Bai Tong Gao (or Pak Tong Gou in Cantonese) is a traditional Hong Kong dessert that the locals like to eat as a tea time snack. This steamed cake was introduced to our local scene, and usually available in the traditional bakery shops or Kueh stalls. The steamed cake is white in color, soft in texture and very sweet.
My mother told me that this steamed cake is not easy to make, as you need to make sure there are the nice honey comb structure when it is steamed. I remembered I made this cake years ago, albeit not too successful. I have an urge to make the cake again. I have wanted to eat this steamed cake, but those sold outside are much too sweet for me.
So I started researching for recipes for this steamed cake. Finally I decided to use the recipe by TheBurningKitchen, but I modified the process a little to make it more simplified and healthier. And I still achieve the soft texture with fine honeycomb structures. For the Rice flour, I did not sift it. I also skip the process of making a “yeast starter” by mixed yeast and 1 tbsp warm water. I have added a bit more water to the sugar syrup as the boiling process will lose some water content. As I wanted a healthier steamed cake, I did not grease the metal plate at all. I was very thankful that after the cake is steamed, I use a knife to run through the edges of the cake, the whole cake came out nicely (without sticking to the metal plate). This is because I have added some oil (albeit a reduced amount as compared to original recipe) to the steamed cake prior to fermentation.
I reduced the original recipe’s ingredients by 2/3 as my plate size is 6.5″. If your plate is 7.5″, please increase the ingredients proportionately. For the sugar level, I use 30 grams myself (it is mildly sweet or almost bland), but I recommend 40 grams below for a slight sweetness. If you prefer the normal sweet steamed cake, please use 66 grams.
The final outcome of the steamed cake, I see the nice honeycomb structure and the cake is soft. Enjoy!
This is whisking rice flour, salt with water until well blended.
Making the sugar syrup with water, sugar and Pandan leaves.
This is after adding sugar syrup, yeast and oil to the Rice flour batter.
This is after 2 hours of fermentation, you can see the bubbles on the surface of the batter. The batter is quite runny or watery. Please stir the batter to mix the flour that sink to the bottom with the batter before pouring into the hot metal plate in the steamer.
This is how the steamed cake looks like after steaming for 20 mins.
Steam White Sugar Cake/Rice Cake – Bai Tong Gao (白糖糕) Recipe (6.5″ round metal bowl)
Preparation Time: 20 mins Preparing + 2 hours fermenation + 20 mins Steaming. Serve 3 – 4 pax.
Recipe modified from TheBurningKitchen
Ingredients
93 grams rice flour (no need to sift)
40 grams sugar (original recipe uses 66 grams)
100 ml water for rice flour
125 ml water for sugar syrup
4 Pandan leaves (washed, dried and cut into 2-3 cm long per piece)
1/2 tsp yeast
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Vegetable oil
A small quantity of white and black sesame seeds (optional)
Method
- Add 100 ml of water to rice flour and salt, use hand whisk to mix together.
- To make sugar syrup, in a saucepan over low/medium heat, add 125 ml water, sugar, and Pandan leaves slices. Bring to a boil, and continue boiling for about 5 mins to melt sugar and force out the pandan fragrance from the pandan leaves. Then off the heat and let the sugar syrup cool down slightly.
- Once the sugar syrup has cooled down to a temperature (less than 43 oC) that when the finger touch and is not too hot, pour the sugar syrup into the rice flour batter. Use hand whisk to mix well.
- Add yeast to the batter, mixed well. Then add oil to the batter, mixed well.
- Let the batter sit for 2 hours to ferment. Before you steamed, make sure there are bubbles formed on the surface of the batter (if there are no bubbles, you will need to discard the batter).
- In the steamer or deep wok, make sure there are sufficient water for steaming. If you are worried, stand by another kettle of hot boiling water to add in to the steamer or wok when water run lows.
- Make sure the water is boiling, and heat up your metal plate inside the wok. Use the hand whisk to stir the batter again as the flour would have sink to the bottom of the bowl, mix well (but do not over-mix). Then pour the batter into the metal plate. Use a aluminium foil to cover the top of the plate.
- Cover the wok and steam for 20 mins. Do not open up the wok while steaming.
- Use a skewer to poke the steamed cake, if it comes up clean, means the steamed cake is done.
- Optional – I use the saucepan to lightly fry the white and black sesame over medium heat for a few minutes until I can smell the fragrance of the sesame seeds. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top of the Steam cake for added aroma.
Enjoy!