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Lunjiao Yeasted White Sugar Cake / 伦教白糖糕




"Lunjiao Cake" or "White sugar cake", or "Pak Tong Koh" is made from rice flour, white sugar, water, yeast and baking powder. It was created during the Ming Dynasty in Lunjiao district Shunde Guangdong province. The creator was a hawker named Liang who sells steamed sponge. One day he made a mistake with the proportion of water and flour while making sponge cakes, and the steamed sponge failed to raise and instead it was flat. Surprisingly, the new cake sold better because it's more tasty and refreshing. Hence the Chinese name "Lunjiao Cake".

  1. Whisk rice flour, water and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Cook over low heat until the mixture has become thick, but still runny. Keep stirring to avoid any lump during cooking. Press the mixture through a sieve and leave to cool.


  2. Mix the yeast and warm water and add in the cooled rice mixture together with the baking powder. Stir to combine. Let rest for 6 or 8 hours at the room temperature. Grease a 6 inch steamer lined with foil and pour in the rice mixture. Steam over the high heat with boiled water for about 20 minutes.



79 comments:

Abhilash 1/11/09 10:46

We also prepare a similar dish in Kerala, India called as vella appam.

It also has same ingrediants, but some more additions to the ones mentioned.

Your version of the so called lunjiao looks delicious.

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Tina 1/11/09 10:52

Hi so nice preparation...almost similar to kerala Vattayappam. Plz chekout this dear...http://kaipunyam.blogspot.com/2008/12/vattayappam.html

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Sandhya Hariharan 1/11/09 11:20

This dish sound delicious...

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Katy ~ 1/11/09 11:29

I have a family who is Celiac. This recipe sounds perfect. I am so delighted and excited to be able to make her a little sweet. Thank you for this!!! Hugs & Blessings.

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Finla 1/11/09 11:37

In Kerala/India were i come from we too make something similare like this and it was always made on sundays or for special occasion, this looks so fluffy delicous.

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ann low 1/11/09 13:54

Have not eat this 白糖糕for a long time. Thank you for sharing.

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My Little Space 1/11/09 14:01

Haven't make this for a long time! Should make one later. Cheers.

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Ju (The Little Teochew) 1/11/09 14:34

Wonderful! Angie, the history behind each dish is so unique, and this cake is no exception. It's always nice to know a little more of our food & culture ... so thank you for sharing!

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Unknown 1/11/09 15:18

It looks beautiful, I'd love to try this some time.

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KennyT 1/11/09 16:28

It's hard to find good pak tong goh in HK nowadays. I can always taste a hint of tart inside the pak tong goh, sigh, wish you were here so you'd make me some, haha

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Anonymous 1/11/09 16:39

That looks AMAZING ! So sweet and light..chinese sweet treats have a way of feeling so light and healthy that you dont feel guilty indulging...I must try this...

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Namitha 1/11/09 17:03

Looks awesome..We make a similar thing too :-)

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Ivy 1/11/09 17:40

This looks awesome. I must look for rice flour because I have never used it before.

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Vrinda 1/11/09 17:59

cake with rice flour..looks so cute Angie..v also make similar one with rice flour with diff name...

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Justin 1/11/09 18:43

this looks like these rice cake things you can get in chinatown (here in NYC), but I never imagined you could make it at home!

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Christo Gonzales 1/11/09 18:59

this looks lo light and fluffy - I need to try this!

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Priya Suresh 1/11/09 20:07

Wow amazing!just love those light and flurry cake!

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Miranda 1/11/09 20:39

This is unique and lovely...
I like your new layout too
I wanted to thank you for the wonderful comments.

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Heather S-G 1/11/09 22:21

Wow, it's so pretty...and like nothing I've ever seen! I would love to try this :D

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lisaiscooking 1/11/09 23:21

Interesting story about the cake! It looks lovely with its pure white color.

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Anonymous 1/11/09 23:30

Love this cake. Always remind me of childhood. Haven't had this for a long time. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

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Reeni 2/11/09 02:49

I've never had anything like this Angie. I bet it's really delicious. What interesting history!

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Christine Ho 2/11/09 12:09

I like eating White sugar cake from childhood. That tastes and smells really good. It seems that we can only cook it by ourselves, otherwise we hardly find any here. Thanks for your recipe.

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petite nyonya 2/11/09 14:28

Hey Angie, I really like the story behind this pak tong koh. I remember eating it for breakfast as a child when my mom used to buy it from the seller who goes around in a bicycle. It brings back such fond memories.

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my kitchen 2/11/09 17:40

delicious & different recipe,never tried.will try soon

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Ann 2/11/09 17:53

Wow.. what a texture.. it makes me want that NOW!!

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nora@ffr 2/11/09 18:25

its difficult to pronounce ye cake name, still the story behind it is rili interesting :) hehe.. y not send me a piece of ye delicious cake? ;)
cheers!!

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pigpigscorner 2/11/09 21:09

I haven't had this in ages! This will be on my to-do list!

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Anonymous 3/11/09 02:42

Lunjiao Cake sounds wonderful, very unique specialty, hope to try it!

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Velva 3/11/09 03:43

This sugar cake looks so sweet! I can't say that I have eer experienced it. We will be traveling to NYC this weekend. I think I am going to keep my eye out for this type of cake while strolling through NYC's Chinatown. Delicious!

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pria 3/11/09 04:10

Sugar Cake looks yummy...has a similar thing which in our place too :)

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Sarah 3/11/09 05:19

I have not had the pleasure of this cake. It looks delicious! Maybe I can find it in the chinatown district?

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Angie's Recipes 3/11/09 10:22

Thank you, for all the comments!
@Sarah: I guess so...it shall be available in Cantonese restaurants.

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Janet @Gourmet Traveller 88 3/11/09 12:25

Cool, this is one of the long lost desserts! I wanna try it. thx for the recipe!

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Sokehah cheah 3/11/09 15:22

This 'pak tong koh' looks delicious, thanks for sharing.

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Bob 3/11/09 18:03

It's so white, I love it. Isn't it funny how sometimes screw ups turn out better than the "right" recipe?

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Anonymous 3/11/09 18:32

I've never had this before, but it sounds simple and delicious!

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Chef E 3/11/09 20:21

Yum, now I need to get busy and make something like this...it also reminds me to make dosai again, and I love things with rice!

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Zurin 4/11/09 13:01

that looks so yum and moist Angie...im totally making this tomorrow...tq so much for sharing :))

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My Asian Kitchen 5/11/09 00:50

oh!! long time I didn't eat this cake!! it's look so good!! it's also look like "malai koh" right?

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A Full-Timed Housefly 5/11/09 08:41

I used to like this but not anymore guessed my tastebud had changed over the years. Angie you are so talented and whoever married you will be the luckiest man on earth !

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theUngourmet 5/11/09 17:58

I'd love to try this cake. I love reading about its history! :D

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Jennie 6/11/09 00:24

Angie, I am sooo excited about this!! I had something similar in Japan and have been in search of a similar recipe ever since!

Thank you!!!

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Mythreyi Dilip 6/11/09 00:33

This dish is new to me, looks so pure, soft and delicious!

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Malar Gandhi 8/11/09 15:56

White cake looks gorgeous, soft and very tempting...

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3 hungry tummies 13/11/09 06:52

Oh my god I absolutely adore this cake! I used to them dip in in kaya til they were all soaked up :) How did you manage to take such a good photo of a white cake?

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SimpleAnn 13/11/09 16:10

Hi Angie, New to your blog and LOVE IT. Thanks for sharing the recipe, I really miss the Pah Tong Gou so much as it's not found here in Istanbul. I sure miss the good old days back in Malaysia where this is sold in the pasar malam (night market) stalls. Salivating now..... I will definitely make it once I get hold of rice flour here.
Cheers, Annie

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Anonymous 22/3/11 20:31

Thank you for posting this recipe - when I was about 5 my family and I would go to San Francisco and buy what we called 'putu' and brought it home in those pink bakery boxes. I've been wanting to make this for a while. Can you help with a question? I followed instructions except I decreased the yeast rising time by about half and put it in a warm place. I also doubled the recipe. Is that why the cake turned brown after 15 minutes of steaming? Also, do you cover the steam pot or leave open? I'm having a little trouble getting it just right....I appreciate any help.
Thank you - Susan

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Angie's Recipes 22/3/11 21:09

@Suan
I have the steamer covered through the cooking process. Less rising time might not have given your cake an ideal honey comb texture, but shall not have turned the cake brownish. I would guess it's more to do with the rice flour you use, but I am not sure as it hasn't happened to me. Could it be the proofing temperature slightly too high?

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Anonymous 29/3/11 23:49

Thank you for the tips about the cake turning brown...I will try again. Practice makes perfect :) Susan

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