Baking For Cowboys: Baked Coconut Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake) 烤椰汁年糕

If you make traditional steamed Nian Gao every year for Chinese New Year and would like to try some twisted recipe, this is the recipe for you, Baked Nian Gao.

Nian Gao 年糕, translated to Year Cake or Chinese New Year Cake and is usually eaten during Chinese New Year. It is considered good luck to eat Nian Gao during this great festive season because Nian Gao, 年糕 is homonym for "higher year", 年高. Therefore, Nian Gao has symbolism of raising oneself taller/higher in each coming year. Each year is higher or better than the previous year 年年高升, especially at work.

My belated Mother-in-law once told me that one must only say good thing when making the Nian Gao, other wise you will end up with an uncooked end product.

Nian Gao, made with glutinous rice flour, like mochi, is steamed and has a soft, dense, sticky and chewy texture. It will be harden after a few days. You will then sliced it into thin pieces, dipped in whisked egg and pan fry them, or sandwich them with a piece of yam and sweet potato and fry with batter coating. Other than that, you can steamed it and coated with some grated coconut.

In view of all the works involved, I would prefer this simple and easy Nian Gao recipe with a twist, the Baked Nian Gao. Ya, baked instead of steamed. It is a really simple and easy recipe. The baked Nian Gao has a western cake like crust but retain the traditional version of soft, sticky and chewy texture in the middle. Wonderful texture, I would say.

Ingredients:

250 g Glutinous rice flour or sticky rice flour
1 Packet of 200ml coconut milk (or 250 ml)
50 ml fresh milk (omit, if using 250 ml of coconut milk)
5 Eggs
200 g granulated sugar
200 g brown sugar

Note: You may use 400 g granulated sugar and omit the brown sugar.

You will also need a 16 cm x 16 cm baking tray, non stick spray and parchment paper and a wire whisk.

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C.
Spray the baking tray with non stick spray and lay a piece of parchment paper at the bottom.

With a hand whisk or hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until well combined.

Add in the coconut milk, milk and glutinous rice flour and beat until you get a smooth batter (free of any lump).

Pour batter into the baking tray.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or springy when touch.

Note: The cake will deflate a bit but that is normal.

The baked Nian Gao is best to be eaten while it is still warm. Any unfinished portion can be wrapped with cling wrap or keep in container and refrigerated. You may microwave for a few second to get back the soft and chewy texture.