年糕（片糖年糕）Brown Sugar New Year Cake

Prep 25 min·Cook 1h 35m·Rest 12 h

1. 1You're here
   Step 1.

   Heat the slab sugar and water, stirring, until the sugar has fully dissolved and the syrup has simmered for 2 minutes. Let it cool to warm (about 50°C).

   350 g Chinese brown slab sugar (片糖), broken up350 ml Water

   Sugar work / caramel

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   Boiling-hot syrup partly cooks the flour into lumps; cold syrup leaves the batter too thick to settle smoothly. Warm is right.
2. 2
   Step 2.

   Grease a 20 cm round cake tin, line the base and sides with baking paper and grease the paper.

   2 tbsp Cooking oil

3. 3
   Step 3.

   Mix the glutinous rice flour and wheat starch in a large bowl. Pour in the syrup a little at a time, stirring, until you have a smooth, thick batter with no lumps.

   450 g Glutinous rice flour50 g Wheat starch350 g Chinese brown slab sugar (片糖), broken up

   Batter / coating

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   Adding the syrup gradually lets you work out lumps while the batter is still stiff.
4. 4
   Step 4.

   Stir in 1 tbsp oil, then strain the batter through a sieve into the tin. Tap the tin on the counter to release bubbles.

   2 tbsp Cooking oil450 g Glutinous rice flour

   Batter / coating
5. 5
   Step 5.

   Cover the tin with a heatproof plate or foil so condensed water cannot drip on top. Steam over high heat.

   450 g Glutinous rice flour

   1 h 30 minSteam

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   About 1½ hours for a 5 cm deep cake. Check the water every 20 minutes and top up with boiling water.
6. 6
   Step 6.

   Test with a chopstick in the centre: it is done when the cake looks translucent throughout and only a little sticky batter clings to the chopstick, not liquid.

   450 g Glutinous rice flour

7. 7
   Step 7.

   Press the red dates on top in a flower pattern, brush the surface with the remaining oil and steam 3 minutes more.

   3 pieces Red dates, pitted2 tbsp Cooking oil

   3 minSteam

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   The oil stops a skin from forming and gives the traditional shine.
8. 8
   Step 8.

   Cool completely in the tin, then leave covered at room temperature overnight before cutting.

   450 g Glutinous rice flour

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   Warm nian gao is too soft and sticky to slice. Overnight it firms up properly.
9. 9
   Step 9.

   To serve, cut into slices 1 cm thick with an oiled knife. Pan-fry in the oil over medium-low heat until crisp and golden on both sides and soft in the middle.

   2 tbsp Oil, for pan-frying450 g Glutinous rice flour

   6 minPan-fry

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   For the classic Hong Kong version, dip the slices in beaten egg before frying.