Green Tea Baked Nian Gao (绿茶粘糕)
I made this for New Year’s Day because it’s delicious, but also because its Chinese name is very appropriate for the holiday. “粘糕,” i.e. sticky rice cake, sounds exactly like “年高” which literally translates to “year high” and signifies raising oneself higher in the coming year. It’s especially lucky to eat this on New Year’s, but I definitely eat it year round.
This baked version of nian gao is super easy. l you need to do is blend stuff, dump a bunch of stuff in a bowl, mix it, and bake. It’s really that simple. The only possible way you could screw this up is not mixing enough and leaving lumps in the batter or by over/under baking it. Your dog could probably make this if he/she had opposable thumbs. (Not really, but you get my point.)
Today, I’m sharing a green tea variation, but perhaps I’ll post more nian gao recipes in the future. I made this dairy-free, replacing the usual milk with an almond flour and avocado oil blend. The matcha is subtle in this recipe so feel free to bump up the amount if you want a more pronounced green tea flavor.
I used a 9’’ round cake pan and a 5’’x9’’ loaf pan to bake the nian gao because that’s what I had, but you could also use two of either those pans or a 13’’x18’’ sheet cake pan. If you’re using the loaf pan, I would recommend using parchment paper and greasing the parchment paper. However, a generous coating of cooking spray should do the trick on its own. The parchment paper just makes it easier to lift the cake from the pan. The baking time will vary for different pans so make sure to keep an eye on it after about an hour of baking.
The nian gao will look puffed when it first comes out of the oven and then slowly deflate. Make sure to let it cool completely before you attempt to slice it, unless you fancy getting your knife stuck. Store it at room temperature as well. Chilling will make the nian gao rock-hard.
This recipe is sticky, chewy, and lightly sweet; everything you could want from nian gao. The crust also adds some textural and flavor contrast. It adds caramel notes and a little crunch. You couldn’t get that from the traditional steamed version. If you’re a fan of green tea or sticky desserts, I hope you’ll give this one a try. With the help of a few friends, you should have no problem finishing the whole batch.
Happy Munching!
Baked Green Tea Nian Gao
Makes one 9’’ round cake and one 5’’x9’’ loaf cake
Ingredients:
1 cup almond flour*
1 tbsp. matcha powder**
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 ½ cups water
½ cup neutral flavored oil, such as avocado or grapeseed
4 large eggs
1 lb. glutinous rice flour**
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Make sure that a rack is placed on the upper third of the oven. Grease a 9’’ round cake pan and a 5’’x 9’’ loaf pan generously with cooking spray.
Using a high-powered blender, blend together the first five ingredients until smooth.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Continuing to beat, slowly add in the blended matcha mixture. Beat until homogenous. Add in the glutinous rice flour and beat until no lumps remain. Divide among the prepared baking pans.
Bake in upper third of preheated oven for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Let cool completely before slicing and serving. Serve at room temperature.
*Can be purchased in the gluten-free section of most supermarkets
**Can be purchased at most Asian supermarkets
