Happy Lunar New Year + Coconut Sticky Rice Cake

Happy Lunar New Year - it's the Year of the Rat this year! 🐭🐀 Wish everyone will have a year of good vibes, self-care, and #mindbodyhealth ahead!⁠

Back in my hometown Hong Kong, everyone will have a couple of days off to celebrate the biggest holiday of the year. I truly miss eating the special dishes that my family makes, and seeing all the spectacular Chinese New Year decorations everywhere.

And the best part? Getting red envelopes filled with cash from relatives 💰😂⁠

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During Chinese New Year, we usually make different treats and dishes to share with our friends and families. Today I would like to share a recipe that I have tested for years --- Coconut Sticky Rice Cake (椰汁年糕)!

Traditionally, these are usually steamed and made with Chinese unrefined cane sugar (片糖), also known as Chinese brown sugar.

Chinese Brown Sugar
image from: CHAILAI.CN

They look darker in color and tend to be denser in sweetness because of the molasses in the sugar.

traditional sticky rice cake made
with Chinese brown sugar

Many years ago I had coconut sticky rice cake from a family friend and fell in love with it since then. Due to kitchen limitations after moving to the States, I have to resort to baking them instead. Now I just stick to this method because it brings out an extra crunch and aroma 😉

This has been a great hit among my friends here and hope you will enjoy it!

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Baked Coconut Sticky Rice Cake

(焗椰汁年糕)

Adapted from Christine’s Recipes

Ingredients

• 5 large eggs

• 2 cups (300g) of glutinous rice flour — I use Cho Heng brand usually

• 2 cups (300g) of granulated sugar — OK to use cane sugar or coconut sugar or Chinese cane sugar (I will melt it into syrup form first before mixing)

• 1 can (13.5 fl oz/400ml) of canned coconut milk — I use full fat, but low fat should be OK

• 1/2 cup minus 1 Tbsp (100mL) of milk — OK to use full fat or low fat

• 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

• butter or oil for greasing the pan

Ingredients for Optional Steps

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• 2 teaspoons of oil — preferably neutral oils like canola or grapeseed or corn

Method

1. Preheat oven to 355F (180C).

2. Beat the eggs and sugar until they combine well.

3. Add coconut milk and milk into the mixture.

4. Then add glutinous rice flour, 2 Tbsps at a time, and combine until the batter becomes very smooth. (The batter will be less lumpy if adding glutinous rice flour gradually.)

5. Add vanilla extract and mix well.

6. If your batter becomes lumpy, sieve the batter and break apart the lumps left on the sieve. Everything should come through!

7. Use an 8"x8" square baking tray, or two small loaf pan. Grease the baking tray or loaf pans with oil or butter. Line parchment paper at the bottom of the baking tray or the loaf pans. Lightly brush or spray oil around the edges of the tray or pans.

8. Pour the mixture into the baking tray. Bake for 50 minutes, up to 1 hour. Test it with a skewer stick. If it comes out clean, it’s done!

9. Once it cools down until room temperature, slice them into 1/2” x 1/2” x 2” pieces (see picture below as reference).

   You can eat it after slicing. However, I HIGHLY recommend adding the extra step below prior to serving. This is my secret step to add extra deliciousness to the sticky rice cake!!!

   Optional Steps

10. Dip each piece of sticky rice cake into the beaten egg mixture, until the mixture lightly coats the exterior of the sticky rice cake.

11. Heat a frying pan on your stovetop with medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan until oil gets hot.

12. Slowly place the egg-coated sticky rice cake pieces into the pan. Turn down your stovetop heat to medium-low. Slowly pan-fry the pieces until each side becomes golden brown. Serve while it’s warm!

BOTTOM = LIGHTER COLORS
IF YOU use regular cane sugar or coconut sugar

TOP = DARKER COLORS If you use Chinese brown sugar

For additional reference, this video below from Josephine’s Recipes show you how to pan-fry the sticky rice cakes.

Enjoy and Happy Lunar New Year again!

-Janice