Nian Gao

Nian gao (Mandarin for “higher year”) is a traditional steamed Chinese cake most often eaten at Chinese New Year. It’s unassuming-looking but super delicious: sticky, chewy, and not too sweet. The cake comes together with only a handful of ingredients — Chinese slab brown sugar, water, sweet rice flour, and vegetable oil — but many generations of cooks have iterated on this formula to produce their own unique versions. I remember my grandmother making nian gao when I was a child, and I always looked forward to getting a piece, especially if it was pan-fried. Here’s my easy version, which has a very soft, chewy texture similar to mochi and is both gluten- and dairy-free.

• Rice flour: Sweet white rice flour, glutinous rice flour (which doesn’t actually contain gluten), or mochiko flour all work here. I prefer a Thai brand of rice flour, which is very fine. Don’t use regular rice flour, which won’t cook up chewy and sticky. You’ll need one pound, so go by weight, as the various rice flours can measure out differently by volume.
• Chinese brown slab sugar: Made out of sugarcane, this type of sugar is sometimes labeled Chinese brown candy. You’ll break the planks into smaller pieces with your hands to help them melt faster. Two cups of dark brown sugar can be used instead, but the flavor won’t be as strong.
• Coconut milk: Even though you won’t taste the coconut, using unsweetened coconut milk as some of the liquid keeps the nian gao soft and adds richness.
• Salt and vanilla extract: I like a touch of salt to bring the flavors together, and a little bit of vanilla extract, too (although that’s optional).
• Toppings: Sesame seeds are usually sprinkled on top, which I like as a pretty garnish, and you can also add dried jujube halves for a splash of color — and luck in the new year.

First of all, make sure you have a steamer that can hold an eight or nine-inch cake pan or baking dish and has a lid that completely covers the steamer and the pan completely. I use my wok, but any other large steamer also works well.

To make the nian gao, first melt the sugar in water on the stovetop. If you’re using Chinese brown slab sugar, this may take awhile, so be patient and don’t let the water come to a boil. Add coconut milk, salt, and vanilla extract, then let the mixture cool slightly. Pour into the rice flour and whisk, whisk, whisk until smooth! I think of this as a good arm workout, but you can also mix it in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on low speed. If there are any stubborn lumps larger than a sesame seed, strain them out.

Transfer the batter to a greased cake pan or baking dish and steam over medium until set, which will take about an hour. When you poke the top of the cake in the middle, it should feel firm but the top will be sticky until cooled. Top with the sesame seeds and jujubes, and let cool before serving.

You can slice and eat the nian gao immediately after it’s cooled. It will stay soft for up to two days at room temperature if wrapped well in plastic wrap. The cake tends to stick to the knife, so I like to lightly grease the knife with vegetable oil before slicing. You can refrigerate it if keeping it longer than two days, but know it will firm up significantly.

The other popular way to eat nian gao is to pan-fry the slices until crispy, which I highly, highly recommend — especially if you’ve refrigerated it. The pan-fried slices are crispy on the outside and have a gooey, almost melted marshmallow texture inside. For a more savory version, dip the slices in beaten egg before pan-frying. Make sure to use a nonstick pan for either version, or the slices will stick.