Steamed Beehive Rice Cake (Pak Tong Koh)

Steamed Beehive Rice Cake (Pak Tong Koh)

One of my favourite cake is this traditional Chinese steamed cake. It is not as sweet as other local cakes. I have tried several times to make sure the recipe is a success.

Ingredients:
125 g rice flour
1 tbsp cornflour
100 g sugar
250 ml water
1 tbsp fresh yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp alkaline water

Method:

1. Add 150 ml water to the rice flour with cornflour and mix well. Leave the thick mixture aside while preparing the syrup.

2. To prepare the syrup, boil sugar with 100 ml water and salt. When boiling, pour the syrup into rice flour mixture. Stir well and leave aside to cool. Add 1/2 a teaspoon of alkaline water to the mixture.

3. Dissolve 1 tbsp fresh yeast in 2 tbsp of lukewarm water. Add a teaspoon of flour to the mixture to make sure the yeast rises properly. Stir well, cover and let the mixture rise until small tiny bubbles appear. It will take about 20 minutes depending on the weather. It will rise faster in warm weather.

4. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Let it rise again. It will take about 1/2 an hour. When the mixture rises it is ready to be steamed. Pour the mixture into a greased tin.

5. Add the mixture into the steamer. Steam for about 20 minutes. The cake is cooked when it is firm when touch.

Note: If instant yeast is used, use only 1 teaspoon of it. Let the yeast to rise first before adding to the flour mixture. This will ensure that your cake will rise and the yeast is fresh. Do not used expired yeast.

Steamed Pumpkin Cake

Steamed Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin cake is similar to the Chinese yam cake. The different is the colour and taste. It can be served for breakfast or during tea time. Usually the cake is served with chili sauce. It is light and yet delicious.

Ingredients:

 

 
 

 

150 g pumpkin
1 cup rice flour
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp 5 spice powder (optional)
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp dried prawns (blend till fine)
1 big mushrooms ( cut into small cubes)

Garnishing:
red chillies (Chopped till fine)
fried sliced onions

Method:
1. Clean pumpkin skin and cut into cubes or shred it finely.

2. Mix rice flour with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil and fry dried prawns with mushrooms. When it is fragrant, mix  all the ingredients together and stir thoroughly till the mixture thickens slightly.Transfer the mixture into a tray.

3. Heat up a steamer. When the water is boiling, put the tray in the steamer.
4. Cover the steamer and steam for 40 minutes. The cake is cooked when it is firm.
5. When cooked, sprinkle some fried onions and red chillies on top of the steamed cake.
6. Cool the cake before cutting into diamond shape.

Note: This steamed pumpkin cake can be served with chili sauce. Let it cooled down before cutting into diamond shape.

Steamed Cake With Minced Meat

Steamed Cake With Minced Meat

This steamed cake with minced meat is easy to prepare. If you like to steam cake, you can try this recipe. Make sure you use fresh egg for the cake to rise properly.

Ingredients for the cake:

200 g all purpose flour
50 g sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 big eggs
50 ml milk
50 ml oil

Ingredients for the minced meat:

100 g minced meat
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

METHOD:
1. Prepare 16 cm cake tin and line with a piece of greased proved paper.

2. Boil water in a steamer with the cake tin.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar together till it bubbles.
4. Add in milk and beat together for 1 minute.
5. Mix in flour with baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
6. Add into the blended mixture.
7. Pour out the blended cake mixture into the steaming cake tin.
8. Mix the minced meat ingredients together and spread on top of the cake mixture.

9. Steam about 30 minutes with medium heat.

Note: Make sure the eggs and sugar are beaten till it is thick and fluffy. This will ensure that the cake will rise properly.