Kue Apem — yeasted rice-flour cupcakes from a small clay mould
Kue apem are small, soft, slightly tangy yeasted Indonesian rice-flour cakes — the home-kitchen sibling of serabi, cooked in small individual clay or aluminium moulds instead of a large flat pan. They are pale gold, gently sweet, and traditionally tinted pink or green for festival platters.
i. Origin & history
Apem are eaten across Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and the Malay world (where they are usually called apam). They appear at religious gatherings, weddings, and the Javanese commemoration ceremonies of the dead — a sweet of social occasion rather than dessert.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 18 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 200 g rice flour
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 5 g instant yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 350 ml thick coconut milk, lukewarm
- 2 tbsp palm sugar syrup or melted butter
iii. Method
- Whisk all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour in the coconut milk while whisking to a smooth, pancake-batter consistency.
- Cover and prove in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes, until visibly bubbled.
- Heat a small apem pan or oiled mini-muffin tin. Fill each well three-quarters with batter.
- Cover and cook over a low flame for 4-5 minutes, until the tops set and the bottoms are deeply golden. Lift out and serve warm, brushed with a little palm-sugar syrup.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Patient prove. Without proper proving, apem are dense and chewy.
- Low flame. Direct high heat scorches the underside before the top sets.
- Steam, do not flip. The covered low heat steams the top while the underside browns.
v. Variations
Apem selong is a Surinamese variant from Indonesian diaspora communities. Apam balik in Malaysia is a different (folded, peanut-and-sweetcorn) dish under a related name. Tinted pink apem are a feast-day favourite.
vi. Common questions
What is kue apem?
Kue Apem is yeasted rice-flour cupcakes from a small clay mould, from indonesian & malaysian cuisine. They are pale gold, gently sweet, and traditionally tinted pink or green for festival platters
Where is kue apem from?
Kue Apem is from the indonesian & malaysian dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does kue apem keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 2 days at room temperature.