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Fa Gao (Chinese Prosperity Cake, 发糕)

Fa Gao, or Chinese prosperity cake, is a light and fluffy steamed sweet cake topped with jujubes. Make this celebratory cake for Chinese New Year to bring in good fortune! {Vegetarian}

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 158 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Snacks
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 50 g (1/3 cup) brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar (*Footnote 1)
  • 160 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 4 g (1 teaspoon) instant yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 16 jujubes , pitted, 10 halved, and the remaining 6 chopped

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the brown sugar, white sugar, and water into a small bowl. Microwave to heat up for 30 seconds. Stir to dissolve completely. Let the water cool off while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Sift the flour into a medium-sized bowl. Add the yeast and stir to mix well.
  3. Once the mixture of sugar water cools to skin temperature, pour it into the flour. Add the egg. Stir everything together to mix well until it forms a smooth batter, but do not over mix. Run the batter through a colander into a big bowl, pressing down any remaining bits that are not mixed evenly. Add the chopped jujubes. Stir again to mix well.
  4. Grease a 6” cake pan with a thin layer of oil. Pour in the batter. Shake the pan to smooth out the batter. Arrange the halved jujubes on top. Let rise in a warm spot until the size doubles, 1 hour or so.
  5. Prepare a steamer by adding 2” (5 cm) water into the pot. Heat covered over medium-high heat until boiling. Place the cake pan onto the steamer rack, and place the rack over the steamer. Steam for 30 minutes over medium-high heat. Then turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes (do not remove the cover).
  6. Once done, transfer the cake pan onto a rack to cool off slightly. Then turn it upside down to remove the cake. Once it’s cooled enough to handle by hand, or to room temperature, slice it into wedges and serve.

Notes

  • The brown sugar adds color and the white sugar adds more sweetness. If you want a sweeter tasting Fa Gao, use 2 to 3 tablespoons of white sugar.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 158kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 32.5g (11%) Protein 4.3g (9%) Fat 1.6g (2%) Saturated Fat 0.4g (2%) Cholesterol 47mg (16%) Sodium 21mg (1%) Potassium 123mg (4%) Fiber 0.7g (3%) Sugar 7.8g (16%) Calcium 25mg (3%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 158

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 158kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 32.5g 11%
Protein 4.3g 9%
Fat 1.6g 2%
Saturated Fat 0.4g 2%
Cholesterol 47mg 16%
Sodium 21mg 1%
Potassium 123mg 3%
Fiber 0.7g 3%
Sugar 7.8g 16%
Calcium 25mg 3%
Iron 2mg 11%

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