3 Ways to Make Soft and Beautiful Chinese Steamed Cake (Phát Tài Cake)

Activate the yeast

You will need to heat the milk using a water bath or put it in the microwave to warm it up.

You take 8g of dry yeast into a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of fresh milk and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar into the bowl, then stir well to dissolve the yeast mixture and set it aside to activate the yeast.

Mix the flour

You prepare a large bowl, sift 484g of regular rice flour and 40g of glutinous rice flour into the bowl, then use a whisk to mix the flours together. Next, you add 150g of sugar and stir again to combine the mixture.

Then, while stirring the flour with the whisk, gradually add in the fresh milk little by little, making sure to stir evenly so that the cake batter does not become lumpy.

When the flour mixture is smooth, you add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir once more. Next, you add all the activated yeast mixture to the flour and mix until the yeast is evenly incorporated.

After that, you sift the mixture again for smoothness, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 60 – 90 minutes.

Preparing the cake molds

This method will use 4 cake molds with a diameter of 11cm. This type of mold is designed with steam vents at the bottom, suitable for steaming the cake.

In addition, you should also prepare some sheets of parchment paper measuring 22 x 22cm. You fold the parchment paper in half to create a triangle, then fold it in half 4 – 5 more times and use scissors to cut along the edge so that the paper forms a circle.

You place the parchment paper into the cake mold, using another bowl to hold the paper in place so that it adheres closely to the mold, then remove the bowl, and do the same with the remaining 3 cake molds.

Steaming the cake

The fermented flour will have a lot of bubbles and will be fluffy like bean curd. You proceed to mix 10g of baking powder with 1 tablespoon of clean water and then add it to the flour mixture, using a whisk to mix until the flour mixture becomes smooth again.

You divide the flour into two parts, each part will add 2 – 3 drops of food coloring and then stir well to color the cake. Next, you pour the flour into the cake mold. Note, only fill about 2/3 of the mold.

To make the cake expand into a beautiful four-petal flower shape after steaming, you should use a toothpick or skewer dipped in cooking oil to draw a cross (+) on the surface of the cake.

Finally, you place the cake in a steamer that has boiled water and proceed to steam on high heat for 20 minutes.

Final Product

The steamed cake after 20 minutes is cooked, let it cool before removing it from the mold.

The finished sponge cake will bloom beautifully, the cake is soft, fluffy, and has a certain elasticity. When eaten, you will feel the cake melt in your mouth, it has a fragrant milk scent, a mild sweetness, and may have a slight sour smell from the baking powder.

The sponge cake can be stored at room temperature and used within 2 – 3 days. If stored in the refrigerator, it can last for 5 – 6 days, when eating, just re-steam it to warm it up.

Steam the pumpkin

After buying the pumpkin, wash it thoroughly, peel it, and cut out 120g of pumpkin flesh. Steam this amount in a steamer for 20 minutes until cooked.

Next, use a fork to mash the pumpkin until smooth.

Prepare the syrup

Prepare a pot, add 120g of sugar, 150ml of water, and 2 pandan leaves (roll the leaves into a bundle) and place it on the stove to heat on low. Remember to stir well until the sugar dissolves, then turn off the heat and let it cool.

Mix the batter

Prepare a large bowl, sift 250g of flour and 15g of baking powder into the bowl. Next, add the mashed pumpkin and the cooled syrup into the flour mixture, and use a whisk to mix well until the mixture is combined.

Then add 50ml of cooking oil to the batter and mix well to combine everything.

Steaming the cake

You prepare metal cake molds with a diameter of 7.5cm and line them with parchment paper. Next, carefully pour the batter into the cake molds so that the batter only fills up to 90% of the mold.

Before that, make sure to place a steaming pot on the stove to boil water. When the water is boiling, arrange the cakes in the steamer and steam on high heat for 17 minutes.

Final product

The fluffy pumpkin cake after being steamed will have a very beautiful golden color. The cake rises evenly and beautifully, and when cooled, it retains its softness and elasticity.

This cake has a faintly fragrant pumpkin aroma, and it does not dry out when eaten, with a moderately sweet taste.

Cook Coconut Sugar

Crush the coconut sugar into small pieces, then add it to a pot along with the pandan leaves and 160ml of filtered water. Place the pot on the stove over low heat until the sugar completely dissolves. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool down.

Once the syrup mixture has cooled, add 120ml of fresh milk to the pot and stir well.

Mixing the cake batter

You sift 250g of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 2 teaspoons of baking powder into a large bowl, then use a whisk to mix the ingredients together.

Next, you strain and slowly add the mixture of syrup and milk into the flour, using a whisk to mix continuously to prevent lumps. Once the batter is smooth, you add 45ml of cooking oil and continue to mix until the oil is well incorporated into the batter.

Pouring the batter into molds and steaming the cake

You prepare 7.5cm cake molds lined with a layer of cupcake liners inside. Gently pour the batter into the molds so that it only fills 90% of the cake mold.

Before that, you should place a steaming pot on the stove and heat the water until it boils. When the water is boiling, you place the cake molds into the steamer, cover it, and steam over high heat for 17 minutes until the cakes are cooked.

Note that during the steaming process, you must not open the pot lid.

Final Product

The soft fluffy cake will have a very beautiful brown-yellow color, the cake texture is soft and airy, and when eaten, it will have a mild sweet taste. The cake has a fragrant smell of palm sugar mixed with a light creamy aroma that is very appealing.

This is definitely a recipe for soft fluffy cake that you should try right away.