Go Back
No-oil glutinous rice cake (nuomi ba ba gao) - golden little cakes with a crispy shell and a soft, chewy, Q-soft center

No-Oil Glutinous Rice Cake (Nuomi Ba Ba Gao)

Lin
A baked whole-egg sponge made with water-milled glutinous rice flour: crisp, sugary outside and a soft, stretchy, Q-chewy center. No oil, no butter, no dairy - just eggs, rice flour and honey.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 10 small cakes
Calories 148 kcal

Equipment

  • 10 Small Cake Molds or Muffin Cups
  • Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
  • Piping Bag
  • Fine-mesh strainer
  • Wire Cooling Rack

Ingredients
  

For the Cake

  • 275 g whole egg liquid about 5 large or 6 small eggs
  • 0.33 cup caster sugar 80 g, adjust 75-90 g to taste
  • 0.25 tsp salt 1.5 g
  • 2 tsp honey 8 g
  • 1.33 cup water-milled glutinous rice flour 165 g
  • 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder 5 g
  • 0.5 tsp lemon juice 2 g
  • white sesame seeds for topping

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 170°C (338°F). Crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the lemon juice, sugar, salt and honey.
    Crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the lemon juice, caster sugar, salt and honey.
  • Whip on high speed until the mixture turns ivory and grows dramatically in volume.
    Whip the egg mixture on high speed until it turns ivory and grows dramatically in volume.
  • Whip to the ribbon stage: the batter falls in thick, stacking ribbons and a lifted figure-8 holds its shape.
    Whip until the batter falls in thick ribbons and a lifted figure-8 holds its shape - the whole-egg ribbon stage.
  • Sift the glutinous rice flour with the baking powder and fold into the egg foam in two additions, cutting from the bottom up until just combined.
    Sift the glutinous rice flour with the baking powder and fold it into the egg foam in two additions, cutting from the bottom up.
  • Transfer to a piping bag and fill the molds to about 8-9 tenths full.
    Transfer the batter to a piping bag and fill each mold to about 8-9 tenths full.
  • Sprinkle white sesame seeds over the surface of each cake.
    Sprinkle a pinch of white sesame seeds over the surface of each cake.
  • Bake on the lower-middle rack at 170°C (338°F) for 18-20 minutes until puffed and deeply golden.
    Bake on the lower-middle rack at 170 degrees C for 18-20 minutes until puffed and deeply golden.
  • Pull the cakes when the surface is a deep, even gold and a skewer comes out clean.
    The cakes are done when the surface is a deep, even gold and a skewer comes out clean.
  • Tap the pan lightly to release steam and cool the cakes on a wire rack.
    Tap the pan lightly to release steam and cool the cakes on a wire rack.
  • Serve golden, fragrant and glossy-topped - best while still faintly warm.
    The finished cakes are golden, fragrant and glossy-topped - the batch that disappears fastest.
  • Enjoy the rice, honey and toasted sesame aroma filling the kitchen.
    The kitchen smells like a bakery stall - rice, honey and toasted sesame.
  • Bite through the crisp crust into the soft, stretchy center - the signature texture of this cake.
    Bite through the crisp, sugary crust into the soft, stretchy center - the signature texture of this cake.

Notes

Tips: Weigh the eggs - 275 g of whole egg liquid matters more than egg count. Whip to a true ribbon stage, and do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes. Paper liners or silicone molds prevent sticking.
Food Safety: Keep raw eggs refrigerated and wash utensils that touch raw egg with hot, soapy water. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Allergen Notice: Contains egg. Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. Omit the sesame topping if seed allergies are a concern.
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. Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
Keyword Glutinous Rice Cake, No Oil Cake, Nuomi Ba Ba Gao, Rice Flour Cake