Rinse the rice thoroughly and place it in a bowl. Add water and soak overnight. By the next day, you should be able to easily break a grain of rice with your fingers. This step is key to achieving a smooth rice batter.

Rinse the soaked rice a few more times and drain well. Add it to a high-powered blender along with 250 g of water and 50 g of toasted black sesame seeds. Use the “vegetable/fruit” function or similar to blend into a fine batter.

Tip: I blended it twice to get an ultra-smooth consistency. The rich aroma of black sesame is so inviting the moment you open the lid!

Pour the batter into a large bowl. Add 50 g flour, 50 g sugar, and 4 g yeast. Stir slowly with chopsticks or a whisk until smooth. The mixture should be silky and pourable—very satisfying to see!

Find a warm place to let the batter rise. Since the weather was a bit chilly, I used the low-temperature proofing function on my oven and let it rise for about 1 hour.

When it’s ready, the batter will have doubled in volume and be filled with bubbles—perfectly airy!

Stir the batter gently to release the trapped air. This helps create a more compact, chewy texture in the final cake.

Brush a thin layer of oil inside your silicone mold to help with easy release later—this is a little trick I swear by.

Pour the degassed batter into the mold until it’s about 60–70% full. Tap the mold gently to pop any air bubbles.

Place the mold over a pot of warm water and let it rest for about 10 minutes. The batter should rise to about 80–90% full.

Sprinkle chopped red dates, pumpkin seeds, and a few more black sesame seeds on top. This not only adds flavor but also makes it look more appealing.

Once the water is boiling, steam the cake for 20 minutes. After steaming, turn off the heat but don’t open the lid—let it sit for 3 more minutes to finish cooking through.

Carefully remove the mold and let it cool slightly. The cake should release easily. The moment you tear off a piece, you’ll notice how fluffy and soft it is.