How to Bake Chinese New Year Cake
Serves: 12
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 55 mins
Ingredients needed to make Chinese New Year Cake:
- 1 lb sweet rice flour
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut, sweetened
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 3 cups milk
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the dish
Cooking instructions for Chinese New Year Cake:
- Place a rack midway within the oven and warm it up to 350 degrees F.
- Grease the sides and base of a 13’’x9’’ baking dish with small amount of melted butter and keep it aside until required.
- Spread the shredded coconut across a baking sheet and place them in the hot oven to toast for about 5 minutes, until they turn golden brown; remove from oven and set aside.
- Crack the eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat them slightly until the yolks break down.
- Empty the cups of granulated sugar into it, followed by the melted butter and whisk thoroughly until the sugar dissolves.
- Beat in milk and a splash of coconut extract until well combined and set aside.
- Place the rice flour in a separate bowl and stir in a dash of salt.
- Add this dry mixture gradually into the whisked egg-milk blend, while beating it into the mixture until all of it is used up and incorporate into the mixture to form a smooth batter.
- Continue to whisk the batter for a couple of minutes or until it turns smoother and tip it into the prepared dish.
- Level the surface out with a spatula and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until it is nearly set.
- Scatter the toasted coconut on top of the half-baked cake and move the dish by 180 degree before baking the cake further for another 25 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges brown slightly.
- Take the dish out of the oven and set aside for half an hour to allow it to cool slightly.
- Slice and serve with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce.
- The leftovers can be wrapped up in a plastic sheet and stored in the fridge for several days.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
