Cake You Want to Spank
A special Just a Bite with Woldy Reyes with a recipe for bibingka banana bread
Cake friends,
Squishy is my favorite texture. There’s something utterly satisfying about a chewy mochi cake or glutinous stuffed tangyuan, so it’s not surprising that, a few years ago, I fell in love with bouncy bibingka after one bite—especially because it was made by Woldy Reyes.
Woldy is the chef and founder of his eponymous Brooklyn-based catering company Woldy Kusina, which serves up sustainable, seasonal food rooted in his Filipino heritage. His buoyant, not-too-sweet bibingka has rightfully become something of a local sensation—a “cake you want to spank,” in Woldy’s words—and we’re excited to share the recipe for his bibingka banana bread below in a special installment of our Q&A series Just a Bite. It’s a snacking cake that is great for any time of day or occasion, especially breakfast.
NYC readers, watch this space! We’ll be making a special announcement about our next event here soon. –AA
You’re making dessert. What is it? How do you make it?
I love making my bibingka, specifically bibingka banana bread baked in banana leaves. It’s a Filipino coconut rice cake, similar to a mochi cake. I love that this recipe is versatile because it’s a cake that can be eaten for breakfast (who doesn’t love eating cake for breakfast?), a snacking cake in the afternoon for “quickie” pick me up, or a sweet happy ending dessert with a dollop of whipped or coconut cream cream. [Ed note: Recipe below!]
Someone is making you a dessert. What do you ask for?
Make me a banana split with a very creamy vanilla ice cream and lots of cherries to pop in my mouth ;)
You’ve transformed into a pastry. What are you and how are you consumed?
I transformed into a bibingka! I’m a bouncy, chewy and slightly naughty cake. I’m also firm with a little bit of wobble. You should want to spank it.
Tell us about a desert scene in a work of art that you’ll never forget?
The warm apple pie scene in the film American Pie will be ingrained in my memory forever. It was shocking to see a hormonal teenager trying to satisfy his sexual appetite with a warm apple pie….then his father walking in on him! So embarrassing and funny.
What’s a baking hack you can’t live without?
Whenever I’m baking, I always use room temperature eggs. Room temp eggs mix more easily and homogeneously, resulting in a smoother batter.
What inspires the food you make?
I’m inspired by memories of the dishes that my Lola and my parents made and served to me and my brothers growing up: flavorful and loving Filipino food. My favorite dish that my Lola cooked for me is her vegetable lumpia. It's filled with an abundance of vegetables like carrots, potatoes, bean sprouts and my favorite part, the chickpeas. Her lumpia recipe will be in my upcoming cookbook, In the Kusina, that will debut in Spring 2025.
Cassava cake is another recipe that my mom would always make during holiday gatherings. She rarely used any measuring cups when she baked, and baked so confidently. Her cassava cake was dense, custardy and sublime. My dad on the other hand loved making his kalderetang kambing, a celebratory goat stew. He would cook the stew in our backyard. It was a delicious thing to witness.
Misc Dessert Content:
See: Aimee France (a.k.a. YoungKombucha420) makes the case for smörgåstårta, a savory Swedish sandwich cake made from layers of bread, creme fraiche, smoked salmon, and more.
Read/Visit: Bon Appetit rounded up 9 genre-bending bakeries across the country , from Detroit's Warda Pâtisserie to Third Culture Bakery in Berkeley, CA.
Subscribe: The Deligram is one of our favorite food newsletters highlighting artisans and makers in NYC and beyond. Each send is a delight.
Read: Fasting for Ramadan While Gaza Goes Hungry, a moving and important story from Zaina Arafat.
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