Chinese Prosperity Cakes (發糕) (Fa Gao/Fat Goh)

1. Lightly grease 7 small brioche tins. Set aside.

Make the batter:

1. In a heat-proof medium bowl, combine sugar and hot water.
2. Mix well to dissolve the sugar. Let cool.
3. Remove 2 tablespoon of cooled sugar syrup and place into a small bowl.
4. Add baking powder and baking ammonia to the small bowl of sugar syrup and stir well.
5. To the medium bowl of sugar syrup, stir in vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar.
6. Sift cake flour into the medium bowl of sugar syrup.
7. Pour the baking powder and baking ammonia mixture into the cake flour mixture.
8. Use a spatula to combine all the ingredients very well.

Color the batter:

1. Prepare 3 separate bowls, each with 1 teaspoon of matcha powder, 1 teaspoon of red yeast rice powder, and 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder.
2. Divide the batter into 3 equal parts, about 115g for each color and pour it into each bowl. Note 1: the consistency of the batter should be thick and not runny. If it appears runny, adjust and add in additional 5g of cake flour to the batter. Note 2: this recipe yields 7 cakes; you will have 1 extra portion -- mix in an additional 5 g cake flour to this particular plain/white portion.
3. Fill the batter into greased brioche molds, to about 100% full.

Steam the cakes:

1. Place the cakes into a steamer with hot water over high heat.
2. Draw a cross on the surface of the batter using a toothpick/skewer.
3. Cover and steam on high heat for 20-25 minutes, until puffy and the surface has cracked.