Brown Sugar Steamed Cake (红糖发糕): Soft Chinese Fa Gao
A soft, springy Chinese brown sugar steamed cake with milk, eggs, and red dates — no oven needed, steamed until tall and golden.
Equipment
- Steamer
- 8-inch cake pan
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour 320 g
- 1 cup milk, divided 245 g total
- 0.5 cup brown sugar 100 g
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp instant yeast 4 g
- 6 red dates, halved and pitted for the top
Instructions
- Dissolve the brown sugar in 200 g of warm milk, then cool it below 38°C (100°F).
- Stir the yeast into the remaining 45 g of milk until dissolved.
- Add the eggs, flour, and yeast milk to the cooled sugar milk and beat on high for about ten seconds (or stir well with chopsticks) until smooth.
- Pour the batter into a parchment-lined or greased 8-inch pan and cover.
- Ferment until the batter reaches eight-tenths of the way up the pan. Halve and pit the red dates and arrange them on top.
- Steam from cold water; once boiling, steam for 30 minutes, then rest covered for 5 minutes before opening the lid.
- Open the lid to a tall, golden-brown domed cake.
- Cool slightly and slice with a serrated knife to reveal the soft crumb.
- Serve the cake warm.
Notes
Tips: Cool the sugar milk below 38°C (100°F) before adding yeast. Beat the batter until lump-free, ferment to eight-tenths full, and always rest the covered cake 5 minutes after steaming before opening the lid.
Food Safety: Store at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 4 days; re-steam to restore softness. Contains egg and milk — keep cold if storing more than a day.
Allergen Notice: Contains wheat, egg, and dairy.
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.