Steamed Rice Cake / White Sugar Cake / Pak Tong Gou 白糖糕

This Chinese steamed rice cake, white sugar sponge cake has a slightly sweet, super bouncy, chewy addictive texture and amazing honeycomb pattern on the inside. The easiest and quickest way to make. You don't need to prepare rice and wine yeast like traditional ones. Also you don't need to wait for a long time for fermentation. It's not hard to do, just need a bit patience. you can make it at home easily, lets give it a go! This is improved version and original recipe from Josephine's Recipes and published on Feb 4, 2014. 

Makes 1 (5cm x 22cm) Large 
Makes 14 (24.4 x 18.3 x 3.3cm) Small

Ingredients 

(A)
• 1 tbsp warm water
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1 tsp dried yeast

(B)
• 150ml water
• 150g rice flour, not glutinous

(C)
• 150ml hot water
• 110g granulated sugar, optional (if you reduce the amount of sugar it will effect the taste)

(D)
• oil for brushing

(E)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:
1) In a small bowl, add 1 tbsp warm water, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tsp dried yeast, stir well, set aside.
2) Add 150g rice flour and 150g water into a large mixing bowl, stir together.
3) Combine 110g sugar with 150g hot water, stir until dissolves.
4) Pour the hot syrup into rice batter.
5) Add the yeast mixture and combined well.
6) Ferment in the warm oven less than 40°C, (especially in winter time) for about 1 hour to 2 hours until bubble arise on top. You can also use this recipe for cold fermentation. For example, place the cake mixture in the second shelf of fridge overnight and take it out in the next day. 

7) Add 1/2 tsp baking powder, and ferment for another 10-15 minutes.

8) Brush oil in a prepared bowl. stir the rice flour mixture before pouring, then place on the steaming rack in the wok.

9) Steam over medium high heat for about 25 minutes. Small ramekins only steam for 15 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

Helpful tips:
1) Proving yeast, stir with warm water, sugar and dried yeast to making bubble up it helps rise beautifully and save a lot of time. 
2) Over-proofed batter, will taste sour and turned out yellow browned in colour or steaming (not for too long) will turned slightly yellow like science-wise.
3) When you steam the cake, no need to use a plate to cover on top. 
4) The problem of dry and wrinkle skin on cake top, the reason is not rise enough and the steamer not enough space for the balance steaming.
5) You must pour hot syrup into rice batter.
6)  Pour hot water into steamer, and medium high heat, not low, not too high, and steam the cake mould first for about 3 minutes and pour the batter, this method no need to brush oil. 

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes