Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake) 年糕

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is the biggest celebration of the year in the Chinese community. It’s like Christmas to us! 😀

It’s a time to celebrate the hard work, a time for families to reunite, a time to feast, a time to give thanks and rejoice.

Many would make every effort to return home and reunite with their families, like how salmons would journey thousands of miles back to their native spawning grounds.

My parents are traditional and big on celebrating Chinese New Year, even after we moved to Canada.

So, Chinese New Year is the best time of the year as a kid!

Chinese New Year meant…

…holidays = no school (when I was still in Hong Kong)!

…delicious Chinese New Year Food & Desserts (endless candies & Ferrero Rocher – my favorite!!)

…red & gold glitter, festivities like visiting the Lunar New Year Fair 年宵花市, the fire crackers, the lion dance…

…flooded with love from family & relatives – the gifts, new clothes, and best of all…the Red Pockets!! (until your parents say they’ll “save” them up for you until you’re old enough) 😛

Living was tough back in the days, so many Chinese New Year Food, decorations, or customs are meant to bring good luck, health & blessings for the coming year.

My dad often told us how during the tough days when he was a kid, Chinese New Year was the only time they got to eat meat.

Nian Gao or Nin Gou in Cantonese (“higher year”), is a sweet glutinous sticky rice cake that is enjoyed year round, but often a must-have during Chinese New Year, as the name sheds light to give progress, advancement, higher or taller, promising a better year ahead.

So, this easy to make & frugal Cantonese style Nian Gao is inevitably a popular Chinese New Year Food in many households!

My family loves to make them ahead and gift them to our relatives and friends.

Step-by-Step Guide: Nian Gao

10 Ingredients for Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake)

Dry Ingredients:

• 300 grams Glutinous Rice Flour 水磨白糯米粉
• 110 grams Wheat Starch 澄麵
• A pinch of fine Sea Salt or Table Salt

Sugar Mixture:

• 250 grams Cane Sugar (roughly 3 pieces) 蔗糖
• 60 grams Chinese Brown sugar in pieces 冰片糖
• 1 1/2 cup (375ml) Cold Water

Sesame Coconut Mixture:

• 3/4 cup (188ml) 100% unsweetened coconut milk
• Our Secret Ingredient: 1 1/3 tablespoon (20g)

Other Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoon (22.5ml) vegetable oil
• 1 Jujube Red Date for decoration

Our Secret Ingredient

Something is missing in the regular Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake) we eat, whether they’re store-bought, from restaurants, or made by aunties or grandmas who love to cook.

We were searching for that missing something…

Yes! The Chinese rice cakes lack of body and substance…

So, we turned to our pantry…Oh yes! 

Chinese Sesame Paste 芝麻醬!

Sesame’s fragrant and flavors work well with coconut.

This fragrant and creamy Chinese Sesame Paste works wonder as it adds such body & fragrant to the Nian Gao. 

Don’t miss out on this Secret Ingredient!!

Side Note: this is one of our must-have dipping sauce for Hot Pot 😀 hehe~

Tools for Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake) 

• Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
• Fine Mesh Strainer
• Silicone Spatula
• Fat Daddio 7x3 inch Round Cheesecake Push Pan or Foil Pan (for gifting)
• Large & small mixing bowls
• Small sauce pan
• Trivet or steaming rack
• Aluminum foil sling

Melt the Sugar

In a small saucepan, melt 250g cane sugar, 60g brown sugar in pieces in 1 ½ cup of cold water slowly over medium heat.

Pro Tip #1 – To Speed Up the Process: break down the sugar pieces once the water starts to warm. The sugar should be completely melted just before it’s about to boil. You don’t have to bring the sugar mixture to a boil.

Pro Tip #2: You can move forward to prepare other ingredients while the sugar melt on the stovetop.

Prepare Dry Ingredients

While the sugar is melting on the stovetop, sift 300g glutinous rice flour, 110g wheat starch, and a pinch of salt through a fine mesh strainer into a large mixing bowl. Mix well with a silicone spatula.

Prepare Sesame Coconut Mixture

In a small mixing bowl, mix 1 1/3 tbsp (20g) Chinese sesame paste/sauce and ¾ cup (188ml) coconut milk together. Yum! 

Create Coconut Sugar Mixture

Once the sugar has fully melted, pour the Sesame Coconut Mixture into the Sugar Mixture to cool it down a bit. Mix well.

Create Nian Gao Batter

Pour all the hot Coconut Sugar Mixture into the large mixing bowl filled with dry ingredients and mix well with a silicone spatula.

Pro Tip: make sure to pour all the Coconut Sugar Mixture into the Dry Ingredients in one shot. After testing pouring in intervals vs. pouring all at once – we found pouring it all at once created less lumps.

Less lumps = less work in the next step! 😛

Remove Lumps in Batter

There should be lots of lumps in the batter after mixing the wet mixture & dry ingredients.

Important Step: take a bit of time to break up the lumps by pitching them against the mixing bowl with a silicone spatula. This is a critical step to ensure a smooth & successful Sweet Rice Cake! 🙂

Pro Tip – Easier & Better Method: Smooth out the lumps by running the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, and breaking the lumps against the strainer with the spatula (as shown in photo below).

Once you have smoothed out all the lumps, add 1 1/2 tbsp (22.5ml) of vegetable oil and mix well.

Pro Tip: The oil will give the Nian Gao a smoother finish.

Pour Batter into Cake Pan

Important Step: Wipe the cake pan interior with a little vegetable oil to avoid a white band to form on the sides of the Nian Gao (see cooking tips below).

Pour the Nian Gao Batter into the cake pan through a fine mesh strainer.

Pressure Cook Nian Gao

Method #1: Start with Boiling Water (For Relatively Smooth Surface)

Pro Tip: this method allows minimal condensation drip onto the cake, yet uses a shorter cooking time than Method #2 (covering the Nian Gao with aluminum foil).

Place a trivet and pour 1 cup (250ml) of water in the pressure cooker.

Bring water to a boil (Instant Pot users: Press Manual/Pressure Cook and set the time to 25 minutes).

When the water begins to boil, place the cake pan on the trivet with a foil sling right away.

Immediately close the lid and pressure cook:

• Pressure Cooking Method: High Pressure for 28 minutes, then Full Natural Release (~8 minutes)

Method #2: Cover with Aluminum Foil (For Ultra-Smooth Surface)

Pour 1 cup (250ml) of cold water in the pressure cooker.

Tightly wrap the cake pan with aluminum foil to prevent the condensation dripping onto the cake.

Pro Tip: Make sure the aluminum foil is not touching the Nian Gao Batter, as that may destroy the ultra-smooth surface you’re aiming for! 🙂

Place the cake pan on top of a trivet.

Close the lid and pressure cook:

• Pressure Cooking Method: High Pressure for 38 minutes, then Full Natural Release (~8 minutes)

Test Doneness

Open the lid carefully, check the doneness by sticking a chopstick in the center of the Nian Gao. Nothing should stick to the chopstick if it is done.

Place a red date over the hole for decoration.

Chill Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake)

Once the Nian Gao has cooled to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 – 8 hours before cutting into it.

Serve

Cut the Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake) into pieces.

The most common way to enjoy it is to serve it cold/room temperature or pan-fried.

Enjoy!

Cooking Tips for Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake) 

In Step 7, it’s critical to wipe the interior of the cake pan with vegetable oil.

After testing wiping the interior with oil and without wiping oil, we found that it’s important to do so!

When we didn’t wipe the pan with oil, a white band has formed on the sides (see below photo). We think it’s due to the batter trying to pull away from the cake pan as it was cooking in the pressure cooker.

Wish You & Your Family a Happy Chinese New Year!!