Malaysian Caramel Honeycomb Cake

Malaysian Honeycomb Cake or Kek Sarang Semut is a chewy, bouncy cake with beehive-like texture. This caramel-flavored cake has subtle sweetness and a lightly crisp crust with a soft, springy center. Have one slice and you will understand why it is so popular throughout Asia.

Malaysian Caramel Honeycomb Cake, or Kek Sarang Semut, is one of those modest-looking Asian cakes that’s surprisingly popular. The cake is chewy, bouncy and has a crisp caramelized crust, with beehive-like holes inside—made possible by the use of tapioca flour and baking soda. It has deep caramel chocolate-y flavor.

This cake is similar to other Asian honeycomb cakes like Indonesia’s Bika Ambon or Pandan Bika Ambon, and Vietnam’s Bánh bò nướng. All of them use tapioca flour for that signature springy bite, but each brings its own signature—like pandan in the Vietnamese version or the turmeric-yellow color of Bika Ambon.

I’ll admit, I hesitated making this cake because of how much sugar goes into a single bundt. But after tasting a slice at a friend’s place—chewy, aromatic, just lovely—I couldn’t resist. I tested the recipe a few times, toning down the sweetness while still keeping that caramel flavor strong. The result? A honeycomb cake that’s perfectly sweet and beautifully textured, just the way I like it.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Sugar – You can use regular white sugar or palm sugar. Palm sugar gives a more fragrant, earthy aroma, while white sugar creates that deep toffee-caramel flavor essential for the classic version.

Hot Water – The water must be hot to help melt the caramel properly. Be careful when pouring it in—don’t add it all at once! Pour in at least three batches, as the caramel will bubble and splash.

Condensed Milk – This recipe uses 120 ml of condensed milk. You can go with plain white, but I like to mix half white and half chocolate for a subtle chocolatey twist that pairs well with the caramel.

All-Purpose Flour or Cake Flour – This gives the cake structure and just enough density to support the honeycomb texture. Either flour works well here.

Tapioca Flour – This is the most important ingredient of all. This is what gives the cake its signature chewy and bouncy bite. No substitutions here—tapioca flour is essential.

Baking soda and baking powder – Baking soda and baking powder combined will make the cake porous like honeycomb texture.

Butter – Butter is needed to add moisture to the cake.

How to Make Honeycomb Cake

STEP 1. Let’s start by making the caramel. Add sugar to a pan (Image 1) and heat over medium heat. Once the sugar begins to melt (Images 2, 3), reduce the heat to low. Stay close—this part needs patience. Stir occasionally with a spatula and wait until the sugar fully dissolves and turns a rich golden brown. Carefully pour in the hot water in at least three parts (Image 4). Don’t add it all at once—it will bubble up and may splash. Be extra careful; the caramel is extremely hot.

STEP 2. Let the caramel dissolve completely in the water (Images 5, 6). Once done, turn off the heat and set it aside to cool. While waiting, grease your bundt pan. In a mixing bowl, crack the eggs (Image 7) and whisk until foamy. Add in the condensed milk (Image 8).

STEP 3. Pour in the chocolate condensed milk (Image 9) and whisk until smooth (Images 10, 11). Add all-purpose flour, followed by tapioca flour (Image 12).

STEP 4. Whisk until the flour is fully incorporated (Images 13, 14). Add baking soda and baking powder (Image 15), then pour in the melted butter (Image 16).

STEP 5. Mix in the butter well (Image 17), then gradually pour in the caramel water in batches (Image 18), whisking as you go (Image 19). Let the batter rest for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 392°F (200°C). Strain the batter into the greased pan to remove any lumps (Image 20).

STEP 6. Bake at 392°F (200°C) using lower heat only for 45 minutes (Image 21), then switch to 180°C (356°F) using top and bottom heat for another 15 minutes. Check if it is done with a bamboo stick—it should come out clean (Image 22). Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack (Image 23). Slice once it’s no longer hot to reveal that beautiful honeycomb texture (Image 24). Enjoy your chewy, chocolatey Malaysian Honeycomb Cake!

How to Serve

Slice it up and enjoy with a cup of Butterfly Latte or Earl Grey Latte — this chewy cake shines on its own or as part of a dessert spread. Pair it with Lapis Legit or Lapis Surabaya for a rich, layered treat, or balance it with something crispy like Cat Tongue Cookies. If you want to mix things up, throw in a slice of Ontbijtkoek or Dutch Butter Cake for a cozy afternoon tea.

FAQs about Honeycomb Cake

Storage

Store the honeycomb cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you live in a hot or humid climate, it’s better to keep it in the fridge—just let it come to room temperature or gently warm it up before serving to bring back the chewy texture. You can also freeze individual slices for up to a month; thaw and reheat briefly in the microwave or steamer for best results.

More Recipes Using Tapioca Flour

• Ongol ongol
• Kuih Kosui
• Putu Ayu Pandan