Chinese New Year Cake, Nian Gao
Baked Version
3 Eggs
2 cups Brown Sugar
1 lb. Glutinous Rice Flour
2.5 cups Milk
1 t Baking Soda
1/3 cup Oil
1 T Vanilla Extract
1 can (~18 oz) Sweet Red Beans (the kind used on top of shaved ice)
Beat eggs with sugar and slowly add glutinous rice flour and milk. Stir the mixture until the ingredients are fully blended with each other before adding baking soda. Add oil gradually while stirring continuously. Stop when oil no longer appears as a separate layer from the rest of the ingredients. Add vanilla extract & red bean paste last. Stir and make sure there is no air bubble.
Oil the bottom and sides of a 9”x3” glass baking pan before pouring the mixture into it. Bake at 350˚F for 60 – 80 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick.
Steamed Version
1+2/3 cups Hot Water
1+1/3 cups Brown Sugar
4 cups Glutinous Rice Flour (such as Mochiko)
1 can (~18 oz) Sweet Red Beans (the kind used on top of shaved ice)
Mix hot water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Let cool. Add rice flour to sugar water and mix thoroughly. Add beans and mix well.
Line baking pan with sheet of plastic wrap (or, oil pan). Put rice paste mixture into the pan. (OK to use 2 pans to fit into steamer.) Line steamer with cheese cloth and put pan in steamer. Steam over boiling water for 2 hours. Test for doneness with a toothpick.