Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake

廣東白糖糕

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — finished dish

Total time: 115 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

A fermented rice-flour batter steams into a gently sweet, springy cake with honeycomb holes.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

250 g rice flour
500 ml water
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp cooking oil

Sugar syrup

160 g white sugar

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — ingredients

02

Tools

steamer
eight-inch round cake pan
large bowl
small saucepan
whisk
plastic wrap

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — tools

03

Steps

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Put the sugar and three hundred millilitres of water in a small saucepan

Step 1

Put the sugar and three hundred millilitres of water in a small saucepan

Put the sugar and three hundred millilitres of water in a small saucepan.

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves

Step 2

Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves

Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Remove the syrup from the heat and cool until warm, not hot

Step 3

Remove the syrup from the heat and cool until warm, not hot

Remove the syrup from the heat and cool until warm, not hot.

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Whisk the rice flour with the remaining water into a smooth batter

Step 4

Whisk the rice flour with the remaining water into a smooth batter

Whisk the rice flour with the remaining water into a smooth batter.

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Gradually whisk the warm syrup into the rice batter

Step 5

Gradually whisk the warm syrup into the rice batter

Gradually whisk the warm syrup into the rice batter.

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Mix the yeast with a little batter, then stir it back into the bowl

Step 6

Mix the yeast with a little batter, then stir it back into the bowl

Mix the yeast with a little batter, then stir it back into the bowl.

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Cover and ferment in a warm place for sixty minutes

Step 7

Cover and ferment in a warm place for sixty minutes

Cover and ferment in a warm place for sixty minutes.

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Once fine bubbles appear, stir gently to remove large bubbles

Step 8

Once fine bubbles appear, stir gently to remove large bubbles

Once fine bubbles appear, stir gently to remove large bubbles.

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Oil the cake pan, pour in the batter and tap the pan gently

Step 9

Oil the cake pan, pour in the batter and tap the pan gently

Oil the cake pan, pour in the batter and tap the pan gently.

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Place the cake pan in the steamer once the water is boiling

Step 10

Place the cake pan in the steamer once the water is boiling

Place the cake pan in the steamer once the water is boiling.

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Cover and steam over medium-high heat for twenty-five minutes until set in the centre

Step 11

Cover and steam over medium-high heat for twenty-five minutes until set in the centre

Cover and steam over medium-high heat for twenty-five minutes until set in the centre.

Cantonese White Sugar Sponge Cake — Cool for fifteen minutes, unmould, cut and serve

Step 12

Cool for fifteen minutes, unmould, cut and serve

Cool for fifteen minutes, unmould, cut and serve.

Common mistakes

Hot syrup kills yeast, so let it cool to warm before mixing.

Tips

In a cool room fermentation may need fifteen extra minutes; use the fine surface bubbles as the guide.