Baath or Bathika is a traditional cake from Goa, India. It is prepared with fine semolina and coconut and sometimes flavoured with aromatic spices. Traditionally this cake was baked at home in a stovetop clay oven with hot coals placed on the lid. The traditional recipe also calls for overnight resting. The flavours melt and mature creating a delicious cake that crumbles in your mouth. This is an old-fashioned cake popular during Christmas.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Fine Semolina (160 gram)
- 1 Cup Desiccated Coconut (160 gram)
- 3/4 Cup Fine Sugar (170 gram)
- 3 Eggs Large
- 2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil or Butter
- 1/2 Cup Milk/Coconut Milk
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
Preparation
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes
- To make the batter, bring all the ingredients to room temperature before.
- Whisk the eggs one by one and beat till pale yellow and fluffy. Mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Cream the butter/oil with the sugar until light and airy. Add the beaten eggs to the batter of butter and sugar.
- Mix in the 1 cup of fine semolina and 1 cup of desiccated coconut with 2 teaspoons of baking powder well and stir.
- Add half a cup of milk. If the batter looks very dry, you can add some more milk.
- The batter should be of dropping consistency rather than pouring consistency. Add 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
- Cover tightly with a cling wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 6 hours to overnight preferably.
- When ready to bake, remove the cake from the fridge and transfer to the baking pan greased with butter and level off the top with a spoon.
- Place the oven rack a little below centre and pre-heat the oven. Let the cake batter rest on the counter while the oven is preheating.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius or until done.
- The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the tops are browned evenly.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.
- Instead of vanilla essence, you can also add 1/2 teaspoon fresh cardamom powder or 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg for more local flavours.