Kue Cubit is one of the staples of Indonesian street food culture: small cakes decorated with chocolate sprinkles or cheese or both.
Literally translatable as “pinch cake,” this dessert owes its name to its tiny size and the gesture needed to enjoy it: it is lifted from the tray or bag with a delicate finger movement, almost like pinching it.
The roots of Kue Cubit reach back to Indonesia’s colonial past. It is believed to be a direct descendant of the Dutch poffertjes, the fluffy mini pancakes introduced during the Dutch period.
Over the decades, the recipe has been reinterpreted by street vendors in Jakarta, becoming an icon of markets and afternoon snacks.
Traditionally, Kue Cubit has a diameter of about 1.5 inches and is cooked on special cast iron plates. Its most beloved feature is the versatility in cooking: from the classic spongy texture to the setengah matang (half-cooked) version, where the surface remains deliciously runny and creamy.
In my version of gluten-free Kue Cubit, I have preserved the soft and buttery soul of the original dessert by replacing wheat flour with rice flour.
If you don’t have the original Indonesian tray, you can easily use a Takoyaki pan or a Dutch Poffertjes pan, which are almost identical in size.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 25 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Other
- Cuisine: Indonesian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Kue Cubit
- 2 eggs
- 2.6 oz sugar
- 1.25 cups rice flour
- 1/2 tablespoon gluten-free baking powder
- 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
- 2/3 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- as needed chocolate sprinkles (or grated cheese)
Tools
- 1 Plate takoyaki
Steps
Beat the eggs: In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until they become light and frothy.
Combine the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add them to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk, mixing well to avoid lumps.
Add the fats: Incorporate the melted butter and vanilla. Mix until you get a smooth batter.
Rest: Let the batter rest for about 15-30 minutes to allow it to become airier.
Cooking: Heat a Kue Cubit or Takoyaki pan and lightly grease it with butter.
Pinch: Pour the batter into the molds, filling them to 3/4 full. When bubbles start forming on the surface, add the toppings (chocolate sprinkles, cheese).
You can also choose to make a “Cokelat-Keju” (Chocolate-Cheese), meaning half cakes with chocolate and half with cheese, or even both on the same piece.
New variants:
Besides the classic version, modern flavors like Matcha, Red Velvet, or Taro are available. There is also a variant called Kue Laba-laba (spider cake), made by pouring the batter in a radial pattern to create a crispy spider web-like shape.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Which Italian cheese is best suited to replace the Indonesian cheese?
To replace the typical Indonesian cheese (which is a very firm, savory cheddar with little meltability), the best choice in Italy is a Edamer or a young Gouda, preferably cut into flakes or coarsely grated.
