Water Chestnut Cake (Ma Tai Gao)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 2 hours (includes cooling)
Servings: 8 slices
Country of Origin
China (Guangdong / Cantonese Dim Sum)
Description
A dim sum classic. This cake is translucent and golden-amber, offering an intriguing bouncy, gelatinous texture studded with crisp chunks of raw water chestnuts. It utilizes water chestnut flour to achieve its signature rubbery bite.
Presentation & How It's Eaten
While it can be eaten soft straight from the steamer, it is best chilled, sliced into thick squares, and pan-fried until a crispy skin forms over the chewy interior.
Ingredients
150g water chestnut flour (pure Ma Tai powder)
150g yellow rock sugar or brown slab sugar
600ml water (divided into two 300ml portions)
6 fresh water chestnuts (peeled and sliced into small pieces)
1 tbsp vegetable oil (for pan frying)
Step-by-Step Directions
Create the Cold Slurry: In a mixing bowl, combine 150g of water chestnut flour with 300ml of cold water. Whisk thoroughly until it forms a smooth, milk-like slurry.
Boil Syrup and Fruit: In a saucepan, bring the remaining 300ml of water and 150g of rock sugar to a boil until the sugar dissolves. Drop in the sliced fresh water chestnuts and let them boil for 2 minutes.
The Crucial Step (Gelatinization): Turn the stove heat to low. Whisk your cold slurry quickly to stir up the starches, then pour one single ladle (about 50ml) of the cold slurry into the boiling hot sugar syrup, whisking quickly. It will instantly thicken into a sticky paste. Turn off the heat.
Mix Batter: Pour this hot, thickened paste back into the bowl containing the remaining cold slurry, stirring quickly. This creates a thick, opaque batter that holds the water chestnut pieces in suspension.
Steam: Pour the batter into a greased 7-inch cake pan. Steam over high heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the cake turns completely translucent and sets. Let it cool down, then chill in the fridge until firm.
Slice and Sear: Cut into thick rectangles. Sear in a hot non-stick skillet with a splash of oil for 3 minutes per side until crisp and golden.
Cooking Tips
The Slurry Technique: Do not skip Step 3. If you pour all of your cold flour slurry directly into the boiling syrup at once, the starch will instantly seize into massive, solid lumps. Pre-cooking a tiny fraction of the starch creates an emulsified paste that sets beautifully without separation during steaming.
Nutrition Facts
(Estimated per slice pan-fried)
Calories: ~120 kcal
Total Fat: 1.8g
Saturated Fat: 0.2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 8mg
Total Carbohydrates: 26g
Protein: 0.2g
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