Pak Tong Gao 白糖糕

These days, you can hardly find this Pak Tong Gao 白糖糕 in Dim Sum Restaurant.  

It is something similar to honeycomb cake but it is white instead of brown due to the type of sugar used.  I have never serve this to my kids and am not sure how they take to it.  

Usually, this steam cake takes a few days to prepare but I chanced upon another recipe that uses just 2 hours to do it.  

With limited time today, I explored this option.

Findings: The texture is airy and does not stick to the teeth. Unfortunately, it is way too sweet for us.  Even hub who has a higher tolerance to sweetness, agrees to it.

Note: Someone tried out 90g of sugar and finds it still sweet.  So you might want to reduce it further.

Adapted: Source 

What you need:

140g rice flour

140g sugar (I will reduce this to 100g)

300ml water (150ml + 150ml)

3 pandan leaves, knotted

½ tsp dried yeast

¼ tsp salt

¼ tbsp cooking oil
¼ baking powder

Method:

Add 150ml water to the rice flour and mix well.

Bring sugar with 150ml water, salt and pandan leaves to a boil and stir until sugar dissolved.

Pour boiling syrup into rice flour mixture.  Stir well and strain mixture.  Leave aside to cool.

Dissolve yeast in 2 tbsp lukewarm water and add to cooled rice mixture.  Stir well, cover and leave to leaven for 1½ to 2 hours till small tiny bubbles appear.

Grease and preheat a 6” round tray in steamer.

Add cooking oil and baking powder to leavened mixture, stir well and pour into heated tray.   Steam for 20 minutes on high heat.

Remove and let it cool before cutting.


Enjoy!