Year of the Goat: Baked Chinese New Year Cake Recipe

Chinese New Year was last Thursday, and for the most part, I spent the day pretty celebration-free. I did some social media work for my internship, visited my school’s Startup Career Fair, and called each of my relatives in China. I didn’t do much, but I'm thankful for a time to reflect and appreciate family and friends among many other blessings of the previous (lunar) year.

Although I wasn’t able to celebrate on Thursday, I did celebrate with some friends on Saturday. As college students, I was surprised by all the incredible dishes that everyone bought! We had such incredible goodies as dumplings, steamed fish, eggplant, curry, and niangao (me!).

Anyways, enough with what I've been eating! I’m here to share my mom's baked niangao recipe, which I brought to the potluck! Earlier last year (and half a year late), I shared the more traditional steamed niangao recipe, but I think this recipe is also really delicious! 

The niangao recipe is obvious not the most healthy recipe, but seeing as to how it's the new year, I don't see why we shouldn't enjoy ourselves a bit! You know the 80/20 rule?

Baked Niangao Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of glutinous rice flour (16oz)
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups of milk (I used 2%)
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or 1 stick butter)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 365 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Combine all ingredients and mix very thoroughly. If you have an electric mixer, blend on high for a couple minutes. If you're like me and don't have one, combine the dry and wet ingredients separately and then slowly add the wet to the dry mixing thoroughly in between.
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is golden brown and center is cooked through.

This baked niangao is super delicious and has a mild sweetness to it. With the glutinous rice flour, it's also pretty filling! Try the recipe and let me know how it goes!

Hope you all have a great Year of the Goat!