Steamed Red Date Cake Recipe

This Steamed Red Date Cake is a soft, chewy dessert made with glutinous rice flour and sweet red dates. It's easy to prepare, comforting, and perfect for any time of the day. The cakes are steamed to perfection.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 18

Servings

Calories 398kcal

Ingredients

80 g red dates pitted, plus 6 whole red dates, cut in half, for decoration
40 g raisins optional, can be omitted if unavailable
300 g glutinous rice flour
250 g whole milk

Instructions

Prepare the red dates:

Clean the red dates thoroughly, then use scissors to cut them into small pieces. Remove the pits as you go.

Mix the ingredients:

In a large container, add the chopped red dates and 40g of raisins (if using). Pour 300g of glutinous rice flour into the container. Slowly add 250g of whole milk, stirring continuously with chopsticks to form a shaggy dough. Make sure to mix until it forms a dough that is slightly dry but holds together well.

Knead the dough:

Once the dough has come together, knead it with your hands until it forms a slightly dry dough ball.

Shape and cut the dough:

Transfer the kneaded dough onto a work surface (chopping board). Roll it into a rectangular log shape, flattening it with a scraper if necessary. Once shaped, use a knife to cut the dough into evenly sized pieces, each about 3-4 cm in length. After cutting, gently reshape each piece to make sure they are uniform in size.

Decorate and arrange:

Place half a red date on top of each piece of dough for decoration. Arrange the pieces neatly on a steaming rack lined with parchment paper.

Steam the red date cake:

Add enough water to your steamer and bring it to a boil over high heat. Place the steaming rack with the red date cakes in the steamer, then reduce the heat to medium and steam for 15 minutes.

Serve and enjoy:

After 15 minutes, open the steamer lid carefully. Remove the steamed cakes from the steamer and allow them to cool down slightly before serving.

Nutrition