Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Steamed Red Date Cake

紅棗蒸糕

Steamed Red Date Cake — finished dish

Total time: 120 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 8 servings

Recipe overview

Red dates are cooked into a paste and folded into batter for a moist steamed cake.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

180 g pitted red dates
180 g cake flour
4 g baking powder
2 pieces eggs

Cake mixture

80 g brown sugar
180 ml water
30 ml cooking oil

Steamed Red Date Cake — ingredients

02

Tools

kitchen knife
cutting board
mixing bowl
lidded pot
spatula
sieve
hand whisk
kitchen scale
measuring jug
measuring spoons
heatproof plate
steamer
steaming rack
kitchen tongs

Steamed Red Date Cake — tools

03

Steps

Steamed Red Date Cake — Wash dates and soak in 180 ml water for thirty minutes

Step 1

Wash dates and soak in 180 ml water for thirty minutes

Wash dates and soak in 180 ml water for thirty minutes.

Steamed Red Date Cake — Put dates and soaking water in a pan; boil, then simmer fifteen minutes

Step 2

Put dates and soaking water in a pan; boil, then simmer fifteen minutes

Put dates and soaking water in a pan; boil, then simmer fifteen minutes.

Steamed Red Date Cake — Mash dates to a fine paste, dissolve the brown sugar in it and cool

Step 3

Mash dates to a fine paste, dissolve the brown sugar in it and cool

Mash dates to a fine paste, dissolve the brown sugar in it and cool.

Steamed Red Date Cake — Sift cake flour and baking powder together

Step 4

Sift cake flour and baking powder together

Sift cake flour and baking powder together.

Steamed Red Date Cake — Whisk the eggs, then mix in the oil

Step 5

Whisk the eggs, then mix in the oil

Whisk the eggs, then mix in the oil.

Steamed Red Date Cake — Whisk the date paste into the egg mixture

Step 6

Whisk the date paste into the egg mixture

Whisk the date paste into the egg mixture.

Steamed Red Date Cake — Fold in the dry ingredients in two additions until no dry flour remains

Step 7

Fold in the dry ingredients in two additions until no dry flour remains

Fold in the dry ingredients in two additions until no dry flour remains.

Steamed Red Date Cake — Cover and rest the batter for fifteen minutes

Step 8

Cover and rest the batter for fifteen minutes

Cover and rest the batter for fifteen minutes.

Steamed Red Date Cake — Lightly oil the heatproof dish, pour in batter and tap out large bubbles

Step 9

Lightly oil the heatproof dish, pour in batter and tap out large bubbles

Lightly oil the heatproof dish, pour in batter and tap out large bubbles.

Steamed Red Date Cake — Once the steamer boils, add the dish and steam over medium heat for thirty minutes

Step 10

Once the steamer boils, add the dish and steam over medium heat for thirty minutes

Once the steamer boils, add the dish and steam over medium heat for thirty minutes.

Steamed Red Date Cake — Insert a skewer in the centre; turn off heat only when it comes out without wet batter

Step 11

Insert a skewer in the centre; turn off heat only when it comes out without wet batter

Insert a skewer in the centre; turn off heat only when it comes out without wet batter.

Steamed Red Date Cake — Remove and cool for ten minutes before slicing and serving

Step 12

Remove and cool for ten minutes before slicing and serving

Remove and cool for ten minutes before slicing and serving.

Common mistakes

Overmixing makes the cake dense; stop once no dry flour remains.

Tips

Cool the date paste before adding egg so the egg does not curdle.