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10 Indonesian Traditional Cakes I Fell in Love With While Traveling Across the Islands

 

When I traveled through Indonesia, I didn’t start my mornings looking for croissants or pastries. I followed steam. I followed banana leaves folded with care. I followed the quiet rhythm of markets waking up before sunrise.

 

Indonesian cakes made with coconut and rice flour

Indonesian traditional cakes—jajanan pasar—aren’t flashy. They sit humbly behind glass cases or on woven trays. But every bite tells you where you are. Rice, coconut, palm sugar. Soft textures. Gentle sweetness. Food made to be shared, not rushed.

Here are ten Indonesian traditional cakes I tasted, loved, and later learned to make—each one carrying a piece of the journey.

1. Klepon (Palm Sugar Rice Balls)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup glutinous rice flour

  • ¾ cup warm water

  • ½ tsp pandan extract

  • Palm sugar (gula aren), chopped

  • ½ cup grated coconut

  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Mix rice flour, pandan, and water into a soft dough.

  2. Take small portions, flatten, and add palm sugar.

  3. Seal and roll into balls.

  4. Boil until they float.

  5. Roll in salted grated coconut.

  6. Serve warm.

2. Onde-Onde (Sesame Balls)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup glutinous rice flour

  • ¾ cup warm water

  • ½ cup mung bean paste

  • Sesame seeds

  • Oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Mix flour and water into dough.

  2. Fill with mung bean paste and shape into balls.

  3. Roll in sesame seeds.

  4. Fry on medium heat until golden.

  5. Drain and cool slightly before serving.

3. Kue Lapis (Steamed Layer Cake)

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups rice flour

  • 1 cup tapioca flour

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 2½ cups coconut milk

  • Food coloring

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients until smooth.

  2. Divide batter and color each portion.

  3. Steam one layer at a time for 5 minutes.

  4. Repeat until batter is finished.

  5. Cool completely before slicing.

4. Kue Dadar Gulung (Pandan Crepes)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 egg

  • 1¼ cups coconut milk

  • ½ tsp pandan extract

  • Palm sugar & grated coconut (filling)

Instructions

  1. Cook palm sugar and coconut until sticky.

  2. Mix crepe batter ingredients.

  3. Cook thin green crepes.

  4. Fill with coconut mixture and roll.

5. Kue Putu (Steamed Bamboo Cake)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice flour

  • Pinch of salt

  • Palm sugar, chopped

  • Grated coconut

Instructions

  1. Mix flour with salt and sprinkle water lightly.

  2. Fill bamboo molds halfway with flour.

  3. Add palm sugar, top with flour.

  4. Steam for 10 minutes.

  5. Serve with coconut.

6. Kue Lumpur (Soft Coconut Custard Cake)

Ingredients

  • 200 g potatoes, mashed

  • 100 g flour

  • 100 g sugar

  • 400 ml coconut milk

  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  1. Mix mashed potatoes with sugar and eggs.

  2. Add flour and coconut milk.

  3. Pour into greased molds.

  4. Cook on low heat until set.

  5. Top with raisins if desired.

7. Serabi (Coconut Pancake)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice flour

  • 1 cup coconut milk

  • ½ tsp yeast

  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients and rest for 1 hour.

  2. Pour batter into hot pan.

  3. Cook covered until bubbly.

  4. Serve plain or with palm sugar syrup.

8. Kue Bugis (Banana Leaf–Wrapped Cake)

Ingredients

  • Glutinous rice flour

  • Coconut milk

  • Palm sugar & coconut filling

  • Banana leaves

Instructions

  1. Make dough with flour and coconut milk.

  2. Fill with sweet coconut mixture.

  3. Wrap in banana leaves.

  4. Steam for 30 minutes.

9. Lupis (Sticky Rice Cake)

Ingredients

  • Glutinous rice

  • Banana leaves

  • Palm sugar syrup

  • Grated coconut

Instructions

  1. Soak rice for 2 hours.

  2. Wrap tightly in banana leaves.

  3. Boil for 2–3 hours.

  4. Slice and serve with syrup and coconut.

10. Nagasari (Banana Coconut Cake)

Ingredients

  • Rice flour

  • Coconut milk

  • Sugar

  • Banana slices

  • Banana leaves

Instructions

  1. Cook flour, coconut milk, and sugar until thick.

  2. Place banana on batter.

  3. Wrap in banana leaves.

  4. Steam for 20 minutes.

     

      

Below is a complete, clear, start-to-finish “how to make” guide for all 10 Indonesian traditional cake recipes you mentioned earlier. This is written practically, so someone could actually cook from it, but still warm and readable—perfect for a blog or recipe section.

1. Klepon (Palm Sugar–Filled Rice Balls)

How to Make Klepon

  1. In a bowl, mix glutinous rice flour with pandan extract.

  2. Gradually add warm water and knead until the dough is soft but not sticky.

  3. Pinch off small portions, flatten in your palm, and place chopped palm sugar in the center.

  4. Seal carefully and roll into smooth balls (no cracks, or sugar will leak).

  5. Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil.

  6. Drop the balls in and cook until they float (about 2–3 minutes).

  7. Remove and immediately roll in salted grated coconut.

  8. Serve warm.

2. Onde-Onde (Sesame Balls)

How to Make Onde-Onde

  1. Mix glutinous rice flour and warm water into a smooth dough.

  2. Divide dough into equal portions.

  3. Flatten each piece and fill with mung bean paste.

  4. Seal tightly and roll into balls.

  5. Coat generously with sesame seeds.

  6. Heat oil over medium-low heat.

  7. Fry balls slowly, stirring gently, until golden and puffed.

  8. Drain and cool slightly before serving.

3. Kue Lapis (Steamed Layer Cake)

How to Make Kue Lapis

  1. Mix rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar, and coconut milk until smooth.

  2. Strain the batter to remove lumps.

  3. Divide batter into separate bowls and color each portion.

  4. Heat steamer until water is boiling steadily.

  5. Pour one thin layer into a greased pan and steam for 5 minutes.

  6. Pour the next layer and steam again.

  7. Repeat until all layers are used.

  8. Steam the final layer for 10 minutes.

  9. Cool completely before slicing.

4. Kue Dadar Gulung (Pandan Coconut Rolls)

How to Make Dadar Gulung

  1. Cook grated coconut and palm sugar over low heat until sticky; cool.

  2. Mix flour, egg, coconut milk, and pandan extract into smooth batter.

  3. Heat a nonstick pan lightly greased with oil.

  4. Pour thin batter and cook like a crepe (do not brown).

  5. Place filling near one edge and roll gently.

  6. Slice or serve whole.

5. Kue Putu (Steamed Bamboo Cake)

How to Make Kue Putu

  1. Mix rice flour with salt and sprinkle water until crumbly.

  2. Prepare bamboo molds or small heatproof tubes.

  3. Fill halfway with flour mixture.

  4. Add chopped palm sugar.

  5. Cover with more flour.

  6. Steam for 10–12 minutes until fragrant.

  7. Serve hot with grated coconut.

6. Kue Lumpur (Soft Potato Coconut Cake)

How to Make Kue Lumpur

  1. Mix mashed potatoes with sugar until smooth.

  2. Add eggs one at a time and mix well.

  3. Stir in flour and coconut milk.

  4. Heat a greased pan or cake mold over low heat.

  5. Pour batter into molds.

  6. Cover and cook until set (about 15 minutes).

  7. Add raisins or coconut on top if desired.

  8. Serve warm.

7. Serabi (Traditional Coconut Pancake)

How to Make Serabi

  1. Mix rice flour, coconut milk, yeast, sugar, and salt.

  2. Let batter rest for 1 hour until slightly bubbly.

  3. Heat small pan or clay pan over low heat.

  4. Pour batter into center without spreading.

  5. Cover and cook until bubbles form and surface sets.

  6. Serve plain or with palm sugar syrup.

8. Kue Bugis (Banana Leaf–Wrapped Cake)

How to Make Kue Bugis

  1. Mix glutinous rice flour with coconut milk into smooth dough.

  2. Cook grated coconut with palm sugar until thick; cool.

  3. Take dough, flatten, and fill with coconut mixture.

  4. Wrap tightly in banana leaves.

  5. Steam for 30 minutes.

  6. Cool slightly before unwrapping.

9. Lupis (Sticky Rice Cake)

How to Make Lupis

  1. Soak glutinous rice for 2–3 hours.

  2. Drain and wrap tightly in banana leaves (triangle or cylinder).

  3. Secure with string.

  4. Boil in water for 2–3 hours, keeping submerged.

  5. Remove and cool slightly.

  6. Slice and serve with palm sugar syrup and grated coconut.

10. Nagasari (Banana Coconut Cake)

How to Make Nagasari

  1. Mix rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and salt.

  2. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick.

  3. Cut bananas into halves.

  4. Place batter on banana leaf, add banana, cover with batter.

  5. Wrap neatly.

  6. Steam for 20–25 minutes.

  7. Serve warm or chilled.

Final Cooking Notes

  • Most Indonesian cakes rely on steaming, not baking.

  • Texture matters more than sweetness.

  • Banana leaves add aroma—use parchment if unavailable.

  • These cakes are best eaten fresh, often the same day.

In Indonesia, cake isn’t dessert—it’s daily life. It’s eaten standing at a stall, shared on buses, carried home in paper boxes. These cakes taught me that sweetness doesn’t have to overwhelm. It can comfort. It can travel quietly with you, long after the journey ends.

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