Brown Sugar Steamed Rice Cake

Name: Brown Sugar Steamed Rice Cake
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup rice flour; 2/3 cup brown sugar; 1 cup water; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; a pinch salt

A soft, silky steamed cake with caramel-like brown sugar flavor. This traditional Chinese dessert is naturally gluten-free and comes out perfectly smooth when steamed just right.

25 min

Easy

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This classic dim sum treat gets its delicate texture from rice flour and its beautiful amber color from brown sugar. The key is letting it cool completely before slicing—patience yields clean cuts.

Ingredients

rice flour 1 cup

brown sugar 2/3 cup

water 1 cup

vegetable oil 1 tablespoon

salt a pinch

Instructions

Make the batter

Dissolve the brown sugar in warm water, stirring until fully melted. Let it cool slightly, then whisk in the rice flour, oil, and salt until completely smooth with no lumps.

Prepare the pan

Lightly oil a 9-inch round pan or heatproof dish. Pour the batter in and let it rest for 5 minutes—this helps any bubbles rise to the surface.

Steam until set

Bring water to a vigorous boil in your steamer. Carefully place the pan in, cover tightly, and steam over high heat for about 8 minutes. The cake is done when the surface looks glossy and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool and slice

Remove from steamer and place on a wire rack. Cool completely at room temperature—this takes at least 1 hour. Once fully cooled, run a thin spatula around the edges and invert onto a board. Cut into squares or wedges to serve.