds in various shapes and topped with chocolate sprinkles. You can request the sellers to make them well done or half done. Most people like them half done when the bottom has firmed up and the top is still melty and gooey.
These little cakes are very easy and quick to make. They are made from a simple batter of wheat flour, sugar, egg, margarine, milk, baking powder, and baking soda. You can keep things classic or turn the batter into different flavors and use different toppings for fun. Serve Kue Cubit as a snack, breakfast, or dessert.
Why You Will Love Kue Cubit
If you love fluffy pancakes, then this is the perfect morning treat for you and the family! The recipe is quick and easy to make, using some pantry staples. The classic flavor is vanilla with chocolate sprinkle toppings, but you can easily customize the flavors and toppings as you like.
Special Molds To Make Kue Cubit
Traditionally, Kue Cubit is made with a special pan made from steel with several small molds in various shapes. This type of pan is difficult to find outside of Indonesia.
If you don’t have it, you can use takoyaki pan or aebleskiver/ebelskiver/poffertjes pan. Any other pan with individual cavities will also work. The amount of batter may need to be adjusted based on the size of the molds.
Ingredients You Need
- Egg – Use room-temperature eggs because they blend more evenly in the batter.
- Granulated sugar – To sweeten the cakes.
- All-purpose flour – It gives structure to the cakes.
- Baking powder – It serves as a leavening agent in cakes, meaning it helps the cake rise and become light and fluffy.
- Baking soda – It leavens the cakes when exposed to heat and helps the cakes browning.
- Salt – To balance the sweetness.
- Milk – It adds flavor and a soft texture to the cakes.
- Margarine – You can substitute margarine with butter.
- Chocolate sprinkles – The classic topping for Kue Cubit. Of course, you can use other toppings if preferred.
Variants
The classic flavor of Kue Cubit is vanilla with chocolate sprinkles topping. Nowadays, Kue Cubit comes in various flavors and toppings. Here are some ideas of flavors and toppings you can use:
- Cake flavors – Chocolate, pandan, matcha, red velvet, taro.
- Toppings – Grated cheddar cheese, roasted nuts, toasted coconut, Oreos, Nutella, KitKat.
Well Done or Half Done?
If you buy Kue Cubit at street vendors, you can request the sellers to make them well done or half done. Well done version is when you cook the cakes through until the top is dry. They are soft, tender, and fluffy. The half done version is purposefully undercooked, resulting in a cakey bottom while the top is still irresistible gooey and melty. It all depends on your preference.
How to Make Kue Cubit
- In a large bowl, mix egg and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix slightly. Add milk gradually and whisk until the batter is smooth and well incorporated. Add melted margarine and mix until well combined.
- Heat the pan on low heat and grease the molds with margarine. Pour the batter into the molds.
- Add chocolate sprinkles on top. Cook well done or half done based on your preference. Remove the cakes from the pan using 2 skewers.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
How to Store
The leftover batter can be stored in the fridge for 2 days covered. Cook as much as you can consume them because Kue Cubit are best eaten warm, right after cooking them.
Kue Cubit (Indonesian Pinch Cake)
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 6 tbsp (75 gr) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (150 gr) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) whole milk
- 1/4 cup (55 gr) margarine/butter, melted
- Chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
- Mix egg and granulated sugar until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add dry ingredients – Sift in all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix with the egg mixture.
- Add milk gradually to prevent lumps. Whisk with each addition until smooth and well incorporated.
- Add margarine and whisk until well combined.
- Cook the cakes – Heat a takoyaki pan on low heat. Grease the cavities with margarine. Pour the batter into the cavities about 80-90% full. Top with chocolate sprinkles. You can cook the cakes until well done or half done based on your preference. The cakes are well done when the top is dry. The half done version is when the bottom of the cakes has firmed up but the top is still undercooked, shiny, and melty.
- Remove the cakes from the cavities using 2 skewers.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
I made this recipe today and I definitely prefer them undercooked. They are so soft, melty, gooey, so so good. My family and I finished the entire batch in just minutes. I will remake this recipe soon. Thanks for the recipe.