Recipe: Easy Vegan Smiling Steamed Rice Cake – Fatt Koh

Smiling cake, is Chinese muffin made from rice flour. Chinese people believe the “smiling” cakes would bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year.

Today, I decided to make the smiling cupcakes. My cupcakes were greeting me with the big happy smiles. The smiling cakes are light and tasty.

My super easy eggless gluten-free recipe that is adapted from Mama Cheung’s recipe.

For honeycomb fatt koh rice cakes, please try Banh Bo recipe.

Ingredients:

(4-6 small cupcakes)

80g of sugar
3 tsp. of baking powder
1 tbsp. of corn starch
200 g of rice flour (or all purpose flour)
1 cup of water (reduce 2 T. to add cream)
2 tbsp. of coconut cream (olive oil or butter)
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
Few drops of food color
1/2 tsp. of salt

Instructions

Prepare the steamer and boil water 10 minutes before steaming cupcakes.
Prepare 6 small teacups or muffin pan with oil or muffin liners.
In a bowl, mix all ingredients (except baking powder). Mix well until the batter is smooth.
Add baking power and mix the batter well.
Pour the batter into the molds about 90% full.
Make sure the steamer is in high heat, and the water is boiling.
Steam cupcakes for 20 minutes.
Remove cupcakes from the steamer.
Let the cakes cool, before removing them from the molds.

Cooking tips

The cakes need room to rise high and smile, we must use deep steamer.
With glass lid, we can watch the process of rising and smiling cakes.
Use all purpose flour, cake is fluffier than rice cake.
Rice cake is dried when it is cold, so warm it up before eating.
Add more coconut milk, butter, milk to enhance the cake flavor.
For non-vegan diet, we can add eggs and try muffin recipe.

Note

In Vietnam, the smiling cake, is called “Banh Thuan,” made from “cake flour,” and eggs. In Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, people use ENO salt to make the cakes smooth and open.

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