Fluffy, chewy, bouncy mini cakes that are gluten-free, flourless, and no bake? These little steamed rice cakes check all the boxes. They are super easy to make and only require 4 ingredients!
Steamed rice cakes, also known as "bai tang gao" in Mandarin, are a traditional Chinese delicacy. They are popular in various regions of China and are often enjoyed as a snack or dessert. These cakes have a long history in Chinese cuisine and are cherished for their light and fluffy texture.
These rice cakes are also a testament to the minimalism philosophy - beauty is in simplicity. There are only 4 ingredients in these dreamy little treats and maybe another magical, intangible ingredient - time ;)
INGREDIENTS:
300 g white rice
120 - 140 g soy milk, depending on the thickness of your soy milk
25 g sugar or other sweetener of choice
3 g instant yeast
TO MAKE:
- Soak the rice in plenty of water overnight or for at least 4 hours, you should be able to break the grain easily with your nails after soaking;
- Drain the rice, add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender, blend until you achieve a very thick batter, it cannot be too thin otherwise the cakes won't form properly;
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, cover and let it rice for 1 hour;
- Once you see a beehive structure (with lots of little holes) in the dough, the first proof is done, stir and release the air;
- Lightly oil your preferred molds and divide the dough into them, only fill each mold to 70% - 80% full since the cakes will rise more;
- Cover the filled molds and do a second proof, for 10 to 15 minutes;
- Bring the water in the steamer to boil, transfer the rice cakes into the steamer, cover, and steam on high heat for 20 minutes, do NOT open the lid during this process;
- Once the 20 minutes is up, turn off the heat but leave the steamer on the stove with the lid still closed for another 5 minutes;
- Afterwards, remove the rice cakes and release them from the molds, serve warm or cold, enjoy!
