Learn how to make this super easy yet amazingly delicious gluten-free baked Chinese sticky rice cake (nian gao). Crusty top with soft and chewy middle will seriously knock your socks off!
Place the coconut on a dry pan over medium heat and toast until lightly golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside
Make the batter:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt 20 gr of butter on a small pan, let it cool down a bit. Lightly whisk 2 eggs and add in coconut milk and melted butter and whisk again to mix
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients while mixing with a spatula until you get a smooth runny batter. Strain this batter if you see any lumps. The batter should be smooth and runny
Baking:
Use a small amount of solid butter to grease the bottom and the side of the baking pan
Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the preheated oven, 3rd rack from the top for 30 minutes
After 30 minutes, the cake should have risen up a little bit. Gently sprinkle the toasted coconut you made earlier on the surface of the cake. Bake again for another 20 minutes (took a total of about 50 minutes for mine)The side of the cake will be lightly golden brown and the middle of the cake will no longer be jiggly. If you insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake, it may have some sticky crumbs but it shouldn't be wet
Let the cake cool down for at least 1 hour before attempting to cut
Storing:
The cake can be kept at room temperature for about 2 days. After the cake has cooled down completely, you can wrap it up with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to one week. They won't be as soft as when it was first made, but it won't be tough either and still nicely chewy. You can warm it up in the microwave for few seconds and it will be softer if that's what you prefer