Steamed White Sugar Cake (Bak Tong Gou) 蒸白糖糕
Steamed White Sugar Cake, or commonly known as Bak Tong Gou (白糖糕) is a nostalgic classic in Chinese bakeries. A traditional chinese snack, these Steamed White Sugar Cakes are deliciously soft and moist. Best known for its wonderfully spongy honeycomb-like texture. Its so easy to recreate this traditional kuih at home.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tbsp water (lukewarm)
- 300 grams rice flour (sifted)
- 280 grams water (room temperature)
- 200 grams sugar
- 340 grams water (room temperature)
- 3 pieces pandan leaves (knotted)
- 1/2 tsp cooking oil
Instructions
- 1
Start by dissolving 1 teaspoon instant yeast in 1 tbsp lukewarm water.
- 2
Set aside the mixture for 10 minutes or until the mixture turns foamy.
- 3
Have ready rice flour and water.
- 4
Place sifted rice flour into a medium size bowl and add in water. Whisk and combine till you get a thick and smooth batter. Then set aside.
- 5
Next, have ready sugar, water and knotted pandan leaves.
- 6
In a saucepan, heat up the sugar with water and pandan leaves until sugar dissolves.
- 7
Then slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the rice flour mixture, stirring it constantly to prevent lumps forming.
- 8
Leave aside the rice flour mixture to cool until warm. (about 30 C)
- 9
When cooled, add in the foamy instant yeast mixture and stir well to combine everything together.
- 10
Then cover with plastic wrap and leave to proof in a warm environment for 2 hours.
- 11
Or until large bubbles form on the surface.
- 12
When ready, add in 1/2 tsp of cooking oil. Stir the batter again, mixing well. And we are ready to steam the cake.
- 13
Prepare steamer by bringing the water in the steamer to a rapid boil.
- 14
Brush a 10 inch round cake pan with cooking oil.
- 15
Pour the ready batter into the oiled cake pan.
- 16
Rest 20 minutes until small bubbles appear.
- 17
Place in steamer and steam for 30 minutes on high heat.
- 18
Remove the cake pan from steamer and let cool on the counter before cutting the cake.
- 19
Once it is cool enough to handle, gently run a spatula along the edges to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Then remove the rice cake from pan.
- 20
Simply cut the white rice cake into slices and served as snacks.