Easy and healthy Chinese steamed rice cake recipe (Rice Fa gao) that you will love once you tried. I have planned quite a long time ago to make the two types of Chinese steamed rice cake with videos. And finally I bring the two on the blog.
There are two types of Chinese steamed rice cake-- one is made from pure rice flour (with large spongy like holes) and the other one is made with rice flour and plain flour (with small holes). Although the ingredients are similar, the two types of steamed rice cakes are different. Pure rice flour rice cake, also known as Bai Tang Gao in mandarin and Bak Tong Gao in Cantonese, is fluffy and chewy. Usually Bai Tang Gao is served after cooling down. However rice fa gao should be served when still warm. This post introduces steamed rice fa gao firstly and then Bai tang gao recipe will come later in next recipe.
In China, this is usually served as a dessert as breakfast or between meals. My favorite serving way is with tea as those rice cakes are a little bit too sweet for me.
The batter for this one is quick thick, something similar to chiffon cake batter. The final steamed rice cake is not middle fluffy and dry. We have another steamed rice cake with a thin batter, which is moist and more fluffy.
Steamed Rice Cake
Ingredients
- 250 g water milled rice flour
- 50 g plain flour
- 120 g to 150g sugar
- 210 ml hot water
- 5 g instand yeast
- Oil for brushing
Instructions
- Dissolve sugar in hot water and set aside to cool down to warm or room temperature (under 38 degree C)
- Mix rice flour, flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl and stir in sugar liquid. Combine and mix well.
- Set aside to ferment for 2-4 hours based on the temperature. It takes me 2.5 hours in room temperature around 25-28 degree C until there are lots of small bubbles on the surface and the batter rises twice.
- Brush the moulds with oil and scoop the liquid to full 80% full. Bring water to boil in wok and then steam the cakes for 20 minutes over high fire.
- Wait for 5 minutes, transfer out, cool down slightly and de-mould when still warm.
- This cake should be served warm. Reheat before serving if necessary.
Notes
Nutrition
vicky
I have been successful on almost every recipe you posted here, but not this one. I don't know why.
First of all, after I add half amount of the rice flour into boiling water, all water was obsorbed completely by the flour. It was difficult to add another half flour and kept it a little running like your picture shows here. I added more water and another half flour; the batter still didn't like yours; mine was too dry. Second, the batter didn't raise. I used coconut sugar instead of normal sugar. What's wrong here? I failed on this one.
Elaine Luo
Hi Vicky,
Thanks for your feedback. I have made a mistake about the amount of water used. It should be around 2 cups or 2 plus 1/2 cups of boiling water. I have updated the recipe.
For the second question, try to place the batter container in warm places if the room temperature is low and wait for a longer time. It will raise as long as the yeast is working. Remember use warm water around 35 degree C to melt the yeast. Hot water will kill your yeast.
vicky
Thinks for the answer.
Lulu
Pls...may I ask if you can....use cups, tablespoon next your blog...or I
nstead of ml or grams ?thanks...
clover
Hi, just so you know I just try your recipe today but you forgot to update the liquid amount in your recipe (should be around 475ml/2cups not 220ml/1 cup).
Elaine
Clover,
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Would you please send me a picture of your version with 2 cups water?
vicky
I am going to try it again. Really miss the taste of rice cake I normally ate in my childhood. Thanks a lot. 🙂
Elaine Luo
Thanks for your kindness Vicky. It is my childhood cake too. Enjoy and Merry Christmas.
Lloyd
Hi
Agnes
I tried your recipe and it didn't work:( I'm thinking that maybe the flour/yeast I used was wrong. Can you post links if possible for the 2 ingredients?
Thank you 🙂
Elaine Luo
Hi Agnes,
Those steamed cake can be made with very common rice flour and instead yeast. Can you just give me more details so that I can help to try to figure out what's wrong. The rice flour is the plain rice flour but sticky rice flour. In most cases, it should be the proofing process. I have updated the recipe to proof it in larger container instead of the steaming container. So you can check the proofing process easier. Please try again and let me know about how it works.
Agnes
Hi Elaine,
When I added the flour to the boiling water it took all the water, once I added the second part of the flour I had to add more water but it never became as watery as yours on the pic. I added sugar and yeast, waited and then I mixed and purred into another container and then I waited a little bit longer and steamed for about 40 min as I had 1 big container not the small ones. Do you think that this was my mistake?
Thank you for helping me :):)
Agnes
Elaine Luo
Hi Agnes,
The problem might lay in the flour. If it is slightly waxy, the flour might become a dough after mixing with boiling water. Would you please try again with the latest recipe to directly mix all the flour with room temperature water.
Tonya
I was so looking forward to trying this recipe. I saved it for weeks till I found the right rice flour. I let it proof all afternoon till it was heavily foamy. Poured into ramekins and steamed for 15. Opened and there was no way they were done. They looked like pots of glue. So I steamed for another 15 and still not done. Taking it off the stove. They're not firming up at all. When I tasted the goo it just tastes like sweet yeast. Nothing like I've had at Asian restaurants. So disappointed.
Elaine Luo
Hi Tonya,
Thanks for your feedback and there might be something wrong during the process. Just wait me for sometime and I will update a video showing how to make those steamed rice cake at home, so you guys can follow the exact process.
Carla
Hi, you said that you'd upload a video. Have you done it? I have an assesment this week and wanted to know how they worked.
Thank you
Elaine Luo
Hi Carla,
The video is not done yet because I move my house last week. But I will be as quick as possible.
marla
after having them in water for 2 days how to store them? in water? room temperature? kid wants them for lunch every day
Elaine Luo
Hi Marla,
It is really nice to hear that you succeeded with this recipe. I get too many failure reports. Our traditional way is to store them in water and cover with a wet gauze from drying out. They can be kept for around 3 days in winter.
Agnes
Hi Elaine,
It was the rice flour I was using, Bob's Red Mill, but once I switched to thai rice flour I got a prefect rice cake :):)
Agnes :):)
Elaine Luo
Great News Agnes! And thanks for bringing that to attention.
Selina
Hi,
My batch comes out very runny, am i supposed to add the flour to the 'boiling' water like some mention here. The recipe asks for room temp...
I am worry it will not rise due to the batter looks runny to me..?!
Elaine Luo
Hi Selina,
What type of flour are you using? Water grounded or some other type?
Selina
Runny batter..
Lily M.
Can glutinous rice flour be used instead? If so how much is needed?
Elaine Luo
Hi Lily,
I am not sure about whether glutinous rice flour can work now. And I am planning to figure that out soon.