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Chinese Pumpkin Cake
5 from 147 votes

Chinese Pumpkin Cake

Chinese Pumpkin Cake features steamed mashed pumpkin combined with glutinous rice flour and sugar to form a soft, slightly sticky dough that is pan-fried to achieve a golden, tender exterior. Optional toppings like sesame seeds or panko breadcrumbs add texture contrasts. The cake is best enjoyed hot to maintain its soft, moist interior and mild sweetness, making it a comforting snack or dessert.

Servings: 12 pancakes
Calories: 91 kcal
Course: Dessert, Breakfast, Snacks
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 0.55 lb pumpkin Flesh only, cut into 1 inch cubes. Weight is before steaming (your pumpkin will lose some weight after steaming!)
  • 0.55 lb glutinous rice flour Substitute: Mochiko flour or sweet rice flour. Do not use allpurpose or regular rice flour.
  • 2.12 oz white sugar Alternative: brown sugar
  • vegetable oil Don't skimp on the oil even if pan frying, or your pancake will stick to then pan and turn black, high smoke point
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds Optional. This is just for a centre garnish. If you want to coat the entire pumpkin cake, you'll need more, about ½ Cup. You can also coat with ⅓ Cup Japanese panko breadcrumbs for a crispier skin.

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut your pumpkin into 1-inch cubes, removing the skin and seeds.
  2. Steam the pumpkin cubes till cooked, about 10 minutes or when a fork can pierce through. (If you don't have a steamer, see the post above for how to create a makeshift set-up.)
  3. If your pumpkin has tons of water, drain off the excess. (I didn't have to as mine stayed dry.)
  4. Whilst the pumpkin is still hot, pour in the sugar and mash well. Ideally, use a potato masher or, if you don't have one, a fork works too.Tip: the sugar should draw out some water making it easier to knead your pumpkin, but if it's still too dry, add a bit of water, starting with 1 Tablespoon.
  5. Once the pumpkin and sugar have become a homogenous orange mash, add the glutinous rice flour. Do not add all at 1 go as different pumpkins will require different amounts of flour, depending on how moist they are.
  6. Add ¾ of the flour first, then add more as you need. Knead till the dough changes from sticky to smooth and not-sticky.
  7. Once the dough is smooth (see above) and there are no more flour pockets, roll into a log and divide into 12 equal portions.
  8. Roll each portion into a round ball then flatten with your hand to make a pancake. Do this against a non-stick surface such as a baking tray.Note: if adding a filling, roll the filling into a smaller ball then place in the centre of your pancake. Wrap the pancake around the filling till closed then flatten.
  9. Optional garnish: place a few sesame seeds in the centre of each pancake. You can also cover the pumpkin cake entirely with sesame seeds or panko breadcrumbs for more crunch! (You may need to brush the pancake with a light coat of water to get them to stick.)
Frying
  1. Heat 2-3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan on a low fire.
  2. Pan-fry for 3-5 minutes per side or till golden brown (don't let it burn!) Flip and brown the other side.
  3. Plate and serve. Best eaten hot!Note: You may want to place cooked pumpkin cakes on a kitchen towel to drain off excess oil but note that uncoated ones will stick a little to the paper.

Notes

  • Use sufficient oil for frying to prevent sticking and burning; vegetable oil with a high smoke point is recommended.
  • For a crispier crust, consider deep frying or double frying the cakes for a few seconds on the second fry.
  • Serve the pumpkin cakes hot as the texture becomes hard and less enjoyable when cold.
  • To reheat, pan-fry gently or warm in a microwave or oven to restore softness.
  • The recipe's nutritional information is an estimate and may vary depending on ingredients and preparation.

Nutrition Information

Calories 91kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 20g (7%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 0.1g (1%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g (1%) Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g (1%) Sodium 180mg (8%) Potassium 68mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 0.4g (1%) Vitamin A 38IU (1%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 11mg (1%) Iron 0.2mg (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 pancakes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 91

% Daily Value*

Calories 91kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 20g 7%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0.1g 1%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g 1%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g 1%
Sodium 180mg 8%
Potassium 68mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 0.4g 1%
Vitamin A 38IU 1%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 11mg 1%
Iron 0.2mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.