Kue Cubit (Indonesian Pinch Cakes)

Kue Cubit are mini pancake-like cakes from Indonesia. Their name directly translates to Pinch Cakes due to their small size. They can be picked up with a pinch of the fingers and finished in two bites. These cakes are popular in markets and food stalls. Along with plain vanilla cakes, they now come in a variety of colorful flavors including green tea, sweet potato (purple for color), taro, chocolate, jackfruit, and more. Kue Cubit are traditionally made in a cake mold pan called a Cetakan Kue Cubit, often with specialty shapes, and are cooked on the stovetop. Lace/Spiderweb crepes can also be made in the pan and are known as Kue Cubit Laba-Laba.

The size of these cakes, or “little muffins” as Evan named them, makes them perfect for little hands.

I did not have a Cetakan Kue Cubit available, so I used this Aebleskiver pan (currently unavailable) and filled the cavities about 1/2 full. The Aebleskiver pan doesn’t come with a cover, so I used one of my glass covers. A takoyaki or poffertjes pan will also work. The cakes can be served half-done, with the tops not quite set, in 2-3 minutes or all the way cooked in about 4 minutes. Adjust the heat between low and medium-low as needed to prevent the bottoms from burning.

I topped the cakes with chocolate sprinkles (meises) and shredded coconut. I didn’t think about it at the time, but toasting the coconut before sprinkling it over the cakes would have been a nice touch. Other toppings include crushed cookies, kitkats, and cheddar cheese.

After cooking half of the plain vanilla batter, I mixed in 1/2 tablespoon matcha into the remaining half for a little variation. Use a full tablespoon if you want green tea for all of the cakes.

Kue Cubit are best served immediately, particularly if they are not completely cooked through.

Kue Cubit (Indonesian Pinch Cake)
Adapted from Hey Theresia
~26 mini cakes

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Vegetable oil for greasing the pan
Chocolate sprinkles, crumbled chocolate cookies, shredded coconut, cheddar cheese, or other desired toppings

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the vanilla extract, milk, and butter to form a smooth batter. Cover and allow to rest for 1 hour.

Place Indonesian cake mold or aebleskiver pan over medium heat. Once heated, grease the cavities and decrease heat to medium-low/low. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag or plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the batter into the greased cavities, halfway full. Cover the pan and cook for about a minute. If desired, top the cakes with desired toppings. Cover the pan again and cook to desired doneness, 2-3 minutes total for half-done or up to 4 for completely cooked through.

Remove with a chopstick or small spoons. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing as needed, and serve immediately.