One of my earliest memories is of an old lady approaching me, smiling, and offering me a piece of cake that had the most amazing fragrance my little nose had ever encountered. It was only later that I learned the woman was my maternal great-grandmother and that piece of cake was this smoked coconut cake. My great-grandmother died when I was very little, and I have no recollection of anything about her other than that day and that piece of cake with its astonishing scent. I’d like to think that maybe my curiosity about food began that day. 

　　My great-grandmother made all of her baked goods in a large cylindrical clay stove built in the late 1800s. It had roughly the same dimensions as a 30-gallon steel drum, with a chamber at the bottom where the charcoal went and a perforated clay grate set about one third of the way down from the top where she put the food. A metal plate acted as a lid as well as the place where she put glowing coals to brown the surface of the food underneath it. My great-grandmother made her fragrant coconut cake—dense and chewy inside and crisp on the top—in this oven, using a combination of coconut husks, dried corn husks, bagasse, and local wood for fuel. 

　　Not equipped with the same tool, I make her sali krop with my pellet grill/smoker, using cherrywood for fuel.

　　

Ingredients

Makes sixteen 2-inch squares

　　1½ cups granulated sugar

　　2 large eggs, at room temperature

　　2 large egg whites, at room temperature

　　1⁄2 tsp. jasmine extract, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　1⁄2 tsp. salt

　　1 cup all-purpose flour

　　3½ cups shredded unsweetened dried coconut

　　

Step 1

Set a smoker to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper.

　　

Step 2

In a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld mixer, beat together the sugar, eggs, and egg whites on high speed until pale and thick enough to form a ribbon when you lift the beater and let the mixture fall back on itself. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the jasmine extract, salt, and flour, being careful not to deflate the eggs. Stir in the coconut flakes just until evenly distributed (the batter will be thick). Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a moistened rubber spatula.

　　

Step 3

When the smoker reaches the target temperature and the smoke runs clear, put the pan directly on the grate, close the lid, and bake until a toothpick or the tip of a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Remove from the smoker and let cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve. The bars can kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

　　Reprinted with permission from Flavors of the Southeast Asian Grill by Leela Punyaratabandhu. Copyright© 2020 shesimmers.com. Photographs copyright ©2020 by David Loftus. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Buy the full book from Penguin Random House or Amazon.