A yeasted batter of rice flour and sugar syrup is fermented for hours, then steamed into a translucent white cake. Long vertical air channels give it a bouncy, honeycomb-like chew and a gentle, sweet-tangy flavor. Makes 12 pieces in about 7 hr 10 min.
Prep30 min
Cook240 min
Cooling2 hr 40 min
Total
7 hr 10 min
Yield
12 pieces
DietVegan
Ingredients
Adjust yield
pieces
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
1 ¾ cups (225 g)rice flour, regular, not glutinous
1 ¾ cups (420 ml)water, divided: 120 ml and 300 ml
Put the rice flour in a heatproof bowl and stir in 120 ml of the water to make a thick, lumpy paste.
Bring the remaining 300 ml water and the granulated sugar to a full boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Immediately pour the boiling syrup over the flour paste, whisking constantly, until smooth. Let the batter cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.
Stir the active dry yeast into the lukewarm water and let it stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk it into the cooled batter for 2 to 3 minutes.
Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm spot, about 80°F (27°C), for 3 to 4 hours, until the surface is covered with fine bubbles and the batter smells pleasantly yeasty and slightly sour.
Bring water in a large steamer to a rolling boil. Brush the cake pan with some of the vegetable oil and set it in the steamer for 2 minutes to heat.
Stir the batter gently to recombine, pour it into the hot pan and cover the steamer, with a towel wrapped around the lid. Steam over high heat for 25 minutes, until the cake is set, springy and translucent white and a skewer comes out clean.
Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 2 minutes before removing the cake. Brush the top with the remaining vegetable oil and let it cool completely in the pan, about 1 1/2 hours, before cutting into 12 pieces with an oiled knife.
Tips
Use regular rice flour; glutinous rice flour will not give the honeycomb texture.
A slow, warm fermentation builds the long vertical holes; if your kitchen is cool, ferment in a turned-off oven with a pan of hot water.
Cut only when fully cool, or the cake will tear and squash.
Good with shou mei white tea.
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How long does it take to make bai tang gao (cantonese white sugar sponge cake)?
Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 4 hours of cooking, plus 2 hours 40 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 12 pieces.
How should I store bai tang gao (cantonese white sugar sponge cake)?
Keep covered at room temperature up to 1 day. Refrigerate up to 3 days; it hardens when cold, so re-steam 5 minutes until soft and springy.
Can I make bai tang gao (cantonese white sugar sponge cake) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Is this recipe vegan?
Yes, as written. Check that packaged ingredients such as chocolate, sprinkles and plant butter are labeled vegan.
Bai tang gao is a traditional Cantonese steamed cake from Guangdong made only from rice flour, sugar, water and a yeast fermentation that gives it a honeycomb crumb. Serve it with shou mei white tea.
Variations
Brown sugar sponge cake (huang tang gao): replace the white sugar with 150 g (3/4 cup packed) light brown sugar or Chinese brown slab sugar; steaming time unchanged.
Individual cakes: divide the batter among 12 oiled small heatproof cups and steam 12 to 15 minutes.
Slow overnight rise: use 2 g (1/2 tsp) yeast and ferment at cool room temperature, about 70°F (21°C), for 8 to 10 hours.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.
125Calories / serving
1.1gFat
27.6gCarbs
1.3gProtein
12.5gSugar
Whole recipe (12 servings):
~1500 cal ·
13g fat ·
331g carbs ·
16g protein ·
150g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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