One Pan Baked Nian Gao

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease your glass 9x13" dish. I recommend also lining your dish with parchment paper to prevent the nian gao from sticking too much to the bottom.

Check your ingredients - if your kitchen is cold, your coconut milk may have separated. In this case, I recommend transferring your coconut milk to a microwave-safe container and heating until the fat can be stirred back into the liquid. The warm milk will also help the brown sugar dissolve. Alternatively, you can heat your water instead of the milk; just until warm, not boiling.

Mix glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, warm coconut milk, water, molasses (if using), and vegetable oil in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

Pour into the greased baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Optional: for a soft and sticky texture similar to steaming, place glass dish inside a larger roasting pan and fill the pan halfway with warm water to create a water bath. This will help the edges of the nian gao not to get crispy. However, if you like crispy nian gao you can skip this step.

Put in the oven an bake 90 minutes if using a water bath or 60 minutes if baking without a water bath, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Nian gao will be sticky but will not stick to the toothpick like batter when done cooking.)

Remove glass dish from the oven and take off the foil. If using, slice your red date in half, removing the pit, and firmly place on the top of the nian gao (you can do whatever configuration or decorative style you like).

Allow nian gao to cool to room temperature before slicing. I recommend greasing your knife and using a greased spatula to remove pieces from the pan, as it will be very sticky. Nian gao slices can also be pan fried for extra crispiness and flavor. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-3 days or in the fridge for around 5 days.