Nian Gao (Baked Sticky Rice Cake with Red Bean Paste)

1. Stage

Preheat the oven and prepare baking dish: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Stage

Whisk together flour, sugars, and salt: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. If the brown sugar is clumpy, use your fingers to break it up.

3. Stage

Combine the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl or 8-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, and oil until fully combined. I tend to use a large liquid measuring cup since I need to measure out the milk and oil and it allows me to pour it out into the batter easily.

4. Stage

Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix the ingredients together. If you start with the whisk, everything clumps up in the whisk. Switch over to a whisk once everything is mixed together, and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will look and feel like a slightly loose pancake batter.

5. Stage

Add half the batter to baking dish: Pour half of the batter, about 3 cups, into the prepared baking dish. Set the remaining batter aside, you’ll add the remaining batter later. Bake, until partially set, 12 to 15 minutes. The edges should look somewhat dry, but the center will still be damp.

6. Stage

Add bean paste and remaining batter to baking dish: Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Dollop the bean paste in small spoonfuls (about 1/2 teaspoonfuls) all over the cake. Pour the remaining batter over the bean paste and return to the oven.

7. Stage

Continue baking cake: Bake until golden brown on the top and the cake springs back when pressed, another 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time. Sometimes the cake will puff up like a Dutch Baby pancake and then fall as it cools.

8. Stage

Cool cake on wire rack: Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely in the pan. Let it rest for at least 4 hours. It’s very sticky and gooey if you cut it while it’s still hot. The longer it rests, the easier it is to handle.

9. Stage

Cut cake and serve: Cut into 2 or 3-inch pieces. Serve Nian Gao with tea, if you like.