White Sugar Cake

Yippee,
I finally got a camera to snap all my cooking so I can start baking again. A dumbass decided to drop the camera into a pond, so leaving me without a camera and a mobile phone. Hence the delay. I made several things (hum chim paeng, glutinous rice doughnut and several episodes of mochi and bak thong goa) but pity there wasn't a camera so it will have to wait until I make them again.

This cake is called "Pak Thong Goa" or directly translated as White Sugar Cake. There are several methods of doing this, from using wine rice cake to using yeast. The Vietnamese uses coconut as substitute for the 180ml of water in Ingredient B, and I think they call it "cow cake". That is what my friend tells me anyway. After her suggestion of using coconut milk, I would suggest to others who decides to make the Vietnamese version, to limit the sugar down to 140gm sugar as the coconut milk enhances the sweetness of sugar.

Pak Thong Goa

Ingredients:
A:
200gm rice flour
1 tsp dry yeast
230ml warm water
2 tsp sugar

B:
180ml warm water
160gm sugar

Method:

1. Mix all of ingredient A together and stir until sugar has dissolved. Leave overnight in a warm, dark place (an oven / microwave will do).
2. The mixture should have lots of bubbles on the next day.
3. Mix all of ingredients B into A and pour into a paper-lined pan. Leave aside for 2-3 hours.
4. Steam the mixture for 25 - 35 mins on high, opening the lid of the steamer every 10 mins or so to let the steam escape.

Note:

• Be cautious when opening the lid of the steamer as the steam can cause burns. It is advisable to be wearing oven mittens when you open it.