Chinese traditional sticky rice cake - Niangao

Sorry Chinese New Year is already finished but I still want to share this recipe with you all, because it is so delicious!

Last time I shared the sticky rice cake/niangao recipe by the baking method, this time is by steaming method!

I really prefer the steaming method, I feel home when I taste it! I miss home :( highly recommend this recipe!

Brown/Cane sugar - you can find it in Chinese supermarket

Ingredients
1cup water

250g brown/cane sugar (you can buy them in Chinese supermarket)

80ml coconut cream
30g vegetable oil

200g glutinous flour
70g wheat flour

When you fry the cake on the pan:
1 whisked egg

Instructions
1. Bring 1cup water to boil in a pot, add brown sugar, let it dissolved 
Note: to prevent water from evaporating, use a lid to cover the pot

2. Add coconut cream and oil, let the mixture cool down
Prepare the steam tool

3. Add in flours and stir well, use a spetula to press the lumps until the mixture becomes smooth

4. Pour the mixture into a round mold (about 5-6 inches)
Steam under medium - high heat for 75mins, if you use a wok or pot to steam the cake, ensure the water won't be all evaporated and become dried!!
Note: It is a bit sticky even the cake is well cooked, so better steam longer time if you are not sure

5. Let the cake cool down, then put it in the fridge for at least several hours - the cake will become hardened and not/less sticky

6. To serve: slice the cake into pieces, coat the pieces with whisked egg, fry at medium or low heat, fry both sides until golden yellow color, the cake should be now hot, soft and chewy!

Enjoy!

Carrot cake - spongy texture

Honestly carrot cake is not my favorite cake, I don't even like carrot, as my mother always said it yellows our skin... anyway, when I was cutting the carrots for making food for my cats, I was thinking how can I use up these carrots quickly? I have a sister who just made it in the morning, when my husband came home, I asked him if he likes carrot cake, my husband said he loves it, especially with icing on it. Okay... so I try my 1st carrot cake.




There are lots of carrot cake recipes on google, but I chose this one because they use brown sugar, nutmeg, I think it is great combination with cinnamon. The cake looks darker since brown sugar is used.
It smells so good in the kitchen when I bake it and the texture is very spongy and soft!

It's nice too to top with caramel popcorn :)

Ingredients
175g brown sugar
175ml vegetable oil
3 eggs
140g grated carrots
100g raisins (I didn't use this time as I have none at home)
grated zest of 1 large orange
175g flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1tsp cinnamon powder
1/2tsp nutmeg powder* 

*if you have fresh, grate it - it gives better flavor, if you don't have any at home, it is ok!

Frosting:
175g icing sugar
2tbsp orange juice/lemon juice

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 180°c
In a mixing bowl, mix sugar, oil & eggs

2. Stir in grated carrot, raisins & grated orange

3. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder & nutmeg powder

4. Pour the mixture into the mould - I suggest using the mould you can fill the pan with at least 2inches high, so that you can feel the spongy texture
Bake for 45mins or until it is golden - insert a knife in the mixture, if it comes out clean = ready!
when it's cooled down, put the cake on a serving plate

5. In a bowl, beat the icing sugar and juice, press the lumps if there is any so that the frosting becomes smooth, it should be a bit runny
Pour the frosting on the top of the cake

Enjoy!