Black Glutinous Rice Cake is a delicious and fragrant dessert made with a combination of black rice, glutinous rice, and a soft, fluffy texture from whipped egg whites. I love this black glutinous rice cake because it’s easy to make, yet full of flavor.
Rice Cakes in My Household
Rice cakes are a regular in my household, and we enjoy a variety of them—Steamed Rice Cake, Fermented Rice Cake, Black Sesame Rice Cakes, and Osmanthus Layered Rice Cake.
They are often steamed, which makes them soft, light, and incredibly fluffy—perfect for satisfying sweet cravings or even as part of a larger meal.
Glutinous Rice – The Heart of the Dish
A lot of people may be surprised by the name “glutinous rice,” but don’t be fooled—it’s actually gluten-free.
This type of rice is used in many classic Asian desserts, including tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) and mochi, like my favorite taro mochi.
It is also essential in making delicious rice cakes, such as the ones I’m sharing in this recipe.
In this recipe, I use both black rice and glutinous rice.
To get the perfect texture, I grind them into a fine flour using a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can always buy pre-made black rice flour and glutinous rice flour, which are readily available in stores.
However, there’s something special about grinding the rice fresh—it ensures that the flour is fresher and can potentially give your rice cakes a better texture.
The Similarities to Chiffon Cakes
If you’re familiar with making chiffon cakes (like Chinese cupcakes), you’ll notice that the method for this rice cake recipe is quite similar.
The basic technique involves whipping egg whites and folding them into a mixture of flour and egg yolks, creating a light and airy batter.
However, instead of baking, this recipe uses steaming as the cooking method, which is typical in many traditional Chinese cakes.
In fact, steaming is commonly used for many Chinese cakes—think Steamed Brown Sugar Cake.
Steaming helps retain moisture in the cake, giving it a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, which is what I love most about these rice cakes.
Tips for Success
- Ensure a Clean Bowl for Egg Whites: The container for whipping egg whites must be completely clean and dry. Any water or oil can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.
- Fold Gently: When mixing the egg whites into the batter, do it quickly and gently to avoid deflating the egg whites, which can affect the cake’s fluffiness.
- Adjust Steaming Time: The steaming time depends on the size of the mold and the heat level. For larger molds or lower heat, you may need to extend the steaming time. To check if the cake is done, insert a toothpick into the center—if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
- Cool Before Removing: Let the cake cool slightly before removing it from the mold to prevent it from breaking or losing its shape.
Ingredients:
- 90g black rice
- 50g glutinous rice
- 2 eggs (approximately 55g each)
- 90g milk
- 10g corn oil
- 30g white sugar (add up to 40g if you prefer it sweeter)
- Dried osmanthus (optional, for decoration)
Instructions:
Prepare Ingredients:
- Place 90g of black rice and 50g of glutinous rice into the food processor separately and grind them into fine powders.
- Separate the egg whites and yolks of the 2 eggs into two clean, dry containers. Put the egg whites in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Freezing the egg whites makes it easier to whip them.
Make the Egg Yolk Mixture:
- Add 10g corn oil to 90g milk. Use a whisk or chopsticks to mix thoroughly until the oil and milk emulsify into a smooth mixture.
- Add the two egg yolks into the milk and oil mixture, stirring well until fully incorporated and the color is uniform.
- Sift the black rice flour and glutinous rice flour into the egg yolk mixture. Use a spatula to gently mix into a smooth batter. When mixing, fold from the bottom up to avoid overworking the batter, which would affect the soft texture of the cake.
Whip the Egg Whites:
- Take the frozen egg whites out of the freezer and gradually add 30g white sugar (up to 40g for a sweeter taste), in three batches. Add about a third of the sugar in the first batch and mix on low speed with an electric mixer until large, coarse bubbles form.
- Add the second batch of sugar and increase the speed to medium. Continue mixing until the foam becomes finer and the volume increases.
- Add the final batch of sugar and increase the speed to high. Whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks—when you lift the whisk, the peak should stand up with a slight curve at the tip and not easily fall.
Combine the Batter:
- Take a third of the whipped egg whites and gently fold it into the black rice batter using a spatula, folding from the bottom up. Be gentle to avoid deflating the egg whites.
- Once combined, pour the black rice batter back into the remaining egg whites. Continue to fold quickly and gently until the batter is uniform in color and there are no visible streaks of egg whites or batter separation.
- Pour the mixed batter into the mold and gently tap the mold to release any air bubbles.
Steam the Rice Cake:
- Cover the mold with plastic wrap and poke small holes in it with a toothpick.
- Fill a steamer with water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, place the mold into the steamer and cover the lid. Steam on medium heat for about 35 minutes. Avoid opening the steamer during cooking to ensure the cake rises properly.
Remove from Mold and Decorate:
- Once steamed, remove the mold and let the cake cool slightly. When it’s cool enough to handle, use a knife to gently run around the edges of the mold, then invert the cake onto a plate and carefully remove the mold.
- Sprinkle dried osmanthus on top of the cake for decoration, adding a nice fragrance and enhancing the appearance.
- Finally, cut the black rice cake into evenly-sized pieces, and it’s ready to enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What can I substitute for dried osmanthus?
If you can’t find dried osmanthus, you can skip it or try using another flower like dried jasmine for a similar floral touch.
Steamed Black Rice Cake – Soft & Airy Delight
Ingredients
- 90 g black rice
- 50 g glutinous rice
- 2 eggs approximately 55g each
- 90 g milk
- 10 g corn oil
- 30 g white sugar add up to 40g if you prefer it sweeter
- Dried osmanthus optional, for decoration
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients:
- Place 90g of black rice and 50g of glutinous rice into the food processor separately and grind them into fine powders.
- Separate the egg whites and yolks of the 2 eggs into two clean, dry containers. Put the egg whites in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Freezing the egg whites makes it easier to whip them.
Make the Egg Yolk Mixture:
- Add 10g corn oil to 90g milk. Use a whisk or chopsticks to mix thoroughly until the oil and milk emulsify into a smooth mixture.
- Add the two egg yolks into the milk and oil mixture, stirring well until fully incorporated and the color is uniform.
- Sift the black rice flour and glutinous rice flour into the egg yolk mixture. Use a spatula to gently mix into a smooth batter. When mixing, fold from the bottom up to avoid overworking the batter, which would affect the soft texture of the cake.
Whip the Egg Whites:
- Take the frozen egg whites out of the freezer and gradually add 30g white sugar (up to 40g for a sweeter taste), in three batches. Add about a third of the sugar in the first batch and mix on low speed with an electric mixer until large, coarse bubbles form.
- Add the second batch of sugar and increase the speed to medium. Continue mixing until the foam becomes finer and the volume increases.
- Add the final batch of sugar and increase the speed to high. Whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks—when you lift the whisk, the peak should stand up with a slight curve at the tip and not easily fall.
Combine the Batter:
- Take a third of the whipped egg whites and gently fold it into the black rice batter using a spatula, folding from the bottom up. Be gentle to avoid deflating the egg whites.
- Once combined, pour the black rice batter back into the remaining egg whites. Continue to fold quickly and gently until the batter is uniform in color and there are no visible streaks of egg whites or batter separation.
- Pour the mixed batter into the mold and gently tap the mold to release any air bubbles.
Steam the Rice Cake:
- Cover the mold with plastic wrap and poke small holes in it with a toothpick.
- Fill a steamer with water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, place the mold into the steamer and cover the lid. Steam on medium heat for about 35 minutes. Avoid opening the steamer during cooking to ensure the cake rises properly.
Remove from Mold and Decorate:
- Once steamed, remove the mold and let the cake cool slightly. When it's cool enough to handle, use a knife to gently run around the edges of the mold, then invert the cake onto a plate and carefully remove the mold.
- Sprinkle dried osmanthus on top of the cake for decoration, adding a nice fragrance and enhancing the appearance.
- Finally, cut the black rice cake into evenly-sized pieces, and it's ready to enjoy!
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