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Turnip Cake-Radish Cake

December 3, 2014 20 Comments

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Classic dim sum dish-Chinese turnip cake (Radish cake)

Chinese radish cake or turnip cake is a famous Chinese dessert available during the morning dim sum, Yun Cha. In Chinese, we name this type of cake as Gao in marinade or Gow in Cantonese dialect. There are also fried sponsored cake and taro cake. Those savory and yummy cake desserts are perfect side dish for a morning tea especially in fall or winter.

When winter finally comes, the feeling of New Year becomes stronger too. We will have a big family part for this year. So I am testing, trying and preparing my New Year dinner dishes and spring festivals dish now. In the following month, we will begin to embrace holidays.

Turnip Cake-Radish Cake Turnip Cake-Radish Cake

Food with white color, like radish and lotus root, lotus seeds, and white lily are considered to be beneficial lung according to Wuxing Healthy Science. I did not test it but eating white food in fall and winter is a long Chinese history.

To make this radish cake at home, usually we need long radish (turnip), shitake mushroom, dried shrimp and Chinese sausage also known as Leop Cheung. However if you failed to find Chinese sausage, you can replace it with fresh ground pork. If you want to duplicate the taste at home, high quality Chinese sweet sausage is something worth searching.

Larger shreds of white radish can remain some radish test and texture in the final cake, while if they are finely shredded, it would be really hard for eater to connect radish with this yummy rice cake.

Turnip Cake-Radish Cake

Chinese radish cake steps (2)

5 from 1 vote
Print
Turnip Cake-Radish Cake
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
 

Classic Dim Sum dish--radish cake

Course: dim sum, Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: cake, radish
Servings: 12 making around 12 cakes
Calories: 154 kcal
Author: Elaine
Ingredients
  • 300 g plain rice flour
  • 1000 g Fresh long radish , aka daikon/turnip
  • 800 ml water including the water squeezed from the white radish
  • 3-4 middle size shiitake mushroom
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder , can be replaced by white pepper powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried shrimp-pre soaked
  • 100 g Chinese sausage
  • 1/4 middle size red onion
  • 3 green onions
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • Vegetable cooking oil as needed
  • 1 tablespoon cooking wine
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, soak the dried shrimp until softened. Set aside, drain well and cut both shrimp and shiitake mushroom into really small cubes.
  2. Peel all the skin of radish and then use a shredder to finely shred the radish. If you do not want to taste any radish texture in the final cake, shred the radish as small as possible.
  3. Transfer shredded radish in a large pot or bowl, spread salt on the surface and rub with hand. Set aside for around 20 minutes to 30 minutes until the radish shreds are totally softened.
  4. To prepare the side ingredients: in a small pan, add around 1/2 tablespoon oil and then fry onions, dried shrimp, sausage and shitake mushroom until aroma. Set aside.
  5. Squeeze the water out and transfer to another large mixing pot. Mix all the flour with the water squeezed out from the radish and the left water. Add radish shreds and Chinese five spice powder. Mix well and heat over medium fire to boil.
  6. Add other side ingredients and mix well.
  7. Brush some oil on your container and then transfer the mixture to the container. Steam for around 50 minutes; absorb any water on surface with a clean gauze or towel.
  8. Cut into slices around 1.5 cm in thickness after cooling down.
  9. Pan-fry until slightly brown on both sides. Sprinkle some chopped green onion and serve with your favorite tea.
Recipe Notes

The Nutrition Facts is based on each single cake.

Nutrition Facts
Turnip Cake-Radish Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 154 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 20mg 7%
Sodium 408mg 17%
Potassium 240mg 7%
Total Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 2g
Protein 4g 8%
Vitamin A 0.4%
Vitamin C 22.7%
Calcium 3.5%
Iron 4.1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Turnip Cake-Radish Cake

Filed Under: dessert and bakery, dim sum, Recipes

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Comments

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  1. Julia | JuliasAlbum.com says

    December 4, 2014 at 11:28 pm

    I love savory cakes. The combination of turnip, mushrooms, sausage and shrimp flavors sounds so good. The cakes look great, too!

    Reply
  2. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

    December 6, 2014 at 11:08 pm

    Never made a recipe like this before. Definitely something I am inspired to try as I love asian flavours..

    Reply
    • Elaine Luo says

      December 7, 2014 at 7:57 am

      It is really a savory dish for a morning tea.

      Reply
  3. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says

    January 7, 2015 at 10:33 am

    Elaine, I love these!!! oh I can’t wait to try!! love anything Asian!

    Reply
    • Elaine Luo says

      January 8, 2015 at 9:04 am

      Thanks Alice. You really need to try this with one afternoon tea.

      Reply
  4. Kim | Mom, Can I Have That? says

    March 18, 2015 at 9:01 pm

    Elaine! This is hands-down, my all time favorite dim sum dish! I LOVE radish cake! I am so glad to finally have a recipe for it. Thanks for sharing the recipe and technique. -Kim

    Reply
    • Elaine Luo says

      March 20, 2015 at 8:24 am

      Welcome. Kim! Happy cooking ahead.

      Reply
  5. Robbin says

    May 19, 2015 at 10:06 am

    these are one of my favorite dim sum -0h THANK you!!!!

    Reply
    • Elaine Luo says

      May 19, 2015 at 7:40 pm

      You are the most welcome! Robbin!

      Reply
  6. Min says

    January 25, 2017 at 4:21 am

    Do you have picture of what kind of radish / turnip you’re using?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      January 26, 2017 at 9:59 pm

      Hi Min,
      I use normal long daikon radish.

      Reply
  7. Upset and disappointed says

    January 28, 2017 at 12:16 pm

    Followed this recipe to a t to take to my in-laws for CNY tonight. Ended up with mush that wouldn’t cake. Never again. So disappointed.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      January 30, 2017 at 10:28 am

      It should be severed when it’s hot. Otherwise it become hard and caking.

      Reply
  8. Jen says

    November 4, 2017 at 7:48 am


    Made this recipe yesterday and it turned out so well. The texture and taste were spot on. I ate it with some congee and homemade salted duck egg. Yum! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      November 4, 2017 at 7:36 pm

      Thanks for your feedback, Jen. I am so glad to know that you like it.

      Reply
  9. bruce says

    June 30, 2018 at 1:25 am

    my cake came out too stick. impossible to slice without making a mess. did i do something wrong?

    Reply
  10. Jackie Bristow says

    May 25, 2019 at 9:17 am

    hello. i am confused what dried shrimp are. thanks! also where to buy them

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      May 25, 2019 at 8:54 pm

      Check this dried shrimp from Amazon.

      Reply
  11. Jo Perez says

    August 6, 2019 at 5:41 am

    Can these be frozen? What way is best?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      August 6, 2019 at 9:55 am

      Yes, it can be frozen. But freezing can cause some changes in the texture. It may bring small holes inside. Keep in air-tight bag.

      Reply

Hi, Welcome!

Please not be limited by site name, as Elaine shares Chinese recipes beyond Sichuan dishes. Know me more from About Page

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