EASY Chinese New Year Cake (Baked Nian Gao)
User Reviews
5
EASY Chinese New Year Cake (Baked Nian Gao)
Description
The recipe for baked Nian Gao incorporates glutinous rice flour as the key ingredient, which provides the signature sticky, chewy texture. Brown sugar sweetens the cake and lends a deep caramel flavor, especially if using light or dark brown sugar. Coconut cream enriches the batter, making it creamy and moist, while a bit of grated ginger offers a mild spice note that complements the sweetness.
The cake batter is mixed and poured into an oiled pan before baking at a moderate temperature for about 50 minutes. Although the interior appears moist and translucent rather than fully dry, the cake sets into a firm but tender consistency when cooled. The crust browns lightly, adding subtle textural contrast.
Baked Nian Gao is traditionally eaten hot, and its sticky texture makes it a festive dessert often enjoyed during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Reheating is recommended to soften the cake after it cools, either by pan-frying or microwaving, as it can become firm when chilled.
Due to reduced sugar, storing is suggested only up to a couple of days. Alternative cooking methods such as steaming or frying after dipping in egg can provide different textures.
Ingredients
- 7.9 oz glutinous rice flour 225g. Most Chinese people use Thai glutinous rice flour (sticky rice flour) but you can also use Mochiko Flour/ sweet rice flour. DO NOT use regular rice flour as a substitute for glutinous rice flour. I'm too lazy to sift and never received any complaints.
- 1 Cup sugar 7 oz or 200g. Use light brown or dark brown sugar.
- ⅙ teaspoon salt you can omit if you don't like salt in your desserts but it's a flavor enhancer.
- 1 inch ginger peeled and grated. (Use the juice too.) Optional.
- 9.3 oz coconut cream 265g.
- 3 oz water 85g. Omit if using coconut milk. I will update with the exact quantity to substitute after testing.
- 0.7 oz neutral cooking oil 20g. Use sesame oil or a neutral vegetable oil. Do NOT use olive oil. Substitute: melted butter, generic cooking oil
- 2 egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/ 177C/ 167 C fan.
- Mix the dry ingredients (glutinous rice flour, sugar, salt. If adding ginger or other spices such as cinnamon, you can add it now.)
- Stir in the coconut cream, water, and oil or melted butter till you don't see any flour. (The batter will be a bit lumpy, don't worry.)
- Slowly fold in the beaten eggs.
- Pour into an oiled 9-inch cake tin. Bake for 50 minutes or till cooked through. (The inside will look wet and underbaked, but it should have formed a cohesive translucent dough, instead of being a wet batter. Refer to the Step-by-Step for a photo of what the cooked batter looks like.)
- Once baked and golden brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from tin and cutting.
Notes
- Store the cake for no more than one to two days as reduced sugar affects its shelf life.
- Reheat by pan-frying or microwaving to soften, avoiding steaming to preserve the crust.
- Traditional methods include dipping the cake in egg and deep-frying for a different texture, though this recipe has not been tested that way.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 380 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 380kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 71g | 24% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 41mg | 14% |
| Sodium | 81mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 41mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 47g | 94% |
| Vitamin A | 59IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 0.04mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 10mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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